Stanford, CA · Verified September 2026

MSW Programs Near Stanford, California

Where Can You Earn an MSW Near Stanford?

5 schools offer a campus or hybrid MSW within 50 miles of Stanford, the closest being San Jose State University (17 miles), California State University-East Bay (17 miles) and San Francisco State University (26 miles). Online MSW programs from schools elsewhere are also open to California residents.

schools within 50 miles
5
closest: San Jose State University
17 mi
offer advanced standing
3
part-time options
2
median estimated tuition nearby
$39,720

Campus and Hybrid MSW Programs Within 50 Miles of Stanford

School and programDistanceFormatCSWEEst. tuition
San Jose State University: Master of Social Work (on campus: 2-year full time and 3-year evening)Master of Social Work (on campus: 2-year full time and 3-year evening) · San Jose, CA17 miOn campusCSWE
California State University-East Bay: Master of Social Work - Traditional Program (full time, in person, Hayward)Master of Social Work - Traditional Program (full time, in person, Hayward) · Hayward, CA17 miOn campusCSWE
San Francisco State University: Master of Social WorkMaster of Social Work · San Francisco, CA26 miHybridCSWE
Samuel Merritt University: Master of Social Work (three-year hybrid, part time)Master of Social Work (three-year hybrid, part time) · Oakland, CA28 miHybridCSWE$63,113
UC Berkeley: Master of Social Welfare (MSW)Master of Social Welfare (MSW) · Berkeley, CA31 miOn campusCSWE

Straight-line distance from the center of Stanford (U.S. Census Gazetteer) to each school's main campus (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). Some programs meet at other sites; check the program page.

Advanced Standing and Part-Time MSW Options Near Stanford

With a CSWE-accredited BSW, you can shorten the degree at 3 programs within 50 miles: San Jose State University's 37-credit advanced standing track (17 mi), San Jose State University's 37-credit advanced standing track (17 mi) and California State University-East Bay's advanced standing track (17 mi).

Working while you study? 2 programs near Stanford offer a part-time schedule, the closest at San Jose State University, 17 miles away.

The lowest estimated tuition within 50 miles is $39,720 for Online/Hybrid Master of Social Work at San Jose State University; 4 of the 5 schools nearby are public. Estimates are the published rate times the credits required, before fees.

Lowest-Cost CSWE-Accredited Online MSWs for Stanford Residents

ProgramEst. tuition
Florida Atlantic University: Master of Social Work - 100% Online Advanced StandingMaster of Social Work - 100% Online Advanced Standing · Florida$11,155
Appalachian State University: Master of Social Work, Advanced Standing (App State Online)Master of Social Work, Advanced Standing (App State Online) · North Carolina$11,359
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro: Maestría en Trabajo Social (MSW), Especialidad en Trabajo Social Clínico - Online / PresencialMaestría en Trabajo Social (MSW), Especialidad en Trabajo Social Clínico - Online / Presencial · Puerto Rico$12,939

Online programs still place you in a supervised field practicum, so confirm the school can arrange one near Stanford. Compare all of them on the online MSW programs and most affordable online MSW pages.

Getting Licensed in California

  1. Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW2 years full time, or about 1 with advanced standing
  2. Pass the ASWB exam (California Law and Ethics Exam (must be taken annually until passed to renew the ASW registration, and passed to receive a subsequent registration))For the ASW
  3. Log supervised clinical hoursMinimum 3,000 hours over a minimum of 104 supervised weeks, including …
  4. Earn the clinical license (LCSW)Independent clinical practice

California license tiers from its board · Every MSW program in California

MSW Programs Near Other California Cities

Sources

  1. Official program pages of each school listed, reviewed September 2026
  2. CSWE directory of accredited programs
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Gazetteer places file
  4. U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS institutional characteristics

Every program on this site was checked against the school's own website. Accreditation status comes only from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) directory, license rules from each state's social work board, and graduate counts from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS). Sponsored listings are labeled and never change which programs we list or how we rank them. How we verify programs