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

Asheville, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $4,532 to $53,576 per year for indexed programs. Asheville has a population of about 94,369. Median household income is $67,221 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Asheville, NC metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $94,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Asheville

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

#1

Warren Wilson College

Swannanoa, NC 6.8 miles from Asheville BOC Score24.0
Published tuition$40,290 - $53,576
Online programs--

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#2

Mars Hill University

Mars Hill, NC 17.8 miles from Asheville BOC Score34.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC 40.5 miles from Asheville BOC Score63.0
Published tuition$4,532 - $19,057
Online programsYes

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#4

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 51.8 miles from Asheville BOC Score51.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

Milligan University

Milligan, TN 52.5 miles from Asheville BOC Score55.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Social Work Wages Near Asheville

Asheville is part of the Asheville, NC metro area (BLS area code 11700). 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$59,680Asheville, NC$61,845
Healthcare Social Worker$61,650Asheville, NC$63,886
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$63,400Asheville, NC$65,699
Social Worker, All Other$94,930Asheville, NC$98,373
Social and Community Service Manager$79,860Asheville, NC$82,756
Social and Human Service Assistant$43,110Asheville, NC$44,674
Community Health Worker$48,950Asheville, NC$50,725

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.


Asheville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population94,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,221Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Asheville-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Asheville. The closest is Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC (6.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Milligan University (52.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Asheville are: Social Worker, All Other ($94,930), Social and Community Service Manager ($79,860), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($63,400). 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 Forest City instead of Asheville?

Forest City, NC is 41.8 miles from Asheville 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 Asheville an affordable place to study social work?

Asheville’s median household income of $67,221 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Asheville 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 Asheville

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

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.