Best Online Social Work Programs in Alton, IL (2026)

Alton, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $62,982 to $83,476 per year for indexed programs. Alton has a population of about 25,430. Median household income is $53,005 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $93,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Alton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Alton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Alton 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 Alton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL 11.1 miles from Alton BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,346
Avg net price $14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Greenville University

Greenville, IL 39.8 miles from Alton BOC Score 46.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,827
Avg net price $19,533/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, IL 63.9 miles from Alton BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $9,833/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Millikin University

Decatur, IL 90.4 miles from Alton BOC Score 51.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,262
Avg net price $21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL 96.6 miles from Alton BOC Score 55.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,390
Avg net price $13,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL 112.4 miles from Alton BOC Score 54.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,163
Avg net price $12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 127.1 miles from Alton BOC Score 71.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 127.2 miles from Alton BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Alton

Alton is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$51,080St. Louis, MO-IL$53,712
Healthcare Social Worker$62,200St. Louis, MO-IL$65,405
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$49,520St. Louis, MO-IL$52,072
Social Worker, All Other$93,100St. Louis, MO-IL$97,897
Social and Community Service Manager$73,980St. Louis, MO-IL$77,792
Social and Human Service Assistant$45,430St. Louis, MO-IL$47,771
Community Health Worker$49,650St. Louis, MO-IL$52,208

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.


Alton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,430Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,005Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Madison County3,267 workers, 173 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Alton-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Alton, IL?

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Alton 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 Alton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Alton are: Social Worker, All Other ($93,100), Social and Community Service Manager ($73,980), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,200). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Edwardsville instead of Alton?

Edwardsville, IL is 11.7 miles from Alton 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 Alton an affordable place to study social work?

Alton’s median household income of $53,005 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Alton

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

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 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.