Best Sociology Schools Near Imperial Beach, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Imperial Beach, California has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. Imperial Beach has a population of about 25,897. Median household income is $79,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $141,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Imperial Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near Imperial Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach. 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

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 12.9 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 14.5 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

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#3

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA 14.6 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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 Mesa College

San Diego, CA 16.5 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

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#5

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 17.9 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 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

#6

National University

San Diego, CA 18.0 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.2 BOC Score
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: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 22.4 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 133

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

#8

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 38.9 miles from Imperial Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
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: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Sociology Wages Near Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists $125,770 CA statewide $112,395
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $141,950 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $126,854
Social and Human Service Assistants $49,500 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $44,236
Survey Researchers $69,620 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $62,216
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $59,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $53,414
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,440 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $70,992
Social Science Research Assistants $66,520 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $59,446
Social and Community Service Managers $79,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $71,287

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.

Imperial Beach at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,897 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $79,071 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Imperial Beach-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Imperial Beach, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Imperial Beach. The closest is Southwestern College in Chula Vista, CA (8.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of San Diego (14.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Imperial Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Imperial Beach are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($141,950), Sociologists ($125,770), Social and Community Service Managers ($79,770). 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 National City instead of Imperial Beach?

National City, CA is 6.8 miles from Imperial Beach and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Imperial Beach an affordable place to study sociology?

Imperial Beach’s median household income of $79,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Imperial Beach 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 Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in Imperial Beach

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Sociology Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)