Best Environmental Science Schools Near Goleta, CA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $16,414 to $50,614 per year for indexed programs. Goleta has a population of about 32,693. Median household income is $118,039 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $122,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Goleta

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

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 1.6 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA 50.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,152
Avg net price $9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 57.8 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,712
Avg net price $30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 59.2 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 74.9 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

The Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita, CA 76.6 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,106
Avg net price $32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 77.1 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

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

#8

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 83.9 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Goleta

Goleta is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$105,230Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$96,719
Conservation Scientist$78,340Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$72,004
Environmental Engineer$122,380Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$112,482
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$98,530CA statewide$90,561

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.

Goleta at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,693Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$118,039Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Goleta-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Goleta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Goleta. The closest is University of California-Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Moorpark College (59.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Goleta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Goleta are: Environmental Engineer ($122,380), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($105,230), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($98,530). 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 Santa Barbara instead of Goleta?

Santa Barbara, CA is 8.0 miles from Goleta and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Goleta an affordable place to study environmental science?

Goleta’s median household income of $118,039 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Goleta 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 Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Goleta

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

Data verified: September 1, 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 Environmental Science Schools in California (2026)