Best Online Social Work Programs in Iowa City, IA (2026)

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

Iowa City, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $5,980 to $32,927 per year for indexed programs. Iowa City has a population of about 75,264. Median household income is $57,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Iowa City, IA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $90,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Iowa City

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

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 1.8 miles from Iowa City BOC Score73.5
Published tuition$10,964 - $32,927
Online programsYes

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#2

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 19.2 miles from Iowa City BOC Score56.3
Published tuition$5,980 - $14,797
Online programsYes

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#3

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 24.9 miles from Iowa City BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 49.7 miles from Iowa City BOC Score62.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Eastern Iowa Community College District

Davenport, IA 50.1 miles from Iowa City BOC Score47.9
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 Iowa City

Iowa City is part of the Iowa City, IA metro area (BLS area code 26980). 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$48,790Iowa City, IA$53,322
Healthcare Social Worker$67,820Iowa City, IA$74,120
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$55,350Iowa City, IA$60,492
Social Worker, All Other$90,900Iowa City, IA$99,344
Social and Community Service Manager$66,420Iowa City, IA$72,590
Social and Human Service Assistant$39,940Iowa City, IA$43,650
Community Health Worker$47,780IA statewide$52,219

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.

Iowa City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population75,264Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,533Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Johnson County2,810 workers, 256 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Iowa City-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Iowa City, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Iowa City. The closest is University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Eastern Iowa Community College District (50.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Iowa City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Iowa City are: Social Worker, All Other ($90,900), Healthcare Social Worker ($67,820), Social and Community Service Manager ($66,420). 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 Coralville instead of Iowa City?

Coralville, IA is 4.5 miles from Iowa City 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 Iowa City an affordable place to study social work?

Iowa City’s median household income of $57,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Iowa City 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 Iowa City

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

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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