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

Richmond, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Richmond has a population of about 115,396. Median household income is $90,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $99,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Richmond

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Richmond. Distances are calculated from Richmond city center.

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

Social Work Wages Near Richmond

Richmond is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

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.

Richmond at a Glance

Other Richmond-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• San Pablo, CA – 1.1 mi away (30,536 pop)
• El Cerrito, CA – 2.8 mi away (25,400 pop)
• Hercules, CA – 6.1 mi away (25,360 pop)
• Berkeley, CA – 6.2 mi away (121,240 pop)
• San Rafael, CA – 10.4 mi away (58,954 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Richmond. The closest is University of California-Berkeley in Berkeley, CA (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Jose State University (49.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Richmond?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Richmond are: Healthcare Social Worker ($99,640), Social and Community Service Manager ($93,410), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($87,550). 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 San Pablo instead of Richmond?

San Pablo, CA is 1.1 miles from Richmond 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 Richmond an affordable place to study social work?

Richmond’s median household income of $90,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richmond 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 Richmond

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

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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.