Shelby, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $15,956 to $53,576 per year for indexed programs. Shelby has a population of about 21,868. Median household income is $50,705 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,590 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Shelby
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Shelby, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Shelby 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Shelby.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
45%
Graduation rate
34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,680
Avg net price
$20,894/yr
TuitionIn‑state$21,300
Out‑of‑state$21,300
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,289
Avg net price
$15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,260
Avg net price
$21,249/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,836
Avg net price
$16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 61
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
59%
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,600
Avg net price
$13,479/yr
TuitionIn‑state$18,296
Out‑of‑state$18,296
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
68%
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,781
Avg net price
$19,910/yr
TuitionIn‑state$37,736
Out‑of‑state$37,736
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,344
Avg net price
$13,479/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,458
Avg net price
$13,315/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina social work page.
Social Work Wages Near Shelby
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide) |
|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker | $59,610 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $63,280 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $58,210 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $63,490 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $79,590 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $42,850 |
| Community Health Worker | $47,560 |
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.
Shelby at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,868 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $50,705 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 26.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Social Work-related employment in Cleveland County | 911 workers, 86 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Shelby-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Gaffney, SC – 16.2 mi away (21,692 pop)
- Forest City, NC – 18.8 mi away (25,817 pop)
- Gastonia, NC – 20.3 mi away (178,477 pop)
- Lincolnton, NC – 21.4 mi away (23,264 pop)
- Spartanburg, SC – 32.3 mi away (185,031 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Shelby, NC?
Accredited schools offering social work programs near Shelby are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying social work roles in North Carolina?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles in North Carolina are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,590), Social Worker, All Other ($63,490), Healthcare Social Worker ($63,280). Wages for Shelby workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Gaffney instead of Shelby?
Gaffney, SC is 16.2 miles from Shelby 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 Shelby an affordable place to study social work?
Shelby’s median household income of $50,705 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelby 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 Shelby
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Shelby:
- Criminal Justice programs in Shelby, NC
- Nursing programs in Shelby, NC
- Business Administration programs in Shelby, NC
- Computer Science programs in Shelby, NC
- Psychology programs in Shelby, NC
- Education programs in Shelby, NC
- Engineering programs in Shelby, NC
- Technology programs in Shelby, NC
- Liberal Arts programs in Shelby, NC
- Healthcare programs in Shelby, NC
- Cybersecurity programs in Shelby, NC
- Accounting programs in Shelby, NC
- Healthcare Administration programs in Shelby, NC
- Counseling programs in Shelby, NC
Data verified: July 23, 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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