Best Online Social Work Programs in Alabaster, AL (2026)

Alabaster, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $8,832 to $27,826 per year for indexed programs. Alabaster has a population of about 33,633. Median household income is $90,163 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Alabama, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $94,270 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Alabaster

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Alabaster. Distances are calculated from Alabaster city center.

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 Alabaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Montevallo

Montevallo, AL 8.2 miles from Alabaster BOC Score44.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 15.6 miles from Alabaster BOC Score66.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Lawson State Community College

Birmingham, AL 16.3 miles from Alabaster BOC Score38.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Miles College

Fairfield, AL 18.7 miles from Alabaster BOC Score32.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 19.5 miles from Alabaster BOC Score58.5
Published tuition$8,832 - $27,826
Online programsYes

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama social work page.


Social Work Wages Near Alabaster

Alabaster is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$46,540Birmingham, AL$50,808
Healthcare Social Worker$60,980Birmingham, AL$66,572
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$38,140Birmingham, AL$41,638
Social Worker, All Other$94,270AL statewide$102,915
Social and Community Service Manager$74,450Birmingham, AL$81,277
Social and Human Service Assistant$36,510Birmingham, AL$39,858
Community Health Worker$43,340AL statewide$47,314

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.


Alabaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population33,633Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,163Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+40.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Shelby County1,496 workers, 273 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Alabaster-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Alabaster, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Alabaster. The closest is University of Montevallo in Montevallo, AL (8.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Alabama at Birmingham (19.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Alabaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Alabaster are: Social Worker, All Other ($94,270), Social and Community Service Manager ($74,450), Healthcare Social Worker ($60,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pelham instead of Alabaster?

Pelham, AL is 7.4 miles from Alabaster and has its own set of local social work programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Alabaster an affordable place to study social work?

Alabaster’s median household income of $90,163 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alabaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama 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 Social Work Programs

Other Programs Available in Alabaster

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.