Best Software Development Schools Near Atascadero, CA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Atascadero, California has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs. Atascadero has a population of about 29,735. Median household income is $88,830 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $135,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Development Schools to Atascadero

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Atascadero, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Atascadero 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 Atascadero. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 12.8 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA 91.9 miles from Atascadero
  • 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

#3

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 96.5 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 101.0 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 130.9 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,368
Avg net price $11,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 132.9 miles from Atascadero
  • 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

#7

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 144.3 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita, CA 144.4 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,106
Avg net price $32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Software Development Wages Near Atascadero

Atascadero is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$135,020San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$124,328
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$128,740CA statewide$118,545
Computer Programmer$114,110San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$105,074
Computer Systems Analyst$104,260San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$96,004

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.

Atascadero at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,735Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$88,830Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Atascadero-Area Cities With Software Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Atascadero, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Atascadero. The closest is Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA (10.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Barbara City College (93.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software development roles near Atascadero?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Atascadero are: Software Developer ($135,020), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($128,740), Computer Programmer ($114,110). 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 San Luis Obispo instead of Atascadero?

San Luis Obispo, CA is 14.9 miles from Atascadero and has its own set of local software development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Atascadero an affordable place to study software development?

Atascadero’s median household income of $88,830 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atascadero 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 Software Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Atascadero

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

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.

Back to Best Software Development Schools in California (2026)