Best Online Social Work Programs in Albuquerque, NM (2026)

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

Albuquerque, New Mexico has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $2,145 to $17,529 per year for indexed programs. Albuquerque has a population of about 562,488. Median household income is $65,604 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Albuquerque, NM metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $90,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Albuquerque

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Albuquerque. Distances are calculated from Albuquerque 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 Albuquerque. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Santa Fe Community College

Santa Fe, NM 50.4 miles from Albuquerque BOC Score46.6
Published tuition$2,145 - $15,783
Online programsYes

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#2

Northern New Mexico College

Espanola, NM 69.4 miles from Albuquerque BOC Score46.0
Published tuition$6,400 - $17,529
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Social Work Wages Near Albuquerque

Albuquerque is part of the Albuquerque, NM metro area (BLS area code 10740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Mexico statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$55,420Albuquerque, NM$58,031
Healthcare Social Worker$65,200Albuquerque, NM$68,272
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$61,280Albuquerque, NM$64,168
Social Worker, All Other$90,310Albuquerque, NM$94,565
Social and Community Service Manager$85,860Albuquerque, NM$89,906
Social and Human Service Assistant$46,340Albuquerque, NM$48,524
Community Health Worker$58,290Albuquerque, NM$61,037

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.

Albuquerque at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population562,488Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,604Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Bernalillo County15,226 workers, 2,294 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Albuquerque-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Albuquerque, NM?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs near Albuquerque. The closest is Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, NM (50.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern New Mexico College (69.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Albuquerque are: Social Worker, All Other ($90,310), Social and Community Service Manager ($85,860), Healthcare Social Worker ($65,200). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Mexico statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rio Rancho instead of Albuquerque?

Rio Rancho, NM is 12.9 miles from Albuquerque 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 Albuquerque an affordable place to study social work?

Albuquerque’s median household income of $65,604 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Albuquerque while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Mexico 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 Albuquerque

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

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 New Mexico (2026)

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