Best Social Work Schools Near Battle Creek, MI (2026)

Battle Creek, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $39,350 to $54,222 per year for indexed programs. Battle Creek has a population of about 52,392. Median household income is $51,699 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Battle Creek, MI metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $92,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Battle Creek

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

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 19.7 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI 35.0 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,732
Avg net price $19,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Calvin University

Grand Rapids, MI 47.3 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,375
Avg net price $22,992/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,350
Out‑of‑state$39,350
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 48.7 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids, MI 50.6 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,314
Avg net price $20,301/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kuyper College

Grand Rapids, MI 53.3 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,066
Avg net price $15,644/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Hope College

Holland, MI 55.8 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,427
Avg net price $27,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI 56.9 miles from Battle Creek
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,118
Avg net price $16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 137

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Battle Creek

Battle Creek is part of the Battle Creek, MI metro area (BLS area code 12980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $57,000 Battle Creek, MI $62,983
Healthcare Social Worker $70,820 Battle Creek, MI $78,254
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $60,830 MI statewide $67,215
Social Worker, All Other $92,830 Battle Creek, MI $102,575
Social and Community Service Manager $92,650 Battle Creek, MI $102,376
Social and Human Service Assistant $40,850 Battle Creek, MI $45,138
Community Health Worker $49,380 MI statewide $54,564

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.


Battle Creek at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,392 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,699 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Calhoun County 1,026 workers, 211 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Battle Creek-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Battle Creek, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Battle Creek. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (19.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwestern Michigan College (49.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Battle Creek?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Battle Creek are: Social Worker, All Other ($92,830), Social and Community Service Manager ($92,650), Healthcare Social Worker ($70,820). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kalamazoo instead of Battle Creek?

Kalamazoo, MI is 18.4 miles from Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek an affordable place to study social work?

Battle Creek’s median household income of $51,699 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Battle Creek while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Battle Creek

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

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.