Best Social Work Schools Near Escondido, CA (2026)

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

Escondido, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $8,728 to $27,780 per year for indexed programs. Escondido has a population of about 149,913. Median household income is $84,477 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $82,630 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Escondido

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Escondido, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Escondido 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 Escondido. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 5.0 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 13.9 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 21.4 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
35.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 24.8 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
83.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 30.6 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 48.9 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,703
Avg net price $32,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 58.5 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 59.0 miles from Escondido
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,824
Avg net price $45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Escondido

Escondido is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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 $59,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $53,414
Healthcare Social Worker $82,630 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $73,843
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $75,570 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $67,534
Social Worker, All Other $77,010 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $68,820
Social and Community Service Manager $79,770 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $71,287
Social and Human Service Assistant $49,500 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $44,236
Community Health Worker $52,350 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $46,783

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.

Escondido at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 149,913 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $84,477 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in San Diego County 65,277 workers, 34,989 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Escondido-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Escondido. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Point Loma Nazarene University (30.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Escondido are: Healthcare Social Worker ($82,630), Social and Community Service Manager ($79,770), Social Worker, All Other ($77,010). 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 San Marcos instead of Escondido?

San Marcos, CA is 5.9 miles from Escondido 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 Escondido an affordable place to study social work?

Escondido’s median household income of $84,477 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Escondido 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 Escondido

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

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 California: Online Programs (2026)