Best Online Social Work Programs in Owensboro, KY (2026)

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

Owensboro, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $4,390 to $41,865 per year for indexed programs. Owensboro has a population of about 60,112. Median household income is $53,295 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $85,160 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Owensboro

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

#1

Brescia University

Owensboro, KY 0.9 miles from Owensboro BOC Score43.9
Published tuition$30,450 - $41,865
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, IN 28.8 miles from Owensboro BOC Score60.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Wabash Valley College

Mount Carmel, IL 58.7 miles from Owensboro
Published tuition$4,390 - $16,639
Online programsYes

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#4

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 64.6 miles from Owensboro BOC Score52.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Vincennes University

Vincennes, IN 67.9 miles from Owensboro BOC Score48.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Social Work Wages Near Owensboro

Owensboro is part of the Owensboro, KY metro area (BLS area code 36980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$58,920Owensboro, KY$66,501
Healthcare Social Worker$56,560Owensboro, KY$63,837
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$37,490Owensboro, KY$42,314
Social Worker, All Other$85,160KY statewide$96,117
Social and Community Service Manager$64,990Owensboro, KY$73,352
Social and Human Service Assistant$33,740Owensboro, KY$38,081
Community Health Worker$48,230KY statewide$54,436

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.

Owensboro at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population60,112Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,295Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Daviess County1,642 workers, 453 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Owensboro-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Owensboro, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Owensboro. The closest is Brescia University in Owensboro, KY (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Vincennes University (67.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Owensboro are: Social Worker, All Other ($85,160), Social and Community Service Manager ($64,990), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($58,920). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Henderson instead of Owensboro?

Henderson, KY is 25.8 miles from Owensboro 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 Owensboro an affordable place to study social work?

Owensboro’s median household income of $53,295 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Owensboro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Owensboro

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

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 Kentucky (2026)

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