Best Space Studies Schools Near National City, CA (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

National City, California has 4 accredited schools offering space studies programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. National City has a population of about 55,960. Median household income is $64,248 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning space studies-related role is Natural Sciences Managers at a median $207,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Space Studies Schools to National City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies programs near National City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from National City 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 National City. 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 Diego State University

San Diego, CA 7.8 miles from National City
  • 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

#2

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 116.0 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA 117.7 miles from National City
  • 4 year
82.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $128,566
Avg net price $16,075/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 124.3 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

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

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#5

Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, CA 384.0 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA 410.6 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
71.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 66%
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,396
Avg net price $17,890/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,005
Out‑of‑state$50,205
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

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#7

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 462.7 miles from National City
  • 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

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 462.7 miles from National City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Space Studies Wages Near National City

National City 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)
Astronomers $123,540 CA statewide $110,402
Physicists $156,480 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $139,839
Aerospace Engineers $135,010 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $120,652
Natural Sciences Managers $207,200 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $185,165
Atmospheric and Space Scientists $120,370 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $107,569
Engineers, All Other $132,790 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $118,668
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $105,080 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $93,905
Physical Scientists, All Other $132,410 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $118,329

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.

National City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 55,960 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,248 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 16.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other National City-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited space studies schools are near National City, CA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering space studies programs near National City. The closest is San Diego State University in San Diego, CA (7.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fullerton College (96.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying space studies roles near National City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near National City are: Natural Sciences Managers ($207,200), Physicists ($156,480), Aerospace Engineers ($135,010). 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 Coronado instead of National City?

Coronado, CA is 3.6 miles from National City and has its own set of local space studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is National City an affordable place to study space studies?

National City’s median household income of $64,248 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in National City 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 Space Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in National City

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

Data verified: September 7, 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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