Best Online Social Work Programs in Dubuque, IA (2026)

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

Dubuque, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $5,980 to $48,380 per year for indexed programs. Dubuque has a population of about 59,271. Median household income is $64,985 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% 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 Dubuque

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

#1

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA 1.0 miles from Dubuque BOC Score46.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Loras College

Dubuque, IA 1.3 miles from Dubuque BOC Score67.1
Published tuition$38,298 - $48,380
Online programsYes

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#3

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 59.4 miles from Dubuque BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 63.2 miles from Dubuque BOC Score56.3
Published tuition$5,980 - $14,797
Online programsYes

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#5

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 66.7 miles from Dubuque BOC Score62.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Social Work Wages Near Dubuque

Dubuque is part of the Dubuque, IA metro area (BLS area code 20220). 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$51,980Dubuque, IA$59,542
Healthcare Social Worker$62,240Dubuque, IA$71,294
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$50,700Dubuque, IA$58,076
Social Worker, All Other$91,170IA statewide$104,433
Social and Community Service Manager$61,500Dubuque, IA$70,447
Social and Human Service Assistant$41,030Dubuque, IA$46,999
Community Health Worker$47,780IA statewide$54,731

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.

Dubuque at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population59,271Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,985Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Dubuque-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Dubuque, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Dubuque. The closest is Clarke University in Dubuque, IA (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Ambrose University (66.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Dubuque are: Social Worker, All Other ($91,170), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,240), Social and Community Service Manager ($61,500). 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 Clinton instead of Dubuque?

Clinton, IA is 51.3 miles from Dubuque 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 Dubuque an affordable place to study social work?

Dubuque’s median household income of $64,985 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dubuque 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 Dubuque

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

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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