Best Cybersecurity Schools Near Escondido, CA (2026)

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

Escondido, California has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs. Escondido has a population of about 149,913. Median household income is $84,477 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $206,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Cybersecurity Schools to Escondido

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

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

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#1

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 5.0 miles from Escondido
  • 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

#2

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 13.9 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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#3

National University

San Diego, CA 21.4 miles from Escondido
  • 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 21.4 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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#5

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 21.6 miles from Escondido
  • 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

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 24.8 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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#7

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 26.1 miles from Escondido
  • 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

#8

California Institute of Arts & Technology

National City, CA 32.8 miles from Escondido
  • 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

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

Cybersecurity Wages Near Escondido

Escondido is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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 $132,120 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $118,070
Network and Computer Systems Administrator $105,170 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $93,986
Computer Network Architect $157,700 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $140,929
Computer Systems Analyst $119,090 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $106,425
Computer and Information Systems Manager $206,740 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $184,754
Computer Network Support Specialist $79,270 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $70,840
Computer User Support Specialist $74,020 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $66,148

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.

Escondido at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,913 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,477 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in San Diego County 25,108 workers, 2,827 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Escondido-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near Escondido, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near Escondido. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alliant International University-San Diego (16.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near Escondido?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near Escondido are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($206,740), Computer Network Architect ($157,700), Information Security Analyst ($132,120). 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 San Marcos instead of Escondido?

San Marcos, CA is 5.9 miles from Escondido 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 Escondido an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

Escondido’s median household income of $84,477 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Escondido 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 Escondido

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

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.

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