Best Online Education Programs in Pasadena, CA (2026)

Pasadena, California has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,813 to $20,317 per year for indexed programs. Pasadena has a population of about 136,462. Median household income is $103,778 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 56.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $161,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Pasadena

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

#1

Pacific Oaks College

Pasadena, CA 0.8 miles from Pasadena BOC Score 58.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,485
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of the People

Pasadena, CA 0.9 miles from Pasadena BOC Score 36.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 17%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pasadena City College

Pasadena, CA 1.6 miles from Pasadena BOC Score 71.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,937
Avg net price $3,864/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Pasadena

Pasadena 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$100,960Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$88,873
Elementary School Teacher$101,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$89,665
Middle School Teacher$98,370Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$86,593
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$105,730Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$93,072
Education Administrator, K-12$161,590Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$142,245
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$125,230Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$110,238
Tutor$45,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$39,965
Educational and Career Counselor$79,000Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,542

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.


Pasadena at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population136,462Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$103,778Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+56.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Los Angeles County123,686 workers, 4,718 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Pasadena-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Pasadena, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Pasadena 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 Pasadena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Pasadena are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($161,590), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($125,230), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($105,730). 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 South Pasadena instead of Pasadena?

South Pasadena, CA is 3.6 miles from Pasadena 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 Pasadena an affordable place to study education?

Pasadena’s median household income of $103,778 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pasadena 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 Pasadena

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

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.