Best Nursing Schools Near Goleta, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing 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 California, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $292,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Goleta

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing 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

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

#2

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

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#3

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

#4

California Career College

Canoga Park, CA 73.7 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,684
Avg net price $46,880/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

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

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 77.1 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
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: 103

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

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#7

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 82.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
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: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Los Angeles Mission College

Sylmar, CA 82.6 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,834
Avg net price $13,380/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing 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)
Registered Nurse $137,360 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $126,250
Licensed Practical Nurse $79,010 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $72,619
Nurse Anesthetist $292,410 CA statewide $268,759
Nurse Midwife $203,840 CA statewide $187,353
Nurse Practitioner $165,580 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $152,188
Nursing Assistant $47,130 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $43,318

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
Nursing-related employment in Santa Barbara County 10,129 workers, 144 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Goleta-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Goleta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Goleta. The closest is Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA (9.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria (47.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Goleta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Goleta are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Midwife ($203,840), Nurse Practitioner ($165,580). 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 nursing 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 nursing?

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 Nursing Programs

Other Programs Available in Goleta

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Nursing Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)