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Best Online Social Work Programs in Palm Desert, CA (2026)
Palm Desert, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,675 to $19,555 per year for indexed programs. Palm Desert has a population of about 51,551. Median household income is $79,508 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.9% 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 Palm Desert
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Palm Desert, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palm Desert city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
No school data available.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California social work page.
Social Work Wages Near Palm Desert
Palm Desert 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker | $63,230 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $59,427 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $85,360 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $80,226 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $87,370 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $82,115 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $94,740 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $89,041 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $79,570 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $74,784 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $48,370 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $45,461 |
| Community Health Worker | $50,950 | Riverside-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.
Palm Desert at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,551 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $79,508 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 39.9% | 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 County | 52,121 workers, 38,321 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Palm Desert-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Indio, CA – 7.8 mi away (402,166 pop)
- La Quinta, CA – 7.8 mi away (40,956 pop)
- Cathedral City, CA – 8.8 mi away (54,056 pop)
- Palm Springs, CA – 10.6 mi away (47,689 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 13.3 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Palm Desert, CA?
Accredited schools offering social work programs near Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert?
Indio, CA is 7.8 miles from Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert an affordable place to study social work?
Palm Desert’s median household income of $79,508 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Desert 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
- Social Work accreditation: what to look for
- Social Work concentrations and specializations
- Is a Social Work degree worth it?
- Main Social Work degree guide
- Online Social Work programs in California
- Social Work programs by state
Other Programs Available in Palm Desert
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Palm Desert:
- Criminal Justice programs in Palm Desert, CA
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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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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