Best Online Social Work Programs in Lake Charles, LA (2026)

Lake Charles, Louisiana has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $8,690 to $21,626 per year for indexed programs. Lake Charles has a population of about 81,679. Median household income is $56,864 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lake Charles, LA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $80,000 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Lake Charles

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Lake Charles. Distances are calculated from Lake Charles city center.

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

Social Work Wages Near Lake Charles

Lake Charles is part of the Lake Charles, LA metro area (BLS area code 29340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Louisiana statewide.

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.

Lake Charles at a Glance

Other Lake Charles-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Sulphur, LA – 8.6 mi away (20,272 pop)
• Port Arthur, TX – 48.9 mi away (157,732 pop)
• Beaumont, TX – 56.2 mi away (147,935 pop)
• Abbeville, LA – 67.0 mi away (20,139 pop)
• Lafayette, LA – 70.7 mi away (267,376 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Lake Charles, LA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs near Lake Charles. The closest is Lamar University in Beaumont, TX (52.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Louisiana Christian University (90.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Lake Charles?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Lake Charles are: Social and Community Service Manager ($80,000), Healthcare Social Worker ($65,120), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($47,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Louisiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sulphur instead of Lake Charles?

Sulphur, LA is 8.6 miles from Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles an affordable place to study social work?

Lake Charles’s median household income of $56,864 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake Charles while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana 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

• Social Work accreditation: what to look for
• Social Work concentrations and specializations
• Is a Social Work degree worth it?
• Main Social Work degree guide
• Online Social Work programs in Louisiana
• Social Work programs by state

Other Programs Available in Lake Charles

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

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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.