Best Human Services Schools Near Paducah, KY (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Paducah, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,728 to $31,203 per year for indexed programs. Paducah has a population of about 26,894. Median household income is $51,243 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Paducah, KY-IL metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $71,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Human Services Schools to Paducah

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Murray State University

Murray, KY 36.3 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,737
Avg net price $9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Madisonville Community College

Madisonville, KY 65.4 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,733
Avg net price $5,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Henderson Community College

Henderson, KY 74.1 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,714
Avg net price $4,232/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,728
Out‑of‑state$6,432
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

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

#4

Brescia University

Owensboro, KY 96.9 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,500
Avg net price $8,709/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Elizabethtown, KY 157.7 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,143
Avg net price $5,143/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,728
Out‑of‑state$6,432
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 29

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

#6

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Louisville, KY 177.7 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
49.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,171
Avg net price $6,376/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,808
Out‑of‑state$6,512
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

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

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#7

Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia, KY 184.3 miles from Paducah
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
39.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,129
Avg net price $15,070/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,808
Out‑of‑state$27,808
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 29

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

#8

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Lexington, KY 237.0 miles from Paducah
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,343
Avg net price $6,113/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Human Services Wages Near Paducah

Paducah is part of the Paducah, KY-IL metro area (BLS area code 37140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant $37,430 Paducah, KY-IL $43,473
Social and Community Service Manager $71,250 Paducah, KY-IL $82,753
Child, Family and School Social Worker $57,280 Paducah, KY-IL $66,527
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor $58,240 Paducah, KY-IL $67,642

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.

Paducah at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,894 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,243 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Paducah-Area Cities With Human Services Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Paducah, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Paducah. The closest is Murray State University in Murray, KY (36.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Brescia University (96.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying human services roles near Paducah?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Paducah are: Social and Community Service Manager ($71,250), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($58,240), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($57,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Murray instead of Paducah?

Murray, KY is 36.2 miles from Paducah 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 Paducah an affordable place to study human services?

Paducah’s median household income of $51,243 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paducah while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Paducah

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

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