Best Online Social Work Programs in Apex, NC (2026)

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

Apex, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Apex has a population of about 67,765. Median household income is $138,442 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 66.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $85,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Apex

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

#1

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 11.2 miles from Apex BOC Score59.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 12.1 miles from Apex BOC Score84.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC 13.2 miles from Apex BOC Score16.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 16.1 miles from Apex BOC Score91.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 18.1 miles from Apex BOC Score46.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Social Work Wages Near Apex

Apex is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$62,700Raleigh-Cary, NC$63,849
Healthcare Social Worker$69,090Raleigh-Cary, NC$70,356
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$59,380Raleigh-Cary, NC$60,468
Social Worker, All Other$53,560Raleigh-Cary, NC$54,542
Social and Community Service Manager$85,850Raleigh-Cary, NC$87,424
Social and Human Service Assistant$38,330Raleigh-Cary, NC$39,033
Community Health Worker$50,980Raleigh-Cary, NC$51,914

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.

Apex at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population67,765Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$138,442Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+66.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Wake County12,703 workers, 1,312 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Apex-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Apex, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Apex. The closest is Meredith College in Raleigh, NC (11.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is North Carolina Central University (18.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Apex are: Social and Community Service Manager ($85,850), Healthcare Social Worker ($69,090), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($62,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cary instead of Apex?

Cary, NC is 4.8 miles from Apex 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 Apex an affordable place to study social work?

Apex’s median household income of $138,442 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Apex while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Apex

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

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 North Carolina (2026)

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