Best Online Psychology Programs in San Diego, CA (2026)

San Diego, California has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs. San Diego has a population of about 1,385,061. Median household income is $104,321 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $131,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to San Diego

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

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

Psychology Wages Near San Diego

San Diego 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.

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.

San Diego at a Glance

Other San Diego-Area Cities With Psychology Programs

• La Mesa, CA – 7.3 mi away (59,948 pop)
• Santee, CA – 8.2 mi away (57,834 pop)
• Lemon Grove, CA – 8.5 mi away (26,860 pop)
• El Cajon, CA – 9.6 mi away (103,768 pop)
• National City, CA – 11.5 mi away (61,147 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited psychology schools are near San Diego, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering psychology programs near San Diego. The closest is National University in San Diego, CA (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alliant International University-San Diego (4.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying psychology roles near San Diego?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near San Diego are: School Psychologist ($131,070), Educational and Career Counselor ($83,520), Healthcare Social Worker ($82,630). 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 La Mesa instead of San Diego?

La Mesa, CA is 7.3 miles from San Diego 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 San Diego an affordable place to study psychology?

San Diego’s median household income of $104,321 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Diego 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

• Psychology accreditation: what to look for
• Psychology concentrations and specializations
• Is a Psychology degree worth it?
• Main Psychology degree guide
• Online Psychology programs in California
• Psychology programs by state

Other Programs Available in San Diego

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

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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.