Best Online Social Work Programs in Laurel, MD (2026)

Laurel, Maryland has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $18,382 to $73,198 per year for indexed programs. Laurel has a population of about 29,594. Median household income is $94,063 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $101,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Laurel

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

#1

Bowie State University

Bowie, MD 7.7 miles from Laurel BOC Score 47.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,537
Avg net price $19,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Maryland-Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD 13.6 miles from Laurel BOC Score 78.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,960
Avg net price $16,467/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Coppin State University

Baltimore, MD 18.4 miles from Laurel BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,490
Avg net price $9,977/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Baltimore, MD 18.6 miles from Laurel BOC Score 96.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $88,174
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD 22.8 miles from Laurel BOC Score 51.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,698
Avg net price $14,985/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD 34.7 miles from Laurel BOC Score 64.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,663
Avg net price $21,916/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Hood College

Frederick, MD 37.4 miles from Laurel BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,089
Avg net price $20,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Salisbury University

Salisbury, MD 85.3 miles from Laurel BOC Score 71.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,515
Avg net price $17,743/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Laurel

Laurel is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maryland statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$75,550Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$69,376
Healthcare Social Worker$80,710Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$74,114
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,210Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$71,818
Social Worker, All Other$93,220Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$85,601
Social and Community Service Manager$101,240Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$92,966
Social and Human Service Assistant$48,370Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$44,417
Community Health Worker$58,790Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$53,985

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.


Laurel at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,594Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$94,063Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Prince George’s County6,281 workers, 561 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Laurel-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Laurel, MD?

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Laurel 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 Laurel?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Laurel are: Social and Community Service Manager ($101,240), Social Worker, All Other ($93,220), Healthcare Social Worker ($80,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maryland statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Greenbelt instead of Laurel?

Greenbelt, MD is 7.1 miles from Laurel 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 Laurel an affordable place to study social work?

Laurel’s median household income of $94,063 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Laurel while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maryland 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 Laurel

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

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.