Best Online Human Services Programs in Brownsville, TX (2026)

Brownsville, Texas is home to about 188,023 residents. Median household income is $48,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area, the top-earning human services-related role is Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor at a median $69,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Human Services Schools to Brownsville

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

#1

Texas Southern University

Houston, TX 287.3 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 32.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,924
Avg net price $16,590/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Stephen F Austin State University

Nacogdoches, TX 424.3 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,634
Avg net price $14,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Nelson University

Waxahachie, TX 444.3 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 42.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,238
Avg net price $21,662/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,064
Out‑of‑state$25,064
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#4

Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX 468.2 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 48.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,771
Avg net price $19,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX 470.0 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 61.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Avg net price $6,420/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

LeTourneau University

Longview, TX 476.2 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 50.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $28,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 498.6 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 65.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,010
Avg net price $15,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

East Texas A&M University

Commerce, TX 508.8 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 49.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,296
Avg net price $11,841/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Human Services Wages Near Brownsville

Brownsville is part of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area (BLS area code 15180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Social and Human Service Assistant$45,360Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$52,744
Social and Community Service Manager$65,070Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$75,663
Child, Family and School Social Worker$40,580Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$47,186
Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor$69,770Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$81,128

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.


Brownsville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population188,023Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,675Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Brownsville-Area Cities With Human Services Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying human services-related roles near Brownsville are: Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor ($69,770), Social and Community Service Manager ($65,070), Social and Human Service Assistant ($45,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Benito instead of Brownsville?

San Benito, TX is 14.8 miles from Brownsville 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 Brownsville an affordable place to study human services?

Brownsville’s median household income of $48,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Brownsville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Brownsville

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

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.