Best Online Communications Programs in Lemon Grove, CA (2026)

Lemon Grove, California has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. Lemon Grove has a population of about 27,489. Median household income is $79,278 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning communications-related role is Public Relations Manager at a median $157,630 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Communications Schools to Lemon Grove

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

#1

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 3.6 miles from Lemon Grove 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

#2

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 8.2 miles from Lemon Grove 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

#3

National University

San Diego, CA 8.6 miles from Lemon Grove 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

#4

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 9.0 miles from Lemon Grove 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

#5

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 9.2 miles from Lemon Grove BOC Score 57.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 41

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

#6

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 9.5 miles from Lemon Grove BOC Score 76.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 12.8 miles from Lemon Grove BOC Score 68.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 15.2 miles from Lemon Grove BOC Score 92.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 30

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 communications page.


Communications Wages Near Lemon Grove

Lemon Grove 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)
Public Relations Specialist$81,240San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$72,601
Public Relations Manager$157,630San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$140,867
News Analyst, Reporter and Journalist$63,810San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$57,024
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$79,440San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$70,992

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.


Lemon Grove at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,489Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,278Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lemon Grove-Area Cities With Communications Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited communications schools are near Lemon Grove, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering communications programs near Lemon Grove. The closest is San Diego State University in San Diego, CA (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego City College (7.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying communications roles near Lemon Grove?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communications-related roles near Lemon Grove are: Public Relations Manager ($157,630), Public Relations Specialist ($81,240), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($79,440). 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 La Mesa instead of Lemon Grove?

La Mesa, CA is 2.7 miles from Lemon Grove and has its own set of local communications programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lemon Grove an affordable place to study communications?

Lemon Grove’s median household income of $79,278 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lemon Grove 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 Communications Programs

Other Programs Available in Lemon Grove

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

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 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.