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Best Online Human Services Programs in Atwater, CA (2026)
Atwater, California has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs. Atwater has a population of about 32,013. Median household income is $63,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Human Services Schools to Atwater
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services programs near Atwater, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Atwater city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California human services page.
Human Services Wages Near Atwater
Atwater is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $48,410 | Merced, CA | $49,247 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $76,760 | Merced, CA | $78,087 |
| Child, Family and School Social Worker | $60,200 | Merced, CA | $61,241 |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor | $60,780 | Merced, CA | $61,831 |
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.
Atwater at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,013 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,945 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 13.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Atwater-Area Cities With Human Services Programs
- Merced, CA – 7.4 mi away (143,272 pop)
- Turlock, CA – 17.7 mi away (106,100 pop)
- Los Banos, CA – 24.1 mi away (37,584 pop)
- Ceres, CA – 26.0 mi away (48,278 pop)
- Modesto, CA – 29.6 mi away (377,755 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited human services schools are near Atwater, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Atwater. The closest is Merced College in Merced, CA (7.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Joaquin Delta College (59.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying human services roles near Atwater?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Atwater are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,760), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($60,780), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($60,200). 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 Merced instead of Atwater?
Merced, CA is 7.4 miles from Atwater and has its own set of local human services programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Atwater an affordable place to study human services?
Atwater’s median household income of $63,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atwater 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 Human Services Programs
- Is a Human Services degree worth it?
- Main Human Services degree guide
- Online Human Services programs in California
- Human Services programs by state
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Data verified: August 10, 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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