Best Online Social Work Programs in Grand Island, NE (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Grand Island, Nebraska has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Grand Island has a population of about 52,761. Median household income is $62,439 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Nebraska, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $76,520 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Grand Island

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Grand Island. Distances are calculated from Grand Island city center.

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 Grand Island. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, NE 41.5 miles from Grand Island BOC Score54.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 86.9 miles from Grand Island BOC Score69.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE 89.5 miles from Grand Island BOC Score61.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Union Adventist University

Lincoln, NE 90.0 miles from Grand Island BOC Score43.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Northeast Community College

Norfolk, NE 91.9 miles from Grand Island BOC Score71.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Social Work Wages Near Grand Island

Grand Island is part of the Grand Island, NE metro area (BLS area code 24260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nebraska statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$49,810Grand Island, NE$57,451
Healthcare Social Worker$66,280Grand Island, NE$76,448
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$43,240NE statewide$49,873
Social Worker, All Other$76,520NE statewide$88,258
Social and Community Service Manager$68,340Grand Island, NE$78,824
Social and Human Service Assistant$38,940NE statewide$44,913
Community Health Worker$51,780NE statewide$59,723

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.

Grand Island at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population52,761Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,439Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Grand Island-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Grand Island, NE?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Grand Island. The closest is University of Nebraska at Kearney in Kearney, NE (41.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeast Community College (91.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Grand Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Grand Island are: Social Worker, All Other ($76,520), Social and Community Service Manager ($68,340), Healthcare Social Worker ($66,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Nebraska statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hastings instead of Grand Island?

Hastings, NE is 22.5 miles from Grand Island 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 Grand Island an affordable place to study social work?

Grand Island’s median household income of $62,439 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nebraska 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 Grand Island

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

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.

Back to Best Online Social Work Programs in Nebraska (2026)

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