Best Online Social Work Programs in Alameda, CA (2026)

Alameda, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Alameda has a population of about 76,876. Median household income is $132,015 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $99,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Alameda

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Alameda. Distances are calculated from Alameda city center.

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 Alameda. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 7.4 miles from Alameda BOC Score93.9
Published tuition$14,850 - $45,627
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 11.9 miles from Alameda BOC Score78.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 13.9 miles from Alameda BOC Score79.2
Published tuition$7,055 - $22,803
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 36.6 miles from Alameda BOC Score86.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA 56.3 miles from Alameda BOC Score68.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Social Work Wages Near Alameda

Alameda 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$72,020San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$62,301
Healthcare Social Worker$99,640San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$86,194
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$87,550San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$75,735
Social Worker, All Other$78,480San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$67,889
Social and Community Service Manager$93,410San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$80,804
Social and Human Service Assistant$57,580San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$49,810
Community Health Worker$72,710San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$62,898

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.


Alameda at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,876Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$132,015Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Alameda County47,081 workers, 29,252 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Alameda-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Alameda, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Alameda. The closest is University of California-Berkeley in Berkeley, CA (7.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pacific Union College (56.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Alameda are: Healthcare Social Worker ($99,640), Social and Community Service Manager ($93,410), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($87,550). 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 Oakland instead of Alameda?

Oakland, CA is 3.2 miles from Alameda 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 Alameda an affordable place to study social work?

Alameda’s median household income of $132,015 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alameda 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 Social Work Programs

Other Programs Available in Alameda

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

Data verified: June 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.