Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering mba 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 mba-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $170,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest MBA Schools to Goleta
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mba 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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.
Acceptance rate
33%
Graduation rate
84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,915
Avg net price
$16,109/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 11
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,152
Avg net price
$9,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 10
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,861
Avg net price
$2,823/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,712
Avg net price
$30,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,044
Avg net price
$-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,939
Avg net price
$58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$30,896
Avg net price
$22,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California mba page.
MBA 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| General and Operations Manager | $111,390 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $102,381 |
| Financial Manager | $164,270 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $150,983 |
| Marketing Manager | $170,920 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $157,096 |
| Management Analyst | $99,990 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $91,903 |
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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 32,693 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $118,039 | Census 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 MBA Programs
- Santa Barbara, CA – 8.0 mi away (203,655 pop)
- Lompoc, CA – 38.1 mi away (53,062 pop)
- Port Hueneme, CA – 42.0 mi away (22,277 pop)
- Oxnard, CA – 42.1 mi away (385,837 pop)
- Santa Paula, CA – 45.4 mi away (30,770 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited mba schools are near Goleta, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mba programs near Goleta. The closest is University of California-Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (38.6 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying mba roles near Goleta?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mba-related roles near Goleta are: Marketing Manager ($170,920), Financial Manager ($164,270), General and Operations Manager ($111,390). 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 mba 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 mba?
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 MBA Programs
Other Programs Available in Goleta
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Goleta:
- Marketing programs in Goleta, CA
- Finance programs in Goleta, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Goleta, CA
- Sports Management programs in Goleta, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Goleta, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Goleta, CA
- Biology programs in Goleta, CA
- Communications programs in Goleta, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Goleta, CA
- Human Services programs in Goleta, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Goleta, CA
- Nursing programs in Goleta, CA
- Business Administration programs in Goleta, CA
- Computer Science programs in Goleta, CA
- Psychology programs in Goleta, CA
- Education programs in Goleta, CA
- Engineering programs in Goleta, CA
- Technology programs in Goleta, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Goleta, CA
- Healthcare programs in Goleta, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Goleta, CA
- Accounting programs in Goleta, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Goleta, CA
- Social Work programs in Goleta, CA
- Counseling programs in Goleta, CA
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.
← Back to Best Online Mba Programs in California (2026)
