City College of San Francisco
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Computer Science Programs in San Francisco, CA (2026)
San Francisco, California has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $31,243 to $31,243 per year for indexed programs. San Francisco has a population of about 836,321. Median household income is $141,446 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $232,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Computer Science Schools to San Francisco
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer computer science programs near San Francisco. Distances are calculated from San Francisco city center.
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 Francisco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Academy of Art University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Golden Gate University
Published tuition$31,243
Online programsYes
Skyline College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
College of Alameda
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California computer science page.
Computer Science Wages Near San Francisco
San Francisco is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 | $186,640 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $161,453 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $134,460 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $116,315 |
| Computer Network Architect | $166,760 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $144,256 |
| Database Administrator | $127,760 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,519 |
| Database Architect | $175,860 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $152,128 |
| Information Security Analyst | $162,310 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $140,407 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | $101,600 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $87,889 |
| Computer User Support Specialist | $89,440 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,370 |
| Web Developer | $152,450 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $131,877 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $163,810 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $141,704 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | $232,890 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $201,462 |
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 Francisco at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 836,321 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $141,446 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 60.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Computer Science-related employment in San Francisco County | 59,778 workers, 2,669 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other San Francisco-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs
- Daly City, CA – 5.0 mi away (106,472 pop)
- South San Francisco, CA – 7.2 mi away (66,980 pop)
- San Bruno, CA – 9.1 mi away (42,957 pop)
- Alameda, CA – 9.6 mi away (78,906 pop)
- Pacifica, CA – 10.2 mi away (39,062 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited computer science schools are near San Francisco, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs near San Francisco. The closest is City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Alameda (9.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying computer science roles near San Francisco?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near San Francisco are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($232,890), Software Developer ($186,640), Database Architect ($175,860). 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 Daly City instead of San Francisco?
Daly City, CA is 5.0 miles from San Francisco 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 San Francisco an affordable place to study computer science?
San Francisco’s median household income of $141,446 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Francisco 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
- Computer Science accreditation: what to look for
- Computer Science concentrations and specializations
- Is a Computer Science degree worth it?
- Main Computer Science degree guide
- Online Computer Science programs in California
- Computer Science programs by state
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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Data verified: June 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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