Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs. Goleta has a population of about 32,693. Median household income is $118,039 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning special education-related role is Special Education Teacher, Middle School at a median $101,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Special Education Schools to Goleta
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer special education programs near Goleta, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Goleta 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Goleta.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
33%
Graduation rate
84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,915
Avg net price
$16,109/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 11
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,778
Avg net price
$29,053/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Avg net price
$29,453/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 3
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California special education page.
Special Education Wages Near Goleta
Goleta is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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) |
|---|
| Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School | $98,940 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $90,938 |
| Special Education Teacher, Middle School | $101,530 | CA statewide | $93,318 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $101,060 | CA statewide | $92,886 |
| Special Education Teacher, Preschool | $59,550 | CA statewide | $54,733 |
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.
Goleta at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 32,693 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $118,039 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 108.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Goleta-Area Cities With Special Education Programs
- Santa Barbara, CA – 8.0 mi away (203,655 pop)
- Lompoc, CA – 38.1 mi away (53,062 pop)
- Port Hueneme, CA – 42.0 mi away (22,277 pop)
- Oxnard, CA – 42.1 mi away (385,837 pop)
- Santa Paula, CA – 45.4 mi away (30,770 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited special education schools are near Goleta, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering special education programs near Goleta. The closest is Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, CA (9.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Lutheran University (57.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying special education roles near Goleta?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying special education-related roles near Goleta are: Special Education Teacher, Middle School ($101,530), Special Education Teacher, Secondary School ($101,060), Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten and Elementary School ($98,940). 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 Santa Barbara instead of Goleta?
Santa Barbara, CA is 8.0 miles from Goleta and has its own set of local special education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Goleta an affordable place to study special education?
Goleta’s median household income of $118,039 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Goleta 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 Special Education Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 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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