Monterey, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $22,803 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salinas, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker at a median $97,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Monterey
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Monterey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Monterey 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 Monterey.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,247
Avg net price
$13,663/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,401
Avg net price
$9,320/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,077
Avg net price
$12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,188
Avg net price
$6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$92,446
Avg net price
$13,481/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,896
Avg net price
$13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
95%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,244
Avg net price
$7,000/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 31
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 Monterey
Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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 | $62,520 | Salinas, CA | $57,358 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $92,540 | Salinas, CA | $84,899 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $97,200 | Salinas, CA | $89,174 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $62,330 | Salinas, CA | $57,183 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $85,640 | Salinas, CA | $78,569 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $50,630 | Salinas, CA | $46,450 |
| Community Health Worker | $56,810 | Salinas, CA | $52,119 |
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.
Monterey at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 29,772 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $104,110 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 54.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.0 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Monterey County | 7,309 workers, 5,528 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Monterey-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Seaside, CA – 4.0 mi away (118,670 pop)
- Marina, CA – 8.0 mi away (21,688 pop)
- Salinas, CA – 15.3 mi away (193,126 pop)
- Watsonville, CA – 23.5 mi away (77,266 pop)
- Santa Cruz, CA – 28.0 mi away (176,037 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Monterey, CA?
Accredited schools offering social work programs near Monterey 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 Monterey?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Monterey are: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($97,200), Healthcare Social Worker ($92,540), Social and Community Service Manager ($85,640). 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 Seaside instead of Monterey?
Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study social work?
Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey 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 Monterey
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Monterey:
- Criminal Justice programs in Monterey, CA
- Nursing programs in Monterey, CA
- Business Administration programs in Monterey, CA
- Computer Science programs in Monterey, CA
- Psychology programs in Monterey, CA
- Education programs in Monterey, CA
- Engineering programs in Monterey, CA
- Technology programs in Monterey, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Monterey, CA
- Healthcare programs in Monterey, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Monterey, CA
- Accounting programs in Monterey, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Monterey, CA
- Counseling programs in Monterey, 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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