Best Online Education Programs in Bakersfield, CA (2026)

Bakersfield, California has 1 accredited school offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,095 to $20,317 per year for indexed programs. Bakersfield has a population of about 408,366. Median household income is $77,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $154,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Bakersfield

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

#1

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 3.9 miles from Bakersfield BOC Score 74.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 5.3 miles from Bakersfield BOC Score 24.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Bakersfield

Bakersfield is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$99,150Bakersfield-Delano, CA$98,266
Elementary School Teacher$79,900Bakersfield-Delano, CA$79,187
Middle School Teacher$93,480Bakersfield-Delano, CA$92,646
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$111,850CA statewide$110,852
Education Administrator, K-12$154,410Bakersfield-Delano, CA$153,033
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$119,160Bakersfield-Delano, CA$118,097
Tutor$39,470Bakersfield-Delano, CA$39,118
Educational and Career Counselor$97,700Bakersfield-Delano, CA$96,829

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.


Bakersfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population408,366Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$77,397Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Kern County2,243 workers, 155 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Bakersfield-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Bakersfield, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Bakersfield are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Bakersfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Bakersfield are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($154,410), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($119,160), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($111,850). 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 Shafter instead of Bakersfield?

Shafter, CA is 12.6 miles from Bakersfield and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bakersfield an affordable place to study education?

Bakersfield’s median household income of $77,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bakersfield 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Bakersfield

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.