Best Online Human Services Programs in Palm Bay, FL (2026)

Palm Bay, Florida has 3 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $32,950 to $70,775 per year for indexed programs. Palm Bay has a population of about 125,273. Median household income is $67,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $66,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Palm Bay

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services programs near Palm Bay, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL 43.3 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,315
Avg net price $3,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 125

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 76.6 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 32.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Beacon College

Leesburg, FL 93.1 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 28.8
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,420
Avg net price $53,517/yr
Tuition
In‑state$51,680
Out‑of‑state$51,680
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, FL 100.2 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 32.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,364
Avg net price $21,293/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Palm Beach State College

Lake Worth, FL 101.2 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 62.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,923
Avg net price $9,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 104

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 106.9 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Rasmussen University-Florida

Ocala, FL 122.6 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,080
Avg net price $21,909/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL 134.9 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 55.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,209
Avg net price $30,371/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida human services page.


Human Services Wages Near Palm Bay

Palm Bay is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area (BLS area code 37340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$41,650Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$41,650
Social and Community Service Manager$66,200Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$66,200
Child, Family and School Social Worker$50,240Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$50,240
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$54,820Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$54,820

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.


Palm Bay at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population125,273Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,521Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.0 (at U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Bay-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Palm Bay, FL?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering human services programs near Palm Bay. The closest is Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, FL (43.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Beacon College (93.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Palm Bay?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Palm Bay are: Social and Community Service Manager ($66,200), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($54,820), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($50,240). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West Melbourne instead of Palm Bay?

West Melbourne, FL is 5.8 miles from Palm Bay and has its own set of local human services programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Palm Bay an affordable place to study human services?

Palm Bay’s median household income of $67,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Bay while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Human Services Programs

Other Programs Available in Palm Bay

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.