Best Social Work Schools Near Columbus, GA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbus, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $12,890 to $34,922 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 accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Columbus. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Point University

West Point, GA 31.2 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,740
Avg net price $25,335/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA 57.2 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,666
Avg net price $10,338/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA 69.7 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,863
Avg net price $12,361/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Albany State University

Albany, GA 78.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,674
Avg net price $11,898/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Clark Atlanta University

Atlanta, GA 89.6 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,712
Avg net price $37,702/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 90.4 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Georgia Military College

Milledgeville, GA 103.8 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,257
Avg net price $16,923/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA 107.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,552
Avg net price $15,048/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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.

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

Metric Value Source
Population 204,383 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,622 Census 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 County 1,853 workers, 187 establishments BLS 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 (69.7 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 Phenix City instead of Columbus?

Phenix City, AL is 9.3 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: September 6, 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 Social Work Schools in Georgia: Online Programs (2026)