Best Online Healthcare Programs in Oakland, CA (2026)

Oakland, California has 5 accredited schools offering healthcare programs. Oakland has a population of about 438,072. Median household income is $97,369 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning healthcare-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $166,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Healthcare Schools to Oakland

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

#1

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 2.7 miles from Oakland BOC Score 36.6
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,392
Avg net price $14,021/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lincoln University

Oakland, CA 3.1 miles from Oakland BOC Score 78.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,695
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland, CA 3.4 miles from Oakland BOC Score 99.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,238
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

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

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


Healthcare Wages Near Oakland

Oakland 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)
Medical and Health Services Manager$166,310San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$143,867
Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar$111,480San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$96,436
Medical Records Specialist$74,400San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$64,360
Medical Secretary or Administrative Assistant$61,330San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$53,054
Healthcare Social Worker$99,640San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$86,194
Epidemiologist$130,400San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$112,803

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.


Oakland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population438,072Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Healthcare-related employment in Alameda County125,297 workers, 33,240 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Oakland-Area Cities With Healthcare Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited healthcare schools are near Oakland, CA?

Accredited schools offering healthcare programs near Oakland are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying healthcare roles near Oakland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying healthcare-related roles near Oakland are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($166,310), Epidemiologist ($130,400), Health Information Technologist or Medical Registrar ($111,480). 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 Alameda instead of Oakland?

Alameda, CA is 3.2 miles from Oakland and has its own set of local healthcare programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Oakland an affordable place to study healthcare?

Oakland’s median household income of $97,369 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oakland 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 Healthcare Programs

Other Programs Available in Oakland

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.