Best Economics Schools Near San Luis Obispo, CA (2026)

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

San Luis Obispo, California has 8 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $1,108 to $53,584 per year for indexed programs. San Luis Obispo has a population of about 48,039. Median household income is $66,711 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning economics-related role is Statistician at a median $135,960 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Economics Schools to San Luis Obispo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near San Luis Obispo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Economist$119,410CA statewide$109,954
Financial and Investment Analyst$102,970San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$94,816
Statistician$135,960CA statewide$125,193
Management Analyst$84,290San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$77,615

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.

San Luis Obispo at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,039Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,711Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Luis Obispo-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near San Luis Obispo, CA?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering economics programs near San Luis Obispo. The closest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, CA (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bakersfield College (96.0 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near San Luis Obispo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near San Luis Obispo are: Statistician ($135,960), Economist ($119,410), Financial and Investment Analyst ($102,970). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of San Luis Obispo?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 10.9 miles from San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo an affordable place to study economics?

San Luis Obispo’s median household income of $66,711 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Luis Obispo 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

Other Programs Available in San Luis Obispo

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for San Luis Obispo:

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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