Best Cybersecurity Schools Near El Centro, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

El Centro, California has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs, with tuition ranging from $1,148 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer Network Architect at a median $158,870 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Cybersecurity Schools to El Centro

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 87.9 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Institute of Arts & Technology

National City, CA 90.4 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Avg net price $32,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

National University

San Diego, CA 91.2 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 91.2 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
35.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 92.0 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 94.9 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 95.8 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 104.9 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Cybersecurity Wages Near El Centro

El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). 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 $145,557
Network and Computer Systems Administrator $88,580 El Centro, CA $93,046
Computer Network Architect $158,870 CA statewide $166,880
Computer Systems Analyst $84,610 El Centro, CA $88,876
Computer and Information Systems Manager $152,360 El Centro, CA $160,042
Computer Network Support Specialist $71,390 El Centro, CA $74,989
Computer User Support Specialist $75,460 El Centro, CA $79,265

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.

El Centro at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,186 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,093 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in Imperial County 56 workers, 14 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other El Centro-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near El Centro, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near El Centro. The closest is Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alliant International University-San Diego (89.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near El Centro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near El Centro are: Computer Network Architect ($158,870), Computer and Information Systems Manager ($152,360), 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 Calexico instead of El Centro?

Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro 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 El Centro an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro 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 El Centro

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Cybersecurity Schools in California (2026)