Best Online Human Services Programs in Erie, PA (2026)

Erie, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs, with tuition ranging from $6,840 to $18,243 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Erie, PA metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $66,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Erie

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

#1

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA 93.9 miles from Erie BOC Score 56.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,004
Avg net price $25,890/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, PA 127.8 miles from Erie BOC Score 60.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,748
Avg net price $22,204/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA 153.3 miles from Erie BOC Score 60.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,537
Avg net price $18,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania College of Technology

Williamsport, PA 168.6 miles from Erie BOC Score 71.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,567
Avg net price $25,110/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 226.4 miles from Erie BOC Score 68.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

York College of Pennsylvania

York, PA 229.8 miles from Erie BOC Score 66.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,012
Avg net price $18,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,588
Out‑of‑state$25,588
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 232.8 miles from Erie BOC Score 72.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, PA 242.4 miles from Erie BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,096
Avg net price $25,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$39,710Erie, PA$43,637
Social and Community Service Manager$66,520Erie, PA$73,099
Child, Family and School Social Worker$44,810Erie, PA$49,242
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$49,820Erie, PA$54,747

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.


Erie at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,156Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,397Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited human services schools are near Erie, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering human services programs near Erie. The closest is Kent State University at Ashtabula in Ashtabula, OH (41.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Erie Community College (80.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Erie are: Social and Community Service Manager ($66,520), Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($49,820), Child, Family and School Social Worker ($44,810). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study human services?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Erie

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

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.