Best Online Marketing Programs in Santa Monica, CA (2026)

Santa Monica, California has 5 accredited schools offering marketing programs. Santa Monica has a population of about 91,535. Median household income is $109,739 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 68.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning marketing-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $171,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Marketing Schools to Santa Monica

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

#1

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 4.1 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 63.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA 5.1 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 72.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,349
Avg net price $48,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 11.3 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 80.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Los Angeles, CA 12.8 miles from Santa Monica
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Woodbury University

Burbank, CA 15.0 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 48.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,668
Avg net price $33,692/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 15.6 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 75.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 43

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

#7

The Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita, CA 24.9 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 57.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,106
Avg net price $32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California Lutheran University

Thousand Oaks, CA 26.6 miles from Santa Monica BOC Score 68.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Marketing Wages Near Santa Monica

Santa Monica is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist$82,990Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$73,055
Marketing Manager$171,900Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$151,320
Public Relations Specialist$79,860Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,299
Advertising and Promotions Manager$167,930Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$147,826

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.


Santa Monica at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population91,535Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$109,739Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+68.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Monica-Area Cities With Marketing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited marketing schools are near Santa Monica, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering marketing programs near Santa Monica. The closest is Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, CA (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Woodbury University (15.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying marketing roles near Santa Monica?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying marketing-related roles near Santa Monica are: Marketing Manager ($171,900), Advertising and Promotions Manager ($167,930), Market Research Analyst and Marketing Specialist ($82,990). 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 Culver City instead of Santa Monica?

Culver City, CA is 5.0 miles from Santa Monica and has its own set of local marketing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Monica an affordable place to study marketing?

Santa Monica’s median household income of $109,739 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Monica 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 Marketing Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Monica

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

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 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.