Best Computer Engineering Schools Near San Marcos, CA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

San Marcos, California has 18 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $64,984 per year for indexed programs. San Marcos has a population of about 94,078. Median household income is $105,286 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning computer engineering-related role is Computer Hardware Engineer at a median $174,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Computer Engineering Schools to San Marcos

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

#1

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA 28.8 miles from San Marcos BOC Score 42.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,503
Avg net price $7,935/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

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

#2

DeVry University-California

Ontario, CA 68.8 miles from San Marcos BOC Score 36.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $33,744/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 70.5 miles from San Marcos BOC Score 86.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 41

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 computer engineering page.

Computer Engineering Wages Near San Marcos

San Marcos 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)
Computer Hardware Engineer$174,440San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$155,889
Electronics Engineer$156,480San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$139,839
Software Developer$163,270San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$145,907
Computer Network Architect$157,700San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$140,929

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.

San Marcos at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,078Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,286Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Marcos-Area Cities With Computer Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited computer engineering schools are near San Marcos, CA?

Our directory has 18 accredited schools offering computer engineering programs near San Marcos. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chapman University (60.0 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying computer engineering roles near San Marcos?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer engineering-related roles near San Marcos are: Computer Hardware Engineer ($174,440), Software Developer ($163,270), Computer Network Architect ($157,700). 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 Vista instead of San Marcos?

Vista, CA is 5.3 miles from San Marcos and has its own set of local computer engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Marcos an affordable place to study computer engineering?

San Marcos’s median household income of $105,286 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Marcos 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 Computer Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in San Marcos

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.

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