Lake Forest, California has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $45,014 per year for indexed programs. Lake Forest has a population of about 85,846. Median household income is $131,378 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $204,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Computer Science Schools to Lake Forest
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer computer science programs near Lake Forest, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lake Forest 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Lake Forest.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
29%
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$80,735
Avg net price
$14,251/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Avg net price
$35,426/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,552
Avg net price
$3,133/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,180
Out‑of‑state$10,756
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,598
Avg net price
$33,392/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 5
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,504
Avg net price
$26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,533
Avg net price
$4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,987
Avg net price
$33,744/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,464
Avg net price
$20,161/yr
TuitionIn‑state$49,470
Out‑of‑state$49,470
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California computer science page.
Computer Science Wages Near Lake Forest
Lake Forest is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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) |
|---|
| Software Developer | $160,920 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $141,655 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $121,560 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $107,007 |
| Computer Network Architect | $147,510 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $129,850 |
| Database Administrator | $112,540 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $99,067 |
| Database Architect | $155,740 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $137,095 |
| Information Security Analyst | $129,630 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $114,111 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | $57,220 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $50,370 |
| Computer User Support Specialist | $75,070 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $66,083 |
| Web Developer | $107,290 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $94,445 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $106,550 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,794 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | $204,370 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $179,903 |
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.
Lake Forest at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 85,846 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $131,378 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 50.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Computer Science-related employment in Orange County | 23,075 workers, 3,016 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Lake Forest-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs
- Mission Viejo, CA – 3.7 mi away (602,851 pop)
- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – 4.6 mi away (48,969 pop)
- Laguna Hills, CA – 5.0 mi away (31,509 pop)
- Irvine, CA – 6.0 mi away (266,122 pop)
- Aliso Viejo, CA – 6.5 mi away (51,424 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited computer science schools are near Lake Forest, CA?
Accredited schools offering computer science programs near Lake Forest 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 computer science roles near Lake Forest?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near Lake Forest are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($204,370), Software Developer ($160,920), Database Architect ($155,740). 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 Mission Viejo instead of Lake Forest?
Mission Viejo, CA is 3.7 miles from Lake Forest and has its own set of local computer science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Lake Forest an affordable place to study computer science?
Lake Forest’s median household income of $131,378 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake Forest 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 Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Lake Forest
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lake Forest:
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- Social Work programs in Lake Forest, CA
- Counseling programs in Lake Forest, CA
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.
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