Best Online Social Work Programs in Lake Elsinore, CA (2026)

Lake Elsinore, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Lake Elsinore has a population of about 71,516. Median household income is $96,527 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.0% 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 Lake Elsinore

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

#1

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 17.6 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 18.3 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 25.1 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 28

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

#4

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 25.7 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 96.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Chapman University

Orange, CA 29.3 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 61.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 34.7 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 78.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,977
Avg net price $4,564/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 38

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

#7

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 34.7 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 85.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#8

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 39.6 miles from Lake Elsinore BOC Score 75.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Lake Elsinore

Lake Elsinore 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.


Lake Elsinore at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population71,516Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$96,527Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.0%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 Lake Elsinore-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Lake Elsinore, CA?

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Lake Elsinore 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 Lake Elsinore?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Lake Elsinore 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 Wildomar instead of Lake Elsinore?

Wildomar, CA is 6.4 miles from Lake Elsinore 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 Lake Elsinore an affordable place to study social work?

Lake Elsinore’s median household income of $96,527 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake Elsinore 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 Lake Elsinore

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

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.