Six phlebotomy programs train students within 50 miles of La Jolla, CA, four of them within 25. The closest is HealthCareerU in San Diego, 9 miles away: a non-credit course that takes 4 weeks. Published prices nearby start at $995 (Grossmont Adult Education, Health Occupations Center).
CPT I Full Course (Phlebotomy Training)
HealthCareerU: dates, cost and how to apply: CPT I Full Course (Phlebotomy Training)
Health Occupations Center, Santee, CA · #3 in California (73/100)
Phlebotomy Technician & Medical Lab Assistant
See Grossmont Adult Education, Health Occupations Center's program page: Phlebotomy Technician & Medical Lab Assistant · 1 more program on the California page
Escondido Adult School Main Campus, Escondido, CA · #16 in California (57/100)
Phlebotomy Training Academy (accelerated phlebotomy program)
Phlebotomy Technician
Read Vista Adult School's requirements: Phlebotomy Technician
Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) Program
Open the AUMT Institute course details: Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) Program
High Desert Medical College, Temecula, Temecula, CA · #26 in California (45/100)
Phlebotomy Technician (avocational)
High Desert Medical College: dates, cost and how to apply: Phlebotomy Technician (avocational)
| School | Campus | Miles | Credential | Length | Externship | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HealthCareerU | San Diego, CA | 9 | Non-credit course | 4 wk | Yes | $2,700 |
| Grossmont Adult Education, Health Occupations Center | Santee, CA | 16 | Non-credit course | 22 wk | 120 hr | $995 |
| Escondido Adult School | Escondido, CA | 22 | Non-credit course | mon-Thu morning or evening sessions | 40 hr | $1,995 |
| Vista Adult School | Vista, CA | 22 | Certificate | |||
| AUMT Institute | Temecula, CA | 45 | Non-credit course | 22 wk | ||
| High Desert Medical College | Temecula, CA | 45 | Certificate | 5 wk | 40 hr |
Phlebotomists in California earned a median of $56,040 a year ($27 an hour) in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 survey, $10,810 above the national median of $45,230. The middle half of California's 13,520 phlebotomists earned between $47,800 and $62,790.
Hospitals hire phlebotomists, and so do outpatient labs, blood banks and clinics. Medicare lists 18 hospitals within 25 miles of La Jolla, CA, 15 of them general or critical-access hospitals:
California sets its own rule. California requires a state phlebotomy certificate from the Department of Public Health before you draw blood as a phlebotomist. There are three levels: Limited Phlebotomy Technician for skin punctures, CPT I for skin punctures and venipuncture, and CPT II, which adds arterial punctures. Phlebotomy license requirements by state
Sources: BLS OEWS, phlebotomists (SOC 31-9097), May 2025; CMS Hospital General Information (data.cms.gov), distances measured from ZIP centroids.
HealthCareerU in San Diego, about 9 miles away. CPT I Full Course (Phlebotomy Training) takes 4 weeks and includes a clinical externship.
Published prices within 50 miles run from $995 at Grossmont Adult Education, Health Occupations Center to $2,700 at HealthCareerU. Each is the whole-program price the school lists; most leave out the certification exam fee, scrubs, a background check and immunizations.
HealthCareerU's CPT I Full Course (Phlebotomy Training) takes 4 weeks, the shortest stated length within 50 miles. High Desert Medical College (5 weeks) is next.
Yes. HealthCareerU (San Diego, evening and weekend), Grossmont Adult Education, Health Occupations Center (Santee, evening) and Escondido Adult School (Escondido, evening and weekend) run evening or weekend sessions, among 4 programs nearby that do.
Two of the six programs listed here name a national exam on their own pages: Escondido Adult School (NHA CPT) and AUMT Institute (California CPT I).
A median of $56,040 a year, or $27 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 survey of 13,520 phlebotomists in California. The national median was $45,230.
Every phlebotomy program in California, ranked · How to become a phlebotomist · Check your certification eligibility