Santa Cruz, California has 5 accredited schools offering computer science programs, with tuition ranging from $14,560 to $45,337 per year for indexed programs. Santa Cruz has a population of about 60,953. Median household income is $111,427 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning computer science-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $198,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Computer Science Schools to Santa Cruz
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer computer science programs near Santa Cruz, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
66%
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,396
Avg net price
$17,890/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Key stats- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 15
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 Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). 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 | $156,910 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $142,775 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $124,450 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $113,239 |
| Computer Network Architect | $158,870 | CA statewide | $144,559 |
| Database Administrator | $102,510 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $93,276 |
| Database Architect | $170,160 | CA statewide | $154,832 |
| Information Security Analyst | $138,570 | CA statewide | $126,087 |
| Computer Network Support Specialist | $102,980 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $93,703 |
| Computer User Support Specialist | $75,720 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $68,899 |
| Web Developer | $81,350 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $74,022 |
| Web and Digital Interface Designer | $114,220 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $103,931 |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | $198,770 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $180,864 |
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.
Santa Cruz at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 60,953 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $111,427 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 57.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Computer Science-related employment in Santa Cruz County | 820 workers, 144 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Santa Cruz-Area Cities With Computer Science Programs
- Watsonville, CA – 15.1 mi away (77,266 pop)
- Los Gatos, CA – 17.9 mi away (30,545 pop)
- Saratoga, CA – 20.0 mi away (30,767 pop)
- Campbell, CA – 21.3 mi away (40,939 pop)
- Cupertino, CA – 23.4 mi away (60,643 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited computer science schools are near Santa Cruz, CA?
Accredited schools offering computer science programs near Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying computer science-related roles near Santa Cruz are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($198,770), Database Architect ($170,160), Computer Network Architect ($158,870). 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 Watsonville instead of Santa Cruz?
Watsonville, CA is 15.1 miles from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz an affordable place to study computer science?
Santa Cruz’s median household income of $111,427 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Santa Cruz:
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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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