Best Social Work Schools Near Johnston, IA (2026)

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

Johnston, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $9,936 to $22,278 per year for indexed programs. Johnston has a population of about 24,196. Median household income is $103,430 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $94,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Johnston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Johnston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Johnston 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 Johnston. 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

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 7.5 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,824
Avg net price $21,774/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 86.3 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 95.8 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,201
Avg net price $32,908/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA 101.0 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,156
Avg net price $18,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 108.6 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,787
Avg net price $20,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 112.6 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 199

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Luther College

Decorah, IA 148.8 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,850
Avg net price $23,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA 150.1 miles from Johnston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 80%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,802
Avg net price $25,907/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,710
Out‑of‑state$36,710
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Johnston

Johnston is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $56,280 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $61,374
Healthcare Social Worker $62,360 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $68,004
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $49,750 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $54,253
Social Worker, All Other $94,930 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $103,522
Social and Community Service Manager $73,840 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $80,523
Social and Human Service Assistant $45,760 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $49,902
Community Health Worker $46,790 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $51,025

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.

Johnston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,196 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $103,430 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Polk County 9,182 workers, 706 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Johnston-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Johnston. The closest is Grand View University in Des Moines, IA (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wartburg College (95.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Johnston are: Social Worker, All Other ($94,930), Social and Community Service Manager ($73,840), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,360). 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 Urbandale instead of Johnston?

Urbandale, IA is 4.6 miles from Johnston 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 Johnston an affordable place to study social work?

Johnston’s median household income of $103,430 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Johnston 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 Johnston

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)