Best Software Development Schools Near Monterey, CA (2026)

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

Monterey, California has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $11,892 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salinas, CA metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $135,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Development Schools to Monterey

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

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 51.4 miles from Monterey
  • 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

#2

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 54.9 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Silicon Valley

San Jose, CA 56.9 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,017
Avg net price $27,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 83.8 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 87.4 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 87.5 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 90.9 miles from Monterey
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

#8

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 96.5 miles from Monterey
  • 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

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

Software Development Wages Near Monterey

Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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$135,160Salinas, CA$124,000
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$128,740CA statewide$118,110
Computer Programmer$116,760CA statewide$107,119
Computer Systems Analyst$108,900Salinas, CA$99,908

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.

Monterey at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,772Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$104,110Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)109.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Monterey-Area Cities With Software Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Monterey. The closest is Hartnell College in Salinas, CA (13.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose City College (50.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Monterey are: Software Developer ($135,160), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($128,740), Computer Programmer ($116,760). 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 Seaside instead of Monterey?

Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study software development?

Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey 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 Monterey

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

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.

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