Best Education Schools Near Vista, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Vista, California has 5 accredited schools offering education programs. Vista has a population of about 98,646. Median household income is $91,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.2% 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 Vista

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 3.7 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

San Marcos, CA 4.9 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,150
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 6.1 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 21.5 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

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#5

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 21.9 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 25.6 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
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: 64

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

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#7

National University

San Diego, CA 25.7 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.2 BOC Score
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: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 25.7 miles from Vista
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
35.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

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

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

Education Wages Near Vista

Vista 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher $102,810 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $91,877
Elementary School Teacher $97,000 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $86,685
Middle School Teacher $78,460 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $70,116
Education Teacher, Postsecondary $129,100 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $115,371
Education Administrator, K-12 $163,200 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $145,845
Education Administrator, Postsecondary $125,470 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $112,127
Tutor $47,050 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $42,046
Educational and Career Counselor $83,520 San 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.

Vista at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 98,646 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $91,854 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.2% 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 County 28,030 workers, 1,805 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Vista-Area Cities With Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Vista, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering education programs near Vista. The closest is MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Poway Adult School (18.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Vista?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Vista 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 Oceanside instead of Vista?

Oceanside, CA is 4.7 miles from Vista 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 Vista an affordable place to study education?

Vista’s median household income of $91,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Vista 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 Vista

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Education Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)