Substance Abuse Counseling Schools Near Carlsbad, CA (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Carlsbad, California has 24 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $1,146 to $50,958 per year for indexed programs. Carlsbad has a population of about 114,500. Median household income is $139,326 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning substance abuse counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Substance Abuse Counseling Schools to Carlsbad

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer substance abuse counseling programs near Carlsbad, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad. 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

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA 17.2 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
92.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 27%
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,943
Avg net price $12,470/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,758
Out‑of‑state$50,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 30

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

#2

National University

San Diego, CA 22.3 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
44.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,548
Avg net price $22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 64.0 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
96.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 64.7 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
49.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Touro University Worldwide

Los Alamitos, CA 65.0 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
39.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,803
Avg net price $19,058/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

InterCoast Colleges-West Covina

West Covina, CA 74.5 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,089
Avg net price $27,536/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 75.4 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, CA 87.9 miles from Carlsbad
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,537
Avg net price $9,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California substance abuse counseling page.

Substance Abuse Counseling Wages Near Carlsbad

Carlsbad 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$57,660San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$51,528
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$75,570San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$67,534
Social and Community Service Manager$79,770San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$71,287
Social and Human Service Assistant$49,500San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$44,236

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.

Carlsbad at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population114,500Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$139,326Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+61.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Carlsbad-Area Cities With Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited substance abuse counseling schools are near Carlsbad, CA?

Our directory has 24 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs near Carlsbad. The closest is Palomar College in San Marcos, CA (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cypress College (64.7 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying substance abuse counseling roles near Carlsbad?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying substance abuse counseling-related roles near Carlsbad are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,770), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($75,570), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($57,660). 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 Vista instead of Carlsbad?

Vista, CA is 5.2 miles from Carlsbad and has its own set of local substance abuse counseling programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Carlsbad an affordable place to study substance abuse counseling?

Carlsbad’s median household income of $139,326 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carlsbad 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 Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

Other Programs Available in Carlsbad

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

Data verified: August 11, 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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