Best Online Finance Programs in San Luis Obispo, CA (2026)

San Luis Obispo, California has 1 accredited school offering finance programs. San Luis Obispo has a population of about 48,039. Median household income is $66,711 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, the top-earning finance-related role is Financial Manager at a median $140,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Finance Schools to San Luis Obispo

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

#1

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 113.9 miles from San Luis Obispo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 124.6 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 68.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 140.1 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 72.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 140.6 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 75.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 43

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

#5

Los Angeles Valley College

Valley Glen, CA 148.2 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 42.2
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,678
Avg net price $12,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 156.1 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 72.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,349
Avg net price $48,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 160.4 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 80.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 160.4 miles from San Luis Obispo BOC Score 77.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Finance Wages Near San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Personal Financial Advisor$91,340San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$84,107
Financial and Investment Analyst$102,970San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$94,816
Loan Officer$82,470San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$75,939
Financial Manager$140,670San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$129,530

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 Luis Obispo at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,039Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,711Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Luis Obispo-Area Cities With Finance Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited finance schools are near San Luis Obispo, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering finance programs near San Luis Obispo. The closest is Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA (81.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Barbara City College (81.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying finance roles near San Luis Obispo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying finance-related roles near San Luis Obispo are: Financial Manager ($140,670), Financial and Investment Analyst ($102,970), Personal Financial Advisor ($91,340). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of San Luis Obispo?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 10.9 miles from San Luis Obispo and has its own set of local finance programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Luis Obispo an affordable place to study finance?

San Luis Obispo’s median household income of $66,711 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Luis Obispo 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 Finance Programs

Other Programs Available in San Luis Obispo

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.