Best Online Biology Programs in Oceanside, CA (2026)

Oceanside, California has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs. Oceanside has a population of about 172,542. Median household income is $93,724 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $130,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Biology Schools to Oceanside

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Oceanside, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Oceanside 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 Oceanside. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 2.6 miles from Oceanside 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

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


Biology Wages Near Oceanside

Oceanside is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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$130,980San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$117,051
Biological Technician$67,060San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$59,929
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$93,500San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$83,557
Soil and Plant Scientist$86,330San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$77,149

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.


Oceanside at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population172,542Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$93,724Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Oceanside-Area Cities With Biology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited biology schools are near Oceanside, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Oceanside. The closest is MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA (2.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (23.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying biology roles near Oceanside?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Oceanside are: Medical Scientist ($130,980), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($93,500), Soil and Plant Scientist ($86,330). 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 Vista instead of Oceanside?

Vista, CA is 4.7 miles from Oceanside 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 Oceanside an affordable place to study biology?

Oceanside’s median household income of $93,724 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oceanside 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 Oceanside

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.