San Diego, California has 5 accredited schools offering sports management programs, with tuition ranging from $1,156 to $37,594 per year for indexed programs. San Diego has a population of about 1,385,061. Median household income is $104,321 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning sports management-related role is Entertainment and Recreation Manager at a median $76,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Sports Management Schools to San Diego
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sports management programs near San Diego, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Diego 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 San Diego.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$35,404
Avg net price
$31,266/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Key stats- Retention rate: 33%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California sports management page.
Sports Management Wages Near San Diego
San Diego 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) |
|---|
| Coach and Scout | $47,230 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $42,207 |
| Entertainment and Recreation Manager | $76,720 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $68,561 |
| Meeting and Event Planner | $66,060 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $59,035 |
| Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor | $56,420 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $50,420 |
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.
San Diego at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 1,385,061 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $104,321 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 49.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 111.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other San Diego-Area Cities With Sports Management Programs
- La Mesa, CA – 7.3 mi away (59,948 pop)
- Santee, CA – 8.2 mi away (57,834 pop)
- Lemon Grove, CA – 8.5 mi away (26,860 pop)
- El Cajon, CA – 9.6 mi away (103,768 pop)
- National City, CA – 11.5 mi away (61,147 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited sports management schools are near San Diego, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sports management programs near San Diego. The closest is Ashford University in San Diego, CA (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Riverside City College (80.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying sports management roles near San Diego?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sports management-related roles near San Diego are: Entertainment and Recreation Manager ($76,720), Meeting and Event Planner ($66,060), Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor ($56,420). 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 La Mesa instead of San Diego?
La Mesa, CA is 7.3 miles from San Diego and has its own set of local sports management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is San Diego an affordable place to study sports management?
San Diego’s median household income of $104,321 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Diego 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 Sports Management 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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