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

Porterville, California has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $6,980 to $18,860 per year for indexed programs. Porterville has a population of about 62,765. Median household income is $59,012 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Visalia, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $96,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Porterville

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

#1

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 49.2 miles from Porterville BOC Score 74.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 60.2 miles from Porterville BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 65.3 miles from Porterville BOC Score 78.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 31

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

#4

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 128.8 miles from Porterville BOC Score 75.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 43

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

#5

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 140.4 miles from Porterville BOC Score 63.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pacific Oaks College

Pasadena, CA 141.1 miles from Porterville BOC Score 58.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,485
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 141.5 miles from Porterville BOC Score 93.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 26

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

#8

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 142.7 miles from Porterville BOC Score 80.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Porterville

Porterville is part of the Visalia, CA metro area (BLS area code 47300). 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$61,040Visalia, CA$61,162
Healthcare Social Worker$96,790Visalia, CA$96,984
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$64,540Visalia, CA$64,669
Social Worker, All Other$63,010CA statewide$63,136
Social and Community Service Manager$80,730Visalia, CA$80,892
Social and Human Service Assistant$50,300Visalia, CA$50,401
Community Health Worker$63,960Visalia, CA$64,088

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.


Porterville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population62,765Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,012Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+14.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)99.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Tulare County9,252 workers, 6,177 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Porterville-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Porterville 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 Porterville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Porterville are: Healthcare Social Worker ($96,790), Social and Community Service Manager ($80,730), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($64,540). 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 Tulare instead of Porterville?

Tulare, CA is 19.5 miles from Porterville 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 Porterville an affordable place to study social work?

Porterville’s median household income of $59,012 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Porterville 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 Porterville

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

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.