Best Online Social Work Programs in Cedar Rapids, IA (2026)

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

Cedar Rapids, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $5,980 to $32,927 per year for indexed programs. Cedar Rapids has a population of about 136,859. Median household income is $67,859 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $91,170 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Cedar Rapids

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Cedar Rapids. Distances are calculated from Cedar Rapids 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 Cedar Rapids. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 2.8 miles from Cedar Rapids BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 3.6 miles from Cedar Rapids BOC Score56.3
Published tuition$5,980 - $14,797
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 24.2 miles from Cedar Rapids BOC Score73.5
Published tuition$10,964 - $32,927
Online programsYes

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#4

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 46.1 miles from Cedar Rapids BOC Score54.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 55.2 miles from Cedar Rapids BOC Score68.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Social Work Wages Near Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area (BLS area code 16300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$49,250Cedar Rapids, IA$55,337
Healthcare Social Worker$62,400Cedar Rapids, IA$70,112
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$47,240Cedar Rapids, IA$53,079
Social Worker, All Other$91,170IA statewide$102,438
Social and Community Service Manager$64,380Cedar Rapids, IA$72,337
Social and Human Service Assistant$37,490Cedar Rapids, IA$42,124
Community Health Worker$47,780IA statewide$53,685

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.

Cedar Rapids at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population136,859Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,859Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cedar Rapids-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Cedar Rapids, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Cedar Rapids. The closest is Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Northern Iowa (55.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Cedar Rapids?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Cedar Rapids are: Social Worker, All Other ($91,170), Social and Community Service Manager ($64,380), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marion instead of Cedar Rapids?

Marion, IA is 7.2 miles from Cedar Rapids 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 Cedar Rapids an affordable place to study social work?

Cedar Rapids’s median household income of $67,859 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cedar Rapids while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Cedar Rapids

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

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 Iowa (2026)

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