Best Online Human Services Programs in Charleston, IL (2026)

Charleston, Illinois has 4 accredited schools offering human services programs. Charleston has a population of about 17,212. Median household income is $49,057 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $78,380 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Charleston

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

#1

University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, IL 78.4 miles from Charleston BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL 138.4 miles from Charleston BOC Score 55.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,889
Avg net price $1,672/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,530
Out‑of‑state$13,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 168.0 miles from Charleston BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 168.1 miles from Charleston BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 172.0 miles from Charleston BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Quincy University

Quincy, IL 173.4 miles from Charleston BOC Score 44.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,369
Avg net price $20,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 175.3 miles from Charleston BOC Score 50.2
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,516
Avg net price $6,026/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 175.9 miles from Charleston BOC Score 66.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Charleston

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Social and Human Service Assistant$46,950
Social and Community Service Manager$78,380
Child, Family and School Social Worker$63,220
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$60,730

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.


Charleston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population17,212Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,057Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Charleston-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Charleston, IL?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering human services programs near Charleston. The closest is Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Saint Mary of the Woods, IN (38.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Purdue University Global (94.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles in Illinois are: Social and Community Service Manager ($78,380), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($63,220), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($60,730). Wages for Charleston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Terre Haute instead of Charleston?

Terre Haute, IN is 42.8 miles from Charleston 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 Charleston an affordable place to study human services?

Charleston’s median household income of $49,057 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Charleston

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

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.