Best Electrical Engineering Schools Near Carlsbad, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Carlsbad, California has 5 accredited schools offering electrical engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $8,728 to $50,958 per year for indexed programs. Carlsbad has a population of about 114,500. Median household income is $139,326 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning electrical engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Managers at a median $202,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Electrical Engineering Schools to Carlsbad

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer electrical engineering programs near Carlsbad, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad. 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

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 7.2 miles from Carlsbad
  • 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

#2

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 17.3 miles from Carlsbad
  • 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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#3

National University

San Diego, CA 22.3 miles from Carlsbad
  • 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

#4

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 25.0 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
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: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 27.1 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
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: 133

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

#6

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 48.4 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

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

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#7

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 56.2 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
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: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Chapman University

Orange, CA 56.6 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Electrical Engineering Wages Near Carlsbad

Carlsbad 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)
Electrical Engineers $127,270 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $113,735
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $156,480 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $139,839
Computer Hardware Engineers $174,440 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $155,889
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians $91,620 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $81,877
Electrical and Electronics Drafters $74,520 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $66,595
Architectural and Engineering Managers $202,810 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $181,242
Mechanical Engineers $121,750 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $108,803
Engineers, All Other $132,790 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $118,668

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.

Carlsbad at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 114,500 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $139,326 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 61.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Carlsbad-Area Cities With Electrical Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited electrical engineering schools are near Carlsbad, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering electrical engineering programs near Carlsbad. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (7.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego State University (27.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying electrical engineering roles near Carlsbad?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying electrical engineering-related roles near Carlsbad are: Architectural and Engineering Managers ($202,810), Computer Hardware Engineers ($174,440), Electronics Engineers, Except Computer ($156,480). 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 Vista instead of Carlsbad?

Vista, CA is 5.2 miles from Carlsbad and has its own set of local electrical engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Carlsbad an affordable place to study electrical engineering?

Carlsbad’s median household income of $139,326 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carlsbad 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 Electrical Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Carlsbad

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Electrical Engineering Schools in California (2026)