Best Online Education Programs in Riverside, CA (2026)

Riverside, California has 5 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,813 to $19,555 per year for indexed programs. Riverside has a population of about 316,241. Median household income is $88,575 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $161,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Riverside

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

#1

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 1.9 miles from Riverside BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA 2.4 miles from Riverside BOC Score 45.1
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,091
Avg net price $8,377/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,428
Out‑of‑state$12,498
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of California-Riverside

Riverside, CA 3.6 miles from Riverside BOC Score 84.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,699
Avg net price $14,304/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,606
Out‑of‑state$49,806
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 14

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

#4

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 6.3 miles from Riverside BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,824
Avg net price $45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Riverside

Riverside is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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$100,130Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$94,107
Elementary School Teacher$98,520Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$92,594
Middle School Teacher$100,810Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$94,746
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$123,910Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$116,457
Education Administrator, K-12$161,380Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$151,673
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$126,620Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$119,004
Tutor$42,260Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$39,718
Educational and Career Counselor$96,780Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$90,959

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.


Riverside at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population316,241Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$88,575Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Riverside County10,044 workers, 612 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Riverside-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Riverside, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Riverside 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 Riverside?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Riverside are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($161,380), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($126,620), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($123,910). 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 Colton instead of Riverside?

Colton, CA is 8.9 miles from Riverside 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 Riverside an affordable place to study education?

Riverside’s median household income of $88,575 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Riverside 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 Riverside

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

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.