Best Online Social Work Programs in Gainesville, FL (2026)

Gainesville, Florida has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $28,360 to $41,727 per year for indexed programs. Gainesville has a population of about 143,611. Median household income is $45,611 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Gainesville, FL metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Gainesville

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Gainesville. Distances are calculated from Gainesville city center.

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

Social Work Wages Near Gainesville

Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, FL metro area (BLS area code 23540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

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.

Gainesville at a Glance

Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Ocala, FL – 36.6 mi away (165,111 pop)
• Lake City, FL – 39.5 mi away (26,128 pop)
• Palatka, FL – 41.1 mi away (23,740 pop)
• Jacksonville, FL – 60.3 mi away (1,141,459 pop)
• Saint Augustine, FL – 63.9 mi away (76,129 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Gainesville, FL?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering social work programs near Gainesville. The closest is University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL (64.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Valdosta State University (98.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Gainesville are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,800), Social Worker, All Other ($71,960), Healthcare Social Worker ($69,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ocala instead of Gainesville?

Ocala, FL is 36.6 miles from Gainesville 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 Gainesville an affordable place to study social work?

Gainesville’s median household income of $45,611 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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

• Social Work accreditation: what to look for
• Social Work concentrations and specializations
• Is a Social Work degree worth it?
• Main Social Work degree guide
• Online Social Work programs in Florida
• Social Work programs by state

Other Programs Available in Gainesville

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

• Criminal Justice programs in Gainesville, FL
• Nursing programs in Gainesville, FL
• Business Administration programs in Gainesville, FL
• Computer Science programs in Gainesville, FL
• Psychology programs in Gainesville, FL
• Education programs in Gainesville, FL
• Engineering programs in Gainesville, FL
• Technology programs in Gainesville, FL
• Liberal Arts programs in Gainesville, FL
• Healthcare programs in Gainesville, FL
• Cybersecurity programs in Gainesville, FL
• Accounting programs in Gainesville, FL
• Healthcare Administration programs in Gainesville, FL
• Counseling programs in Gainesville, FL

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• Best Online Colleges Ranking
• Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students

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.