Best Online Education Programs in San Diego, CA (2026)

San Diego, California has 4 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,675 to $19,555 per year for indexed programs. San Diego has a population of about 1,385,061. Median household income is $104,321 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $163,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to San Diego

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

#1

National University

San Diego, CA 0.3 miles from San Diego BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 0.3 miles from San Diego BOC Score 35.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

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

#3

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 1.2 miles from San Diego BOC Score 15.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#4

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 4.8 miles from San Diego BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 4.9 miles from San Diego BOC Score 83.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 57

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

#6

United States University

San Diego, CA 5.3 miles from San Diego BOC Score 51.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 14%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,980
Tuition
In‑state$6,780
Out‑of‑state$6,780
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

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

#7

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 5.7 miles from San Diego BOC Score 76.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

High Tech High Graduate School of Education

San Diego, CA 8.6 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near San Diego

San Diego is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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$102,810San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$91,877
Elementary School Teacher$97,000San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$86,685
Middle School Teacher$78,460San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$70,116
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$129,100San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$115,371
Education Administrator, K-12$163,200San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$145,845
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$125,470San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$112,127
Tutor$47,050San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$42,046
Educational and Career Counselor$83,520San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$74,638

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.


San Diego at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population1,385,061Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$104,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in San Diego County28,030 workers, 1,805 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other San Diego-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near San Diego, CA?

Accredited schools offering education programs near San Diego 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 San Diego?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near San Diego are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($163,200), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($129,100), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($125,470). 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 La Mesa instead of San Diego?

La Mesa, CA is 7.3 miles from San Diego 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 San Diego an affordable place to study education?

San Diego’s median household income of $104,321 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Diego 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 San Diego

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

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.