Best Machine Learning Schools Near Goleta, CA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering machine learning programs, with tuition ranging from $16,414 to $50,614 per year for indexed programs. Goleta has a population of about 32,693. Median household income is $118,039 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning machine learning-related role is Computer and Information Research Scientist at a median $171,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Machine Learning Schools to Goleta

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer machine learning programs near Goleta, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Goleta 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 Goleta. 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

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 1.6 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#2

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA 11.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,778
Avg net price $29,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA 50.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,152
Avg net price $9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 57.8 miles from Goleta
  • 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

#5

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 59.2 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Laurus College

San Luis Obispo, CA 73.6 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,896
Avg net price $22,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 74.9 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 76.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Machine Learning Wages Near Goleta

Goleta is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Computer and Information Research Scientist$171,880Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$157,978
Data Scientist$113,990Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$104,770
Software Developer$158,290Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$145,487
Statistician$135,960CA statewide$124,963

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.

Goleta at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,693Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$118,039Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Goleta-Area Cities With Machine Learning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited machine learning schools are near Goleta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering machine learning programs near Goleta. The closest is University of California-Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Oxnard College (44.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying machine learning roles near Goleta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying machine learning-related roles near Goleta are: Computer and Information Research Scientist ($171,880), Software Developer ($158,290), Statistician ($135,960). 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 Santa Barbara instead of Goleta?

Santa Barbara, CA is 8.0 miles from Goleta and has its own set of local machine learning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Goleta an affordable place to study machine learning?

Goleta’s median household income of $118,039 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Goleta 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 Machine Learning Programs

Other Programs Available in Goleta

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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