Best Financial Planning Schools Near Carlsbad, CA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Carlsbad, California has 1 accredited school offering financial planning 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 financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $174,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Financial Planning Schools to Carlsbad

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer financial planning 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

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 68.5 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 119.1 miles from Carlsbad
  • 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

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#3

Golden Gate University

San Francisco, CA 432.0 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,434
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Financial Planning 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)
Personal Financial Advisors $130,330 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $116,470
Financial Managers $174,210 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $155,684
Financial and Investment Analysts $106,040 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $94,763
Accountants and Auditors $96,340 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $86,095
Financial Examiners $106,090 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $94,808
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $76,180 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $68,079
Loan Officers $81,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $73,074
Credit Counselors $67,120 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $59,982

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 Financial Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited financial planning schools are near Carlsbad, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering financial planning programs near Carlsbad. The closest is Biola University in La Mirada, CA (68.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Biola University (68.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying financial planning roles near Carlsbad?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Carlsbad are: Financial Managers ($174,210), Personal Financial Advisors ($130,330), Financial Examiners ($106,090). 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 financial planning 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 financial planning?

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 Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Carlsbad

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

Data verified: September 7, 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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