Best Online MBA Programs in Poway, CA (2026)

Poway, California has 5 accredited schools offering mba programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $17,126 per year for indexed programs. Poway has a population of about 48,515. Median household income is $143,825 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning mba-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $174,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest MBA Schools to Poway

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

#1

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 7.6 miles from Poway BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

John Paul the Great Catholic University

Escondido, CA 9.9 miles from Poway BOC Score 45.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,930
Avg net price $34,666/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 10.3 miles from Poway BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,766
Avg net price $992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 17%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

National University

San Diego, CA 12.6 miles from Poway BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 12.6 miles from Poway BOC Score 35.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 25

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

#6

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 12.8 miles from Poway BOC Score 75.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 13.1 miles from Poway BOC Score 15.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#8

University of Saint Katherine

San Marcos, CA 13.3 miles from Poway
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


MBA Wages Near Poway

Poway 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)
General and Operations Manager$119,600San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$106,881
Financial Manager$174,210San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$155,684
Marketing Manager$174,840San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$156,247
Management Analyst$101,190San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$90,429

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.


Poway at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,515Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$143,825Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Poway-Area Cities With MBA Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mba schools are near Poway, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mba programs near Poway. The closest is Alliant International University-San Diego in San Diego, CA (7.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grossmont College (11.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mba roles near Poway?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mba-related roles near Poway are: Marketing Manager ($174,840), Financial Manager ($174,210), General and Operations Manager ($119,600). 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 Santee instead of Poway?

Santee, CA is 9.3 miles from Poway 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 Poway an affordable place to study mba?

Poway’s median household income of $143,825 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Poway 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 Poway

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

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.