Best Environmental Science Schools Near San Carlos, CA (2026)

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

San Carlos, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. San Carlos has a population of about 29,797. Median household income is $233,333 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 68.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $138,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to San Carlos

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

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 12.2 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 16.1 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

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

#3

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 19.2 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 20.1 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 20.9 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 21.7 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 24.0 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 25.2 miles from San Carlos
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near San Carlos

San Carlos is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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$127,210San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,043
Conservation Scientist$97,810San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$84,611
Environmental Engineer$138,840San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$120,104
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$99,230San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$85,839

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 Carlos at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,797Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$233,333Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+68.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Carlos-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near San Carlos, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near San Carlos. The closest is Canada College in Redwood City, CA (3.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Francisco State University (19.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near San Carlos?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near San Carlos are: Environmental Engineer ($138,840), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($127,210), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($99,230). 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 Belmont instead of San Carlos?

Belmont, CA is 1.9 miles from San Carlos 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 San Carlos an affordable place to study environmental science?

San Carlos’s median household income of $233,333 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Carlos 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 San Carlos

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

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.

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