Best Software Engineering Schools Near South Pasadena, CA

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

South Pasadena, California has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $7,458 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. South Pasadena has a population of about 26,297. Median household income is $128,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 72.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $204,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Engineering Schools to South Pasadena

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

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 22.2 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 23.1 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

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

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#3

Chapman University

Orange, CA 28.0 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

DeVry University-California

Ontario, CA 32.7 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $33,744/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 36.7 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

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

#6

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 43.7 miles from South Pasadena
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 88.8 miles from South Pasadena
  • 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

#8

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 106.2 miles from South Pasadena
  • 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

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

Software Engineering Wages Near South Pasadena

South Pasadena is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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)
Software Developers $160,920 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $141,655
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $122,210 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $107,579
Computer Programmers $107,090 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $94,269
Web Developers $107,290 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $94,445
Computer and Information Systems Managers $204,370 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $179,903
Computer Occupations, All Other $109,700 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $96,567
Computer Network Architects $147,510 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $129,850
Computer Systems Analysts $121,560 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $107,007

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.

South Pasadena at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,297 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $128,105 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 72.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other South Pasadena-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near South Pasadena, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near South Pasadena. The closest is California State University-Fullerton in Fullerton, CA (22.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-Irvine (36.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software engineering roles near South Pasadena?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near South Pasadena are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($204,370), Software Developers ($160,920), Computer Network Architects ($147,510). 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 Alhambra instead of South Pasadena?

Alhambra, CA is 2.2 miles from South Pasadena and has its own set of local software engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is South Pasadena an affordable place to study software engineering?

South Pasadena’s median household income of $128,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Pasadena 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 Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in South Pasadena

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

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 Software Engineering Schools in California (2026)