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

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 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.

#1

Point University

West Point, GA 31.2 miles from Columbus BOC Score 31.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA 57.2 miles from Columbus BOC Score 45.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA 69.6 miles from Columbus BOC Score 35.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Albany State University

Albany, GA 78.1 miles from Columbus BOC Score 43.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Clark Atlanta University

Atlanta, GA 89.8 miles from Columbus BOC Score 26.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA 90.5 miles from Columbus BOC Score 42.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,232
Avg net price $19,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 90.5 miles from Columbus BOC Score 54.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Georgia Military College

Milledgeville, GA 103.7 miles from Columbus BOC Score 34.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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?

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Columbus are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.