Best Real Estate Schools Near San Diego, CA (2026)

San Diego, California has 5 accredited schools offering real estate programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $37,594 per year for indexed 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 real estate-related role is Real Estate Broker at a median $80,450 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Real Estate Schools to San Diego

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer real estate programs near San Diego, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Diego 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 San Diego. 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

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 1.2 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
15.5 BOC Score
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: 64

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

#2

San Diego Mesa College

San Diego, CA 3.3 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,120
Avg net price $5,814/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 5.8 miles from San Diego
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,522
Avg net price $30,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Diego City College

San Diego, CA 8.1 miles from San Diego
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,503
Avg net price $7,935/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Real Estate 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Real Estate Sales Agent$62,680San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$56,014
Real Estate Broker$80,450San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$71,895
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$78,250San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$69,929

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

MetricValueSource
Population1,385,061Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$104,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Diego-Area Cities With Real Estate Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited real estate schools are near San Diego, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering real estate programs near San Diego. The closest is Ashford University in San Diego, CA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Poway Adult School (11.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying real estate roles near San Diego?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying real estate-related roles near San Diego are: Real Estate Broker ($80,450), Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager ($78,250), Real Estate Sales Agent ($62,680). 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 real estate 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 real estate?

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 Real Estate Programs

Other Programs Available in San Diego

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.