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Best Online Social Work Programs in Santa Cruz, CA (2026)
Santa Cruz, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Santa Cruz has a population of about 60,953. Median household income is $111,427 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $89,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Santa Cruz
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Santa Cruz, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). 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 | $61,960 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $56,379 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $89,430 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $81,374 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $62,680 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $57,034 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $63,010 | CA statewide | $57,334 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $81,130 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $73,822 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $54,870 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $49,927 |
| Community Health Worker | $59,470 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $54,113 |
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.
Santa Cruz at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,953 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $111,427 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 57.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Santa Cruz County | 5,754 workers, 2,646 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Santa Cruz-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Watsonville, CA – 15.1 mi away (77,266 pop)
- Los Gatos, CA – 17.9 mi away (30,545 pop)
- Saratoga, CA – 20.0 mi away (30,767 pop)
- Campbell, CA – 21.3 mi away (40,939 pop)
- Cupertino, CA – 23.4 mi away (60,643 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Santa Cruz, CA?
Accredited schools offering social work programs near Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Santa Cruz are: Healthcare Social Worker ($89,430), Social and Community Service Manager ($81,130), Social Worker, All Other ($63,010). 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 Watsonville instead of Santa Cruz?
Watsonville, CA is 15.1 miles from Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz an affordable place to study social work?
Santa Cruz’s median household income of $111,427 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Santa Cruz:
- Criminal Justice programs in Santa Cruz, CA
- Nursing programs in Santa Cruz, CA
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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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