Best Online Social Work Programs in Walnut Creek, CA (2026)

Walnut Creek, California has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $7,055 to $45,627 per year for indexed programs. Walnut Creek has a population of about 69,790. Median household income is $135,665 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $99,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Walnut Creek

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

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

Social Work Wages Near Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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.

Walnut Creek at a Glance

Other Walnut Creek-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Pleasant Hill, CA – 4.1 mi away (34,853 pop)
• Lafayette, CA – 4.4 mi away (26,103 pop)
• Concord, CA – 5.2 mi away (649,437 pop)
• Danville, CA – 7.3 mi away (44,631 pop)
• Martinez, CA – 7.8 mi away (38,259 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Walnut Creek, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Walnut Creek. The closest is University of California-Berkeley in Berkeley, CA (12.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pacific Union College (51.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Walnut Creek?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Walnut Creek are: Healthcare Social Worker ($99,640), Social and Community Service Manager ($93,410), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($87,550). 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 Pleasant Hill instead of Walnut Creek?

Pleasant Hill, CA is 4.1 miles from Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek an affordable place to study social work?

Walnut Creek’s median household income of $135,665 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek

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

• Criminal Justice programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Nursing programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Business Administration programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Computer Science programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Psychology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Education programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Engineering programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Technology programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Liberal Arts programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Healthcare programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Cybersecurity programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Accounting programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Healthcare Administration programs in Walnut Creek, CA
• Counseling programs in Walnut Creek, CA

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• Best Online Colleges Ranking
• Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students

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.