Best Online Social Work Programs in Indianapolis, IN (2026)

Indianapolis, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $35,640 to $49,098 per year for indexed programs. Indianapolis has a population of about 1,550,488. In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $84,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Indianapolis

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

#1

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN 1.6 miles from Indianapolis BOC Score60.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Marian University

Indianapolis, IN 3.9 miles from Indianapolis BOC Score54.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN 4.6 miles from Indianapolis BOC Score51.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Anderson University

Anderson, IN 34.5 miles from Indianapolis BOC Score42.6
Published tuition$35,640 - $49,098
Online programsYes

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#5

Indiana University-Bloomington

Bloomington, IN 46.8 miles from Indianapolis BOC Score82.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Social Work Wages Near Indianapolis

Indianapolis is part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area (BLS area code 26900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$50,470Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$52,738
Healthcare Social Worker$65,090Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$68,015
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$49,590Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$51,818
Social Worker, All Other$84,570Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$88,370
Social and Community Service Manager$78,710Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$82,247
Social and Human Service Assistant$46,550Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$48,642
Community Health Worker$48,920Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$51,118

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.


Indianapolis at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Marion County14,034 workers, 787 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Indianapolis-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Indianapolis, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Indianapolis. The closest is Indiana University-Indianapolis in Indianapolis, IN (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Indiana University-Bloomington (46.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Indianapolis are: Social Worker, All Other ($84,570), Social and Community Service Manager ($78,710), Healthcare Social Worker ($65,090). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lawrence instead of Indianapolis?

Lawrence, IN is 10.3 miles from Indianapolis 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.

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 Indianapolis

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

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.