Pacific Union College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Social Work Programs in Santa Rosa, CA (2026)
Santa Rosa, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Santa Rosa has a population of about 177,216. Median household income is $97,410 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $108,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Santa Rosa
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Santa Rosa. Distances are calculated from Santa Rosa 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 Rosa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
University of California-Berkeley
Published tuition$14,850 - $45,627
Online programsYes
San Francisco State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
California State University-East Bay
Published tuition$7,055 - $22,803
Online programsYes
California State University-Sacramento
Published tuition$7,602 - $22,714
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California social work page.
Social Work Wages Near Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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 | $56,810 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $52,699 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $108,530 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $100,677 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $84,190 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $78,098 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $102,040 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $94,657 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $84,310 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $78,210 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $58,580 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $54,341 |
| Community Health Worker | $64,720 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $60,037 |
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 Rosa at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 177,216 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $97,410 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 34.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 107.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Sonoma County | 11,208 workers, 6,288 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Santa Rosa-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Rohnert Park, CA – 6.8 mi away (42,622 pop)
- Windsor, CA – 8.6 mi away (27,555 pop)
- Petaluma, CA – 14.7 mi away (66,940 pop)
- Sonoma, CA – 17.2 mi away (33,923 pop)
- Napa, CA – 24.2 mi away (87,733 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Santa Rosa, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Santa Rosa. The closest is Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA (16.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Sacramento (69.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying social work roles near Santa Rosa?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Santa Rosa are: Healthcare Social Worker ($108,530), Social Worker, All Other ($102,040), Social and Community Service Manager ($84,310). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Santa Rosa?
Rohnert Park, CA is 6.8 miles from Santa Rosa 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 Rosa an affordable place to study social work?
Santa Rosa’s median household income of $97,410 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Rosa 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 Rosa
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Santa Rosa:
- Criminal Justice programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Nursing programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Business Administration programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Computer Science programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Psychology programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Education programs in Santa Rosa, CA
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- Technology programs in Santa Rosa, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Santa Rosa, CA
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Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
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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.
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