Best Online Psychology Programs in Costa Mesa, CA (2026)

Costa Mesa, California has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs, with tuition ranging from $14,237 to $45,014 per year for indexed programs. Costa Mesa has a population of about 110,538. Median household income is $110,073 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $122,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Psychology Schools to Costa Mesa

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer psychology programs near Costa Mesa. Distances are calculated from Costa Mesa city center.

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 Costa Mesa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Orange Coast College

Costa Mesa, CA 0.3 miles from Costa Mesa BOC Score59.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 0.7 miles from Costa Mesa BOC Score58.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Coastline Community College

Fountain Valley, CA 3.5 miles from Costa Mesa BOC Score34.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Chapman University

Orange, CA 4.1 miles from Costa Mesa BOC Score61.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 4.3 miles from Costa Mesa BOC Score90.2
Published tuition$14,237 - $45,014
Online programsYes

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


Psychology Wages Near Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa 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)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$99,250Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$87,368
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistN/ACA statewide
School Psychologist$122,390Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$107,738
Educational and Career Counselor$79,000Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,542
Marriage and Family Therapist$71,110Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$62,597
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor$51,910Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$45,695
Healthcare Social Worker$79,830Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$70,273
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,410Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,023

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.


Costa Mesa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population110,538Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$110,073Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+43.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Psychology-related employment in Orange County86,510 workers, 41,240 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Costa Mesa-Area Cities With Psychology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near Costa Mesa, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Costa Mesa. The closest is Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, CA (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Irvine (4.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near Costa Mesa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Costa Mesa are: School Psychologist ($122,390), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($99,250), Healthcare Social Worker ($79,830). 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 Fountain Valley instead of Costa Mesa?

Fountain Valley, CA is 3.7 miles from Costa Mesa and has its own set of local psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Costa Mesa an affordable place to study psychology?

Costa Mesa’s median household income of $110,073 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Costa Mesa 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 Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Costa Mesa

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.