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Best Economics Schools Near Costa Mesa, CA (2026)
Costa Mesa, California has 82 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,150 to $64,984 per year for indexed programs. Costa Mesa has a population of about 110,538. Median household income is $110,073 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning economics-related role is Economist at a median $151,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Economics Schools to Costa Mesa
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Costa Mesa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Costa Mesa city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California economics page.
Economics Wages Near Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economist | $151,510 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $133,371 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $102,260 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $90,018 |
| Statistician | $116,200 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $102,289 |
| Management Analyst | $104,930 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $92,368 |
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.
Costa Mesa at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 110,538 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $110,073 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 43.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Costa Mesa-Area Cities With Economics Programs
- Fountain Valley, CA – 3.7 mi away (56,529 pop)
- Newport Beach, CA – 4.5 mi away (86,688 pop)
- Santa Ana, CA – 5.2 mi away (334,217 pop)
- Huntington Beach, CA – 5.5 mi away (200,652 pop)
- Tustin, CA – 7.4 mi away (80,395 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited economics schools are near Costa Mesa, CA?
Our directory has 82 accredited schools offering economics programs near Costa Mesa. The closest is Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cypress College (12.9 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying economics roles near Costa Mesa?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Costa Mesa are: Economist ($151,510), Statistician ($116,200), Management Analyst ($104,930). 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 Fountain Valley instead of Costa Mesa?
Fountain Valley, CA is 3.7 miles from Costa Mesa and has its own set of local economics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Costa Mesa an affordable place to study economics?
Costa Mesa’s median household income of $110,073 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Costa Mesa 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 Economics Programs
- Is an Economics degree worth it?
- Main Economics degree guide
- Online Economics programs in California
- Economics programs by state
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Data verified: August 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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