Best Online Cybersecurity Programs in Atwater, CA (2026)

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

Atwater, California has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs. Atwater has a population of about 32,013. Median household income is $63,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $167,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Cybersecurity Schools to Atwater

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer cybersecurity programs near Atwater. Distances are calculated from Atwater 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 Atwater. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California cybersecurity page.

Cybersecurity Wages Near Atwater

Atwater is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). 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)
Information Security Analyst	$138,570	CA statewide	$140,966
Network and Computer Systems Administrator	$98,060	Merced, CA	$99,756
Computer Network Architect	$158,870	CA statewide	$161,617
Computer Systems Analyst	$95,390	Merced, CA	$97,040
Computer and Information Systems Manager	$167,150	Merced, CA	$170,041
Computer Network Support Specialist	$84,870	Merced, CA	$86,338
Computer User Support Specialist	$69,610	Merced, CA	$70,814

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.

Atwater at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	32,013	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$63,945	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	13.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	98.3 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in Merced County	37 workers, 17 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Atwater-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs

Merced, CA – 7.4 mi away (143,272 pop)
Turlock, CA – 17.7 mi away (106,100 pop)
Los Banos, CA – 24.1 mi away (37,584 pop)
Ceres, CA – 26.0 mi away (48,278 pop)
Modesto, CA – 29.6 mi away (377,755 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near Atwater, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near Atwater. The closest is Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA (30.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Institute for Business and Technology (75.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near Atwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near Atwater are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($167,150), Computer Network Architect ($158,870), Information Security Analyst ($138,570). 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 Merced instead of Atwater?

Merced, CA is 7.4 miles from Atwater and has its own set of local cybersecurity programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Atwater an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

Atwater’s median household income of $63,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atwater 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 Cybersecurity Programs

Other Programs Available in Atwater

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

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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