Best Online Education Programs in Orange, CA (2026)

Orange, California has a population of about 138,723. The city’s median household income is $116,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 102 accredited schools offering education programs near Orange, with tuition ranging from $1,180 to $18,953 per year for indexed programs. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $139,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Education Schools to Orange

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 102 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Orange. Distances are calculated from Orange city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Chapman UniversityOrange, CA1.9 miContact school for pricing
Santiago Canyon CollegeOrange, CA3.2 miContact school for pricing
Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA4.9 mi$1,180 - $11,848
Hope International UniversityFullerton, CA6.2 miContact school for pricing
California State University-FullertonFullerton, CA6.5 mi$7,073 - $18,953
Bethesda UniversityAnaheim, CA7.4 miContact school for pricing
Fullerton CollegeFullerton, CA7.4 miContact school for pricing
Westcliff UniversityIrvine, CA8.3 miContact school for pricing
Coastline Community CollegeFountain Valley, CA8.6 miContact school for pricing
Concordia University-IrvineIrvine, CA10.4 miContact school for pricing

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


Education Wages Near Orange

Orange 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$97,970Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$86,241
Elementary School Teacher$100,580Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$88,539
Middle School Teacher$94,940Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$83,574
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$78,370Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$68,988
Education Administrator, K-12$139,080Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$122,430
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$120,970Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$106,488
Tutor$42,300Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$37,236
Educational and Career Counselor$85,660Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$75,405

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Orange at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population138,723Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$116,945Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+40.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Orange County35,514 workers, 2,068 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Orange-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Orange, CA?

Our directory has 102 accredited schools offering education programs near Orange. The closest is Chapman University in Orange, CA (1.9 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Concordia University-Irvine (10.4 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Orange?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Orange are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($139,080), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($120,970), Elementary School Teacher ($100,580). 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 Anaheim instead of Orange?

Anaheim, CA is 3.2 miles from Orange 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 Orange an affordable place to study education?

Orange’s median household income of $116,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Orange 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.