Best Human Services Schools Near Columbus, OH (2026)

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

Columbus, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $4,624 to $10,118 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 906,480. Median household income is $65,327 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, OH metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Human Services Schools to Columbus

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer human services programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Columbus. 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

Ohio Christian University

Circleville, OH 26.1 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,813
Avg net price $20,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Central Ohio Technical College

Newark, OH 29.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,168
Avg net price $9,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus

Chillicothe, OH 45.4 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $5,755/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Antioch University

Yellow Springs, OH 50.6 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

North Central State College

Mansfield, OH 60.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,158
Avg net price $4,687/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,624
Out‑of‑state$9,103
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 65.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $21,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

James A. Rhodes State College

Lima, OH 75.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,855
Avg net price $8,757/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ohio University-Southern Campus

Ironton, OH 102.4 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $5,993/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Human Services Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, OH metro area (BLS area code 18140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant $42,190 Columbus, OH $44,178
Social and Community Service Manager $79,830 Columbus, OH $83,592
Child, Family and School Social Worker $58,460 Columbus, OH $61,215
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor $59,370 Columbus, OH $62,168

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.

Columbus at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 906,480 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,327 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Human Services Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Columbus, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Columbus. The closest is Ohio Christian University in Circleville, OH (26.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Central State College (60.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Columbus are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,830), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($59,370), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($58,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Upper Arlington instead of Columbus?

Upper Arlington, OH is 5.3 miles from Columbus 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 Columbus an affordable place to study human services?

Columbus’s median household income of $65,327 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Columbus

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

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.

Back to Best Human Services Schools in Ohio: Online Programs (2026)