Best Online Social Work Programs in La Quinta, CA (2026)

La Quinta, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,675 to $19,555 per year for indexed programs. La Quinta has a population of about 38,299. Median household income is $97,628 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $94,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to La Quinta

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near La Quinta. Distances are calculated from La Quinta 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 La Quinta. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 62.5 miles from La Quinta BOC Score75.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 62.7 miles from La Quinta BOC Score96.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 68.6 miles from La Quinta BOC Score56.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 70.6 miles from La Quinta BOC Score78.4
Published tuition$7,675 - $19,555
Online programsYes

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#5

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 72.3 miles from La Quinta BOC Score48.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Social Work Wages Near La Quinta

La Quinta is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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$63,230Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$59,427
Healthcare Social Worker$85,360Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$80,226
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$87,370Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$82,115
Social Worker, All Other$94,740Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$89,041
Social and Community Service Manager$79,570Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$74,784
Social and Human Service Assistant$48,370Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$45,461
Community Health Worker$50,950Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$47,885

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.


La Quinta at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population38,299Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,628Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Riverside County52,121 workers, 38,321 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other La Quinta-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near La Quinta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near La Quinta. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (62.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is La Sierra University (72.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near La Quinta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near La Quinta are: Social Worker, All Other ($94,740), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($87,370), Healthcare Social Worker ($85,360). 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 Indio instead of La Quinta?

Indio, CA is 6.1 miles from La Quinta 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 La Quinta an affordable place to study social work?

La Quinta’s median household income of $97,628 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in La Quinta 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 La Quinta

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

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.