El Centro, California has 4 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $43,550 to $56,664 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the El Centro, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $80,710 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to El Centro
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near El Centro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Centro 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 El Centro.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
36%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,909
Avg net price
$15,364/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 57
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,908
Avg net price
$10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,998
Avg net price
$38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,504
Avg net price
$26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,824
Avg net price
$45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,977
Avg net price
$4,564/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California social work page.
Social Work Wages Near El Centro
El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). 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) |
|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker | $60,690 | El Centro, CA | $63,750 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $80,710 | El Centro, CA | $84,779 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $48,770 | El Centro, CA | $51,229 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $63,010 | CA statewide | $66,187 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $80,380 | El Centro, CA | $84,433 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,140 | El Centro, CA | $47,416 |
| Community Health Worker | $58,050 | CA statewide | $60,977 |
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.
El Centro at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 44,186 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,093 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 15.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Imperial County | 8,145 workers, 6,664 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other El Centro-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Calexico, CA – 8.0 mi away (40,232 pop)
- Brawley, CA – 13.3 mi away (26,231 pop)
- San Luis, AZ – 53.3 mi away (30,366 pop)
- Yuma, AZ – 60.1 mi away (137,936 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 71.1 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near El Centro, CA?
Accredited schools offering social work programs near El Centro are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying social work roles near El Centro?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near El Centro are: Healthcare Social Worker ($80,710), Social and Community Service Manager ($80,380), Social Worker, All Other ($63,010). 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 Calexico instead of El Centro?
Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro 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 El Centro an affordable place to study social work?
El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro 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 El Centro
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for El Centro:
- Criminal Justice programs in El Centro, CA
- Nursing programs in El Centro, CA
- Business Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Computer Science programs in El Centro, CA
- Psychology programs in El Centro, CA
- Education programs in El Centro, CA
- Engineering programs in El Centro, CA
- Technology programs in El Centro, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in El Centro, CA
- Healthcare programs in El Centro, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in El Centro, CA
- Accounting programs in El Centro, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in El Centro, CA
- Counseling programs in El Centro, CA
Data verified: July 23, 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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