Worcester, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $11,300 to $80,466 per year for indexed programs. Worcester has a population of about 205,501. Median household income is $67,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $112,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Worcester
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Worcester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Worcester 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Worcester.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,651
Avg net price
$28,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,873
Avg net price
$27,477/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 37
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$103,937
Avg net price
$41,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 91
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,173
Avg net price
$31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
11%
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,238
Avg net price
$24,402/yr
TuitionIn‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Key stats
- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 228
Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,494
Avg net price
$25,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 60
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,631
Avg net price
$22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 166
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,865
Avg net price
$17,707/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 96
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts social work page.
Social Work Wages Near Worcester
Worcester is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker |
$70,900 |
Worcester, MA |
$69,171 |
| Healthcare Social Worker |
$74,520 |
Worcester, MA |
$72,702 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker |
$60,480 |
Worcester, MA |
$59,005 |
| Social Worker, All Other |
$112,960 |
Worcester, MA |
$110,205 |
| Social and Community Service Manager |
$77,500 |
Worcester, MA |
$75,610 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant |
$46,030 |
Worcester, MA |
$44,907 |
| Community Health Worker |
$53,620 |
Worcester, MA |
$52,312 |
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.
Worcester at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
205,501 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$67,544 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
34.1% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
102.5 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Worcester County |
18,695 workers, 7,676 establishments |
BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Worcester-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Marlborough, MA – 14.4 mi away (39,697 pop)
- Leominster, MA – 17.4 mi away (119,538 pop)
- Fitchburg, MA – 22.2 mi away (40,414 pop)
- Gardner, MA – 23.5 mi away (20,430 pop)
- Woonsocket, RI – 24.4 mi away (41,406 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Worcester, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Worcester. The closest is Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA (7.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Providence College (35.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying social work roles near Worcester?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Worcester are: Social Worker, All Other ($112,960), Social and Community Service Manager ($77,500), Healthcare Social Worker ($74,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Marlborough instead of Worcester?
Marlborough, MA is 14.4 miles from Worcester 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 Worcester an affordable place to study social work?
Worcester’s median household income of $67,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Worcester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Worcester
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Worcester:
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- Art History programs in Worcester, MA
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- Sustainability Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Worcester, MA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Worcester, MA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Worcester, MA
- Journalism programs in Worcester, MA
- Public Relations programs in Worcester, MA
- Communication Disorders programs in Worcester, MA
- Speech Pathology programs in Worcester, MA
- Technical Communication programs in Worcester, MA
- Professional Writing programs in Worcester, MA
- Strategic Communications programs in Worcester, MA
- Business Development programs in Worcester, MA
- Construction Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Economics programs in Worcester, MA
- Financial Technology programs in Worcester, MA
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- Health Information Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Hospitality Management programs in Worcester, MA
- International Business programs in Worcester, MA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Worcester, MA
- Management Information Systems programs in Worcester, MA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Operations Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Public Administration programs in Worcester, MA
- Real Estate programs in Worcester, MA
- Recreation Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Retail Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Risk Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Statistics programs in Worcester, MA
- Taxation programs in Worcester, MA
- Corrections programs in Worcester, MA
- Crime Analysis programs in Worcester, MA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Worcester, MA
- Criminology programs in Worcester, MA
- Cybercrime programs in Worcester, MA
- Emergency Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Fire Science programs in Worcester, MA
- Forensic Science programs in Worcester, MA
- Legal Services programs in Worcester, MA
- Legal Studies programs in Worcester, MA
- Paralegal programs in Worcester, MA
- Security Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Cloud Computing programs in Worcester, MA
- Computer Engineering programs in Worcester, MA
- Innovation programs in Worcester, MA
- Mobile App Development programs in Worcester, MA
- Software Development programs in Worcester, MA
- User Experience programs in Worcester, MA
- Web Development programs in Worcester, MA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Worcester, MA
- Machine Learning programs in Worcester, MA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Data Analytics programs in Worcester, MA
- Public Health programs in Worcester, MA
- Human Resources programs in Worcester, MA
- Project Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Special Education programs in Worcester, MA
- Homeland Security programs in Worcester, MA
- Marketing programs in Worcester, MA
- Finance programs in Worcester, MA
- Kinesiology programs in Worcester, MA
- Sports Management programs in Worcester, MA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Worcester, MA
- Elementary Education programs in Worcester, MA
- Biology programs in Worcester, MA
- Communications programs in Worcester, MA
- Graphic Design programs in Worcester, MA
- Human Services programs in Worcester, MA
- MBA programs in Worcester, MA
- Criminal Justice programs in Worcester, MA
- Nursing programs in Worcester, MA
- Business Administration programs in Worcester, MA
- Computer Science programs in Worcester, MA
- Psychology programs in Worcester, MA
- Education programs in Worcester, MA
- Engineering programs in Worcester, MA
- Technology programs in Worcester, MA
- Liberal Arts programs in Worcester, MA
- Healthcare programs in Worcester, MA
- Cybersecurity programs in Worcester, MA
- Accounting programs in Worcester, MA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Worcester, MA
- Counseling programs in Worcester, MA
Data verified: September 6, 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.
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