Best General Studies Schools Near El Centro, CA (2026)

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

El Centro, California has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $1,148 to $11,998 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the El Centro, CA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education at a median $99,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to El Centro

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near El Centro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Centro 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 El Centro. 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

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 82.6 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,766
Avg net price $992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 17%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 87.9 miles from El Centro
  • 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

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#3

National University

San Diego, CA 91.2 miles from El Centro
  • 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

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 92.0 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 64

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

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#5

United States University

San Diego, CA 93.2 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 14%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,980
Tuition
In‑state$6,780
Out‑of‑state$6,780
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

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

#6

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 93.6 miles from El Centro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 94.9 miles from El Centro
  • 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

#8

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 95.8 miles from El Centro
  • 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

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

General Studies Wages Near El Centro

El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). 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)
General and Operations Managers $99,250 El Centro, CA $104,254
Management Analysts $77,350 El Centro, CA $81,250
Human Resources Specialists $71,970 El Centro, CA $75,599
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $60,540 El Centro, CA $63,592
Writers and Authors $86,480 CA statewide $90,840
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $99,440 El Centro, CA $104,454
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $66,410 El Centro, CA $69,758
Social and Community Service Managers $80,380 El Centro, CA $84,433

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.

El Centro at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,186 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,093 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other El Centro-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near El Centro, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near El Centro. The closest is Imperial Valley College in Imperial, CA (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of the Desert (81.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near El Centro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near El Centro are: Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($99,440), General and Operations Managers ($99,250), Writers and Authors ($86,480). 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 Calexico instead of El Centro?

Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is El Centro an affordable place to study general studies?

El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in El Centro

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

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 General Studies Schools in California (2026)