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

Johnston, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $5,376 to $15,405 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.

#1

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA 7.3 miles from Johnston BOC Score 51.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 86.1 miles from Johnston BOC Score 68.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 67

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Wartburg College

Waverly, IA 95.9 miles from Johnston BOC Score 56.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Buena Vista University

Storm Lake, IA 101.0 miles from Johnston BOC Score 54.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA 108.4 miles from Johnston BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 112.4 miles from Johnston BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Luther College

Decorah, IA 149.0 miles from Johnston BOC Score 56.2
  • 4 year
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: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northwestern College

Orange City, IA 149.9 miles from Johnston BOC Score 53.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 27

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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.

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

MetricValueSource
Population24,196Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$103,430Census 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 County9,182 workers, 706 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Johnston-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Johnston are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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: July 23, 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.