Best Social Work Schools Near Lees Summit, MO (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lees Summit, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $10,050 to $50,096 per year for indexed programs. Lees Summit has a population of about 89,467. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $104,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Lees Summit

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

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

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#1

Avila University

Kansas City, MO 11.3 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,773
Avg net price $16,053/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,000
Out‑of‑state$42,000
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 13.5 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,637
Avg net price $13,310/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Park University

Parkville, MO 24.7 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,309
Avg net price $21,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 36.3 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, MO 61.9 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,647
Avg net price $13,251/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southwest Baptist University

Bolivar, MO 105.1 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,112
Avg net price $21,677/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 110.3 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lincoln University

Jefferson City, MO 121.8 miles from Lees Summit
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
28.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,463
Avg net price $19,092/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Lees Summit

Lees Summit is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $49,880 Kansas City, MO-KS $53,924
Healthcare Social Worker $66,260 Kansas City, MO-KS $71,632
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $58,320 Kansas City, MO-KS $63,049
Social Worker, All Other $104,400 Kansas City, MO-KS $112,865
Social and Community Service Manager $78,920 Kansas City, MO-KS $85,319
Social and Human Service Assistant $45,860 Kansas City, MO-KS $49,578
Community Health Worker $49,650 Kansas City, MO-KS $53,676

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.

Lees Summit at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Jackson County 12,537 workers, 6,646 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lees Summit-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Lees Summit, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Lees Summit. The closest is Avila University in Kansas City, MO (11.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Saint Mary (37.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Lees Summit?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Lees Summit are: Social Worker, All Other ($104,400), Social and Community Service Manager ($78,920), Healthcare Social Worker ($66,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Raytown instead of Lees Summit?

Raytown, MO is 6.9 miles from Lees Summit 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.

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 Lees Summit

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

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.

Back to Best Social Work Schools in Missouri: Online Programs (2026)