Best Chemistry Schools Near Escondido, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Escondido, California has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $50,958 per year for indexed programs. Escondido has a population of about 149,913. Median household income is $84,477 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning chemistry-related role is Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $138,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Chemistry Schools to Escondido

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 5.0 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
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: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 20.1 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

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#3

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 23.6 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 24.8 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
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: 133

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

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#5

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 26.1 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 30.6 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 55.7 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,083
Avg net price $28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 56.8 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

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

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

Chemistry Wages Near Escondido

Escondido 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Chemists $95,160 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $85,040
Biochemists and Biophysicists $121,740 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $108,794
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $138,300 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $123,592
Chemical Technicians $57,270 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $51,180
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists $130,980 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $117,051
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $106,100 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $94,817
Chemical Engineers N/A CA statewide –
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $102,810 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $91,877

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.

Escondido at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,913 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,477 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Escondido-Area Cities With Chemistry Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited chemistry schools are near Escondido, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering chemistry programs near Escondido. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grossmont College (22.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying chemistry roles near Escondido?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying chemistry-related roles near Escondido are: Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($138,300), Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists ($130,980), Biochemists and Biophysicists ($121,740). 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 San Marcos instead of Escondido?

San Marcos, CA is 5.9 miles from Escondido and has its own set of local chemistry programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Escondido an affordable place to study chemistry?

Escondido’s median household income of $84,477 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Escondido 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 Chemistry Programs

Other Programs Available in Escondido

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best Chemistry Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)