Best Online Social Work Programs in Costa Mesa, CA (2026)

Costa Mesa, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,008 to $27,755 per year for indexed programs. Costa Mesa has a population of about 110,538. Median household income is $110,073 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $87,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Costa Mesa

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

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

Social Work Wages Near Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

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.

Costa Mesa at a Glance

Other Costa Mesa-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Fountain Valley, CA – 3.7 mi away (56,529 pop)
• Newport Beach, CA – 4.5 mi away (86,688 pop)
• Santa Ana, CA – 5.2 mi away (334,217 pop)
• Huntington Beach, CA – 5.5 mi away (200,652 pop)
• Tustin, CA – 7.4 mi away (80,395 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Costa Mesa, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Costa Mesa. The closest is Chapman University in Orange, CA (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Fullerton (15.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Costa Mesa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Costa Mesa are: Social and Community Service Manager ($87,100), Healthcare Social Worker ($79,830), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($78,410). 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 Fountain Valley instead of Costa Mesa?

Fountain Valley, CA is 3.7 miles from Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa an affordable place to study social work?

Costa Mesa’s median household income of $110,073 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Costa Mesa 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

• Social Work accreditation: what to look for
• Social Work concentrations and specializations
• Is a Social Work degree worth it?
• Main Social Work degree guide
• Online Social Work programs in California
• Social Work programs by state

Other Programs Available in Costa Mesa

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

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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.