Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Carlsbad, CA (2026)

Carlsbad, California has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $1,332 to $14,027 per year for indexed 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 homeland security-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $124,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Carlsbad

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer homeland security 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.

#1

Gemological Institute of America-Carlsbad

Carlsbad, CA 2.1 miles from Carlsbad BOC Score 44.6
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,588
Avg net price $30,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$117,070San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$104,620
Detective and Criminal Investigator$124,840San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$111,564
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$110,400San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$98,660
Transportation Security Screener$72,130San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$64,459

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

MetricValueSource
Population114,500Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$139,326Census 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 Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Carlsbad, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Carlsbad. The closest is Palomar College in San Marcos, CA (6.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grossmont College (26.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near Carlsbad?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Carlsbad are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($124,840), Emergency Management Director ($117,070), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($110,400). 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 homeland security 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 homeland security?

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 Homeland Security Programs

Other Programs Available in Carlsbad

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.