BestOnlineCollege.org is an advertising-supported website. Many of the school and program listings that appear on this site are from partners who compensate us, and this compensation may affect how, where, and in what order listings appear (such as featured placements). This compensation does not influence our editorial content, evaluations, or rankings, which are determined independently using publicly available data. We do not review or feature every school or program available in the marketplace. Our goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information so you can make informed decisions. Read our full Advertiser Disclosure.
Best Online Biology Programs in Salinas, CA (2026)
Salinas, California has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $26,987 per year for indexed programs. Salinas has a population of about 161,993. Median household income is $89,150 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salinas, CA metro area, the top-earning biology-related role is Medical Scientist at a median $138,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Biology Schools to Salinas
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer biology programs near Salinas, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Salinas city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California biology page.
Biology Wages Near Salinas
Salinas is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Scientist | $138,590 | Salinas, CA | $127,147 |
| Biological Technician | $59,320 | Salinas, CA | $54,422 |
| Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist | $84,900 | Salinas, CA | $77,890 |
| Soil and Plant Scientist | $115,910 | Salinas, CA | $106,339 |
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.
Salinas at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 161,993 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $89,150 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 15.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.0 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Salinas-Area Cities With Biology Programs
- Marina, CA – 8.8 mi away (21,688 pop)
- Seaside, CA – 11.3 mi away (118,670 pop)
- Monterey, CA – 15.3 mi away (28,454 pop)
- Hollister, CA – 17.4 mi away (45,496 pop)
- Watsonville, CA – 17.8 mi away (77,266 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited biology schools are near Salinas, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering biology programs near Salinas. The closest is Hartnell College in Salinas, CA (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cabrillo College (26.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying biology roles near Salinas?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying biology-related roles near Salinas are: Medical Scientist ($138,590), Soil and Plant Scientist ($115,910), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($84,900). 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 Marina instead of Salinas?
Marina, CA is 8.8 miles from Salinas 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 Salinas an affordable place to study biology?
Salinas’s median household income of $89,150 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salinas 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
- Is a Biology degree worth it?
- Main Biology degree guide
- Online Biology programs in California
- Biology programs by state
Other Programs Available in Salinas
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Salinas:
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Salinas, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Salinas, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Salinas, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Salinas, CA
- Public Health programs in Salinas, CA
- Human Resources programs in Salinas, CA
- Project Management programs in Salinas, CA
- Special Education programs in Salinas, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Salinas, CA
- Marketing programs in Salinas, CA
- Finance programs in Salinas, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Salinas, CA
- Sports Management programs in Salinas, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Salinas, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Salinas, CA
- Communications programs in Salinas, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Salinas, CA
- Human Services programs in Salinas, CA
- MBA programs in Salinas, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Salinas, CA
- Nursing programs in Salinas, CA
- Business Administration programs in Salinas, CA
- Computer Science programs in Salinas, CA
- Psychology programs in Salinas, CA
- Education programs in Salinas, CA
- Engineering programs in Salinas, CA
- Technology programs in Salinas, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Salinas, CA
- Healthcare programs in Salinas, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Salinas, CA
- Accounting programs in Salinas, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Salinas, CA
- Social Work programs in Salinas, CA
- Counseling programs in Salinas, CA
Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
Data verified: August 10, 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.