Best Web Design Schools Near San Mateo, CA (2026)

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

San Mateo, California has 5 accredited schools offering web design programs. San Mateo has a population of about 103,555. Median household income is $152,669 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning web design-related role is Software Developers at a median $186,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Web Design Schools to San Mateo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer web design programs near San Mateo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Mateo 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 San Mateo. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 16.6 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Academy of Art University

San Francisco, CA 17.0 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
20.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,008
Avg net price $40,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 24.9 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Laurus College

San Luis Obispo, CA 182.3 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,896
Avg net price $22,733/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 237.3 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA 297.1 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,044
Avg net price $-2,296/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Santa Monica College

Santa Monica, CA 325.6 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,193
Avg net price $2,779/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, CA 329.3 miles from San Mateo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Web Design Wages Near San Mateo

San Mateo is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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)
Web and Digital Interface Designers $163,810 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $141,704
Web Developers $152,450 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $131,877
Graphic Designers $92,050 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $79,628
Special Effects Artists and Animators $136,770 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $118,313
Art Directors $165,210 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $142,915
Software Developers $186,640 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $161,453
Commercial and Industrial Designers $104,000 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $89,965
Desktop Publishers $83,280 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $72,042

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 Mateo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 103,555 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $152,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other San Mateo-Area Cities With Web Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited web design schools are near San Mateo, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering web design programs near San Mateo. The closest is Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA (16.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Clara University (24.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying web design roles near San Mateo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying web design-related roles near San Mateo are: Software Developers ($186,640), Art Directors ($165,210), Web and Digital Interface Designers ($163,810). 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 Foster City instead of San Mateo?

Foster City, CA is 2.5 miles from San Mateo and has its own set of local web design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is San Mateo an affordable place to study web design?

San Mateo’s median household income of $152,669 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Mateo 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 Web Design Programs

Other Programs Available in San Mateo

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

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.

Back to Best Web Design Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)