Best Online Business Administration Programs in El Centro, CA (2026)

El Centro, California has 5 accredited schools offering business administration programs, with tuition ranging from $1,126 to $12,466 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the El Centro, CA metro area, the top-earning business administration-related role is Human Resources Manager at a median $137,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Business Administration Schools to El Centro

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

#1

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 82.6 miles from El Centro BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,766
Avg net price $992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 17%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 88.1 miles from El Centro BOC Score 83.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 57

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

#3

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 89.5 miles from El Centro BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California Miramar University

San Diego, CA 90.6 miles from El Centro BOC Score 43.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 18%
Avg net price $12,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

National University

San Diego, CA 91.2 miles from El Centro BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 91.2 miles from El Centro BOC Score 35.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

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

#7

John Paul the Great Catholic University

Escondido, CA 91.3 miles from El Centro BOC Score 45.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,930
Avg net price $34,666/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 92.0 miles from El Centro BOC Score 15.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 42

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 business administration page.


Business Administration Wages Near El Centro

El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$99,250El Centro, CA$104,254
Administrative Services Manager$100,560El Centro, CA$105,630
Financial Manager$129,480El Centro, CA$136,008
Human Resources Manager$137,930El Centro, CA$144,884
Management Analyst$77,350El Centro, CA$81,250
Project Management Specialist$105,860El Centro, CA$111,197
Accountant or Auditor$76,280El Centro, CA$80,126
Training and Development Specialist$61,010El Centro, CA$64,086
Office and Administrative Support Supervisor$66,410El Centro, CA$69,758

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.


El Centro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population44,186Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,093Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Business Administration-related employment in Imperial County571 workers, 112 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other El Centro-Area Cities With Business Administration Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited business administration schools are near El Centro, CA?

Accredited schools offering business administration programs near El Centro are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying business administration roles near El Centro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying business administration-related roles near El Centro are: Human Resources Manager ($137,930), Financial Manager ($129,480), Project Management Specialist ($105,860). 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 Calexico instead of El Centro?

Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro and has its own set of local business administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is El Centro an affordable place to study business administration?

El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro 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 Business Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in El Centro

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.