Best Social Work Schools Near Tempe, AZ (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Tempe, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Tempe has a population of about 186,419. Median household income is $77,643 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Tempe

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Tempe, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tempe 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 Tempe. 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

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ 2.1 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
Avg net price $14,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 305

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ 3.0 miles from Tempe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,015
Avg net price $8,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona social work page.

Social Work Wages Near Tempe

Tempe is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $50,150 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,548
Healthcare Social Worker $67,090 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $64,947
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $46,340 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $44,860
Social Worker, All Other $62,150 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $60,165
Social and Community Service Manager $79,200 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $76,670
Social and Human Service Assistant $43,230 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $41,849
Community Health Worker $50,550 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,935

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.

Tempe at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 186,419 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,643 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Maricopa County 55,862 workers, 2,056 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Tempe-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Tempe, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Tempe. The closest is Arizona State University Campus Immersion in Tempe, AZ (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arizona State University Digital Immersion (5.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Tempe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Tempe are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,200), Healthcare Social Worker ($67,090), Social Worker, All Other ($62,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chandler instead of Tempe?

Chandler, AZ is 8.6 miles from Tempe and has its own set of local social work programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Tempe an affordable place to study social work?

Tempe’s median household income of $77,643 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tempe while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona 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 Social Work Programs

Other Programs Available in Tempe

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Social Work Schools in Arizona: Online Programs (2026)