Best Online Social Work Programs in Columbus, GA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbus, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $12,536 to $34,402 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 204,383. Median household income is $56,622 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, GA-AL metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $96,820 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Columbus

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Columbus. Distances are calculated from Columbus 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 Columbus. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Point University

West Point, GA 31.2 miles from Columbus BOC Score31.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 35.8 miles from Columbus BOC Score76.0
Published tuition$12,536 - $34,402
Online programsYes

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#3

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, AL 48.7 miles from Columbus BOC Score56.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA 57.2 miles from Columbus BOC Score45.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA 69.6 miles from Columbus BOC Score35.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Social Work Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, GA-AL metro area (BLS area code 17980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$47,080Columbus, GA-AL$52,721
Healthcare Social Worker$59,650Columbus, GA-AL$66,797
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$52,030GA statewide$58,264
Social Worker, All Other$96,820Columbus, GA-AL$108,421
Social and Community Service Manager$68,360Columbus, GA-AL$76,551
Social and Human Service Assistant$35,530Columbus, GA-AL$39,787
Community Health Worker$50,680GA statewide$56,753

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

MetricValueSource
Population204,383Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,622Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Muscogee County1,853 workers, 187 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Columbus, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Columbus. The closest is Point University in West Point, GA (31.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Middle Georgia State University (69.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Columbus are: Social Worker, All Other ($96,820), Social and Community Service Manager ($68,360), Healthcare Social Worker ($59,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Valley instead of Columbus?

Valley, AL is 27.0 miles from Columbus 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 Columbus an affordable place to study social work?

Columbus’s median household income of $56,622 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Columbus

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

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.

Back to Best Online Social Work Programs in Georgia (2026)

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