Best Online Biology Programs in Murrieta, CA (2026)

Murrieta, California has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $13,939 per year for indexed programs. Murrieta has a population of about 111,621. Median household income is $109,780 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $138,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Murrieta

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Murrieta, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Murrieta city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Murrieta. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 27.2 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 54.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 28.1 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA 28.4 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 84.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,699
Avg net price $14,304/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,606
Out‑of‑state$49,806
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 29.4 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,824
Avg net price $45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Saint Katherine

San Marcos, CA 30.0 miles from Murrieta
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 30.6 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 75.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Crafton Hills College

Yucaipa, CA 32.8 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,553
Avg net price $11,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Redlands

Redlands, CA 33.9 miles from Murrieta BOC Score 66.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,690
Avg net price $30,031/yr
Tuition
In‑state$60,878
Out‑of‑state$60,878
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California biology page.


Biology Wages Near Murrieta

Murrieta is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Medical Scientist$138,390Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$130,066
Biological Technician$60,470Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$56,833
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$82,360Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$77,406
Soil and Plant Scientist$94,900Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$89,192

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Murrieta at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population111,621Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$109,780Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Murrieta-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Murrieta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Murrieta. The closest is Mt San Jacinto Community College District in San Jacinto, CA (19.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Baptist University (28.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Murrieta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Murrieta are: Medical Scientist ($138,390), Soil and Plant Scientist ($94,900), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($82,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wildomar instead of Murrieta?

Wildomar, CA is 5.0 miles from Murrieta and has its own set of local biology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Murrieta an affordable place to study biology?

Murrieta’s median household income of $109,780 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Murrieta while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Biology Programs

Other Programs Available in Murrieta

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Murrieta:

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.