Best Social Work Schools Near Rochester, NY (2026)

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

Rochester, New York has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $54,760 per year for indexed programs. Rochester has a population of about 209,720. Median household income is $46,628 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rochester, NY metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $81,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Rochester

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Rochester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rochester 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 Rochester. 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

Nazareth University

Rochester, NY 6.7 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,458
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Roberts Wesleyan University

Rochester, NY 9.6 miles from Rochester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,031
Avg net price $23,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Rochester

Rochester is part of the Rochester, NY metro area (BLS area code 40380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $62,030 Rochester, NY $63,948
Healthcare Social Worker $61,610 Rochester, NY $63,515
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $68,880 Rochester, NY $71,010
Social Worker, All Other $81,890 Rochester, NY $84,423
Social and Community Service Manager $80,200 Rochester, NY $82,680
Social and Human Service Assistant $44,800 Rochester, NY $46,186
Community Health Worker $52,110 Rochester, NY $53,722

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.

Rochester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 209,720 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $46,628 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Monroe County 13,531 workers, 550 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rochester-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Rochester, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Rochester. The closest is Nazareth University in Rochester, NY (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University at Buffalo (60.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Rochester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Rochester are: Social Worker, All Other ($81,890), Social and Community Service Manager ($80,200), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($68,880). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brockport instead of Rochester?

Brockport, NY is 16.6 miles from Rochester 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 Rochester an affordable place to study social work?

Rochester’s median household income of $46,628 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rochester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Rochester

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

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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