Best Online Social Work Programs in South Plainfield, NJ (2026)

South Plainfield, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. South Plainfield has a population of about 24,231. Median household income is $126,063 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $100,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to South Plainfield

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near South Plainfield. Distances are calculated from South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ 5.5 miles from South Plainfield BOC Score79.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Kean University

Union, NJ 11.9 miles from South Plainfield BOC Score65.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY 14.2 miles from South Plainfield BOC Score53.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ 14.6 miles from South Plainfield BOC Score66.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Saint Elizabeth University

Morristown, NJ 15.8 miles from South Plainfield BOC Score52.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Social Work Wages Near South Plainfield

South Plainfield is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$66,540New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$59,094
Healthcare Social Worker$78,610New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$69,813
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$82,450New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$73,224
Social Worker, All Other$85,080New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$75,560
Social and Community Service Manager$100,570New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$89,316
Social and Human Service Assistant$47,860New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$42,504
Community Health Worker$59,340New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$52,700

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.


South Plainfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,231Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$126,063Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)112.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Middlesex County10,918 workers, 3,004 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Plainfield-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near South Plainfield, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near South Plainfield. The closest is Rutgers University-New Brunswick in New Brunswick, NJ (5.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Elizabeth University (15.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near South Plainfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near South Plainfield are: Social and Community Service Manager ($100,570), Social Worker, All Other ($85,080), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($82,450). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Plainfield instead of South Plainfield?

Plainfield, NJ is 2.8 miles from South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield an affordable place to study social work?

South Plainfield’s median household income of $126,063 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Plainfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 South Plainfield

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

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.