Goleta, California has a population of about 32,693. The city’s median household income is $118,039 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 54 accredited schools offering business administration programs near Goleta, with tuition ranging from $14,965 to $45,742 per year for indexed programs. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning business administration-related role is Financial Manager at a median $163,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).
The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 54 schools in our directory that offer business administration programs near Goleta. Distances are calculated from Goleta city center.
| School | City | Distance | Tuition | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | 1.6 mi | $14,965 - $45,742 | – |
| Antioch University-Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | 9.4 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara, CA | 9.4 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Ventura College | Ventura, CA | 37.5 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Ventura Adult and Continuing Education | Ventura, CA | 38.6 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Oxnard College | Oxnard, CA | 44.2 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria, CA | 47.4 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| California State University-Channel Islands | Camarillo, CA | 50.3 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Taft College | Taft, CA | 54.3 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 57.8 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California business administration page.
Goleta is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Manager | $110,030 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $101,131 |
| Administrative Services Manager | $107,470 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $98,778 |
| Financial Manager | $163,740 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $150,496 |
| Human Resources Manager | $150,930 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $138,722 |
| Management Analyst | $102,260 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $93,989 |
| Project Management Specialist | $107,060 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $98,401 |
| Accountant or Auditor | $88,160 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $81,029 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $60,170 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $55,303 |
| Office and Administrative Support Supervisor | $70,420 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $64,724 |
Source: BLS, May 2024 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.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,693 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $118,039 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 108.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Business Administration-related employment in Santa Barbara County | 4,921 workers, 739 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Our directory has 54 accredited schools offering business administration programs near Goleta. The closest is University of California-Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA (1.6 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is California Lutheran University (57.8 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying business administration-related roles near Goleta are: Financial Manager ($163,740), Human Resources Manager ($150,930), General and Operations Manager ($110,030). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Santa Barbara, CA is 8.0 miles from Goleta 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.
Goleta’s median household income of $118,039 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Goleta while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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.
Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.
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