Best Online Social Work Programs in San Clemente, CA (2026)

San Clemente, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,073 to $18,953 per year for indexed programs. San Clemente has a population of about 63,510. Median household income is $134,735 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $87,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to San Clemente

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

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

Social Work Wages Near San Clemente

San Clemente is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). 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.

San Clemente at a Glance

Other San Clemente-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• San Juan Capistrano, CA – 4.4 mi away (36,276 pop)
• Dana Point, CA – 5.2 mi away (34,012 pop)
• Laguna Niguel, CA – 7.7 mi away (65,328 pop)
• Laguna Beach, CA – 10.9 mi away (23,190 pop)
• Laguna Hills, CA – 11.1 mi away (31,509 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near San Clemente, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near San Clemente. The closest is University of Massachusetts Global in Irvine, CA (16.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Fullerton (34.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near San Clemente?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near San Clemente are: Social and Community Service Manager ($87,100), Healthcare Social Worker ($79,830), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($78,410). 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 Juan Capistrano instead of San Clemente?

San Juan Capistrano, CA is 4.4 miles from San Clemente 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 San Clemente an affordable place to study social work?

San Clemente’s median household income of $134,735 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Clemente 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 San Clemente

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

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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.