Best Online Education Programs in Oakland, CA (2026)

Oakland, California has 2 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,602 to $22,714 per year for indexed programs. Oakland has a population of about 438,072. Median household income is $97,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $160,820 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Oakland

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

#1

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 2.7 miles from Oakland BOC Score 36.6
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,392
Avg net price $14,021/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Reach University

Oakland, CA 3.5 miles from Oakland
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 100%
Avg net price $22,423/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,374
Out‑of‑state$12,374
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 3

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

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


Education Wages Near Oakland

Oakland is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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$102,880San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$88,997
Elementary School Teacher$101,860San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$88,114
Middle School Teacher$81,100San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$70,156
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$92,720San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$80,208
Education Administrator, K-12$160,820San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$139,118
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$136,030San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$117,673
Tutor$48,340San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$41,817
Educational and Career Counselor$94,600San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$81,834

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.


Oakland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population438,072Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Alameda County15,370 workers, 1,122 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Oakland-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Oakland, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Oakland 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 Oakland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Oakland are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($160,820), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($136,030), Secondary School Teacher ($102,880). 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 Alameda instead of Oakland?

Alameda, CA is 3.2 miles from Oakland 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 Oakland an affordable place to study education?

Oakland’s median household income of $97,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oakland 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 Oakland

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

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 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.