Best Online Social Work Programs in Santa Maria, CA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Santa Maria, California has 1 accredited school offering social work programs. Santa Maria has a population of about 109,880. Median household income is $84,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $93,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Santa Maria

The 1 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 1 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Santa Maria. Distances are calculated from Santa Maria city center.

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 Santa Maria. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 81.1 miles from Santa Maria BOC Score74.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Social Work Wages Near Santa Maria

Santa Maria is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). 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$57,710Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$53,042
Healthcare Social Worker$93,200Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$85,662
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$81,240Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$74,669
Social Worker, All Other$67,140Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$61,710
Social and Community Service Manager$79,920Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$73,456
Social and Human Service Assistant$55,160Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$50,699
Community Health Worker$52,000Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$47,794

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 Maria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population109,880Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,617Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Santa Barbara County7,749 workers, 4,042 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Santa Maria-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Santa Maria, CA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering social work programs near Santa Maria. The closest is California State University-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA (81.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Bakersfield (81.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Santa Maria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Santa Maria are: Healthcare Social Worker ($93,200), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($81,240), Social and Community Service Manager ($79,920). 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 Arroyo Grande instead of Santa Maria?

Arroyo Grande, CA is 15.4 miles from Santa Maria 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 Maria an affordable place to study social work?

Santa Maria’s median household income of $84,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria

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

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.

Back to Best Online Social Work Programs in California (2026)

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