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

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Fresno, California has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $6,980 to $18,860 per year for indexed programs. Fresno has a population of about 543,615. Median household income is $66,804 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Fresno, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $84,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Fresno

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Fresno. Distances are calculated from Fresno 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 Fresno. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 4.0 miles from Fresno BOC Score78.5
Published tuition$6,980 - $18,860
Online programsYes

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#2

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 5.1 miles from Fresno BOC Score68.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 77.7 miles from Fresno BOC Score80.6
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 Fresno

Fresno is part of the Fresno, CA metro area (BLS area code 23420). 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$62,080Fresno, CA$60,744
Healthcare Social Worker$84,860Fresno, CA$83,033
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$64,910Fresno, CA$63,513
Social Worker, All Other$74,090Fresno, CA$72,495
Social and Community Service Manager$78,910Fresno, CA$77,211
Social and Human Service Assistant$47,260Fresno, CA$46,243
Community Health Worker$52,520Fresno, CA$51,389

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.

Fresno at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population543,615Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,804Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+24.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Fresno County31,394 workers, 22,803 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fresno-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs near Fresno. The closest is California State University-Fresno in Fresno, CA (4.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Stanislaus (77.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Fresno are: Healthcare Social Worker ($84,860), Social and Community Service Manager ($78,910), Social Worker, All Other ($74,090). 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 Clovis instead of Fresno?

Clovis, CA is 6.7 miles from Fresno 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 Fresno an affordable place to study social work?

Fresno’s median household income of $66,804 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fresno 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 Fresno

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

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.

Back to Best Online Social Work Programs in California (2026)

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