Best Social Work Schools Near Tulare, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Tulare, California has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Tulare has a population of about 69,984. Median household income is $69,517 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Visalia, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $96,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Tulare

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Tulare, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tulare city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Tulare. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 42.5 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 47.9 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 60.2 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 124.0 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 140.1 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,247
Avg net price $13,663/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 142.9 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 153.9 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 155.5 miles from Tulare
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Tulare

Tulare is part of the Visalia, CA metro area (BLS area code 47300). 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 $61,040 Visalia, CA $61,162
Healthcare Social Worker $96,790 Visalia, CA $96,984
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $64,540 Visalia, CA $64,669
Social Worker, All Other $63,010 CA statewide $63,136
Social and Community Service Manager $80,730 Visalia, CA $80,892
Social and Human Service Assistant $50,300 Visalia, CA $50,401
Community Health Worker $63,960 Visalia, CA $64,088

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.

Tulare at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 69,984 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,517 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 10.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 99.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Tulare County 9,252 workers, 6,177 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Tulare-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs near Tulare. The closest is Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, CA (42.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Bakersfield (60.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Tulare are: Healthcare Social Worker ($96,790), Social and Community Service Manager ($80,730), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($64,540). 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 Visalia instead of Tulare?

Visalia, CA is 8.8 miles from Tulare 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 Tulare an affordable place to study social work?

Tulare’s median household income of $69,517 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tulare 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 Tulare

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Social Work Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)