Best Online Social Work Programs in Wake Forest, NC (2026)

Wake Forest, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Wake Forest has a population of about 51,199. Median household income is $120,777 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.8% 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 Wake Forest

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Wake Forest. Distances are calculated from Wake Forest city center.

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

Social Work Wages Near Wake Forest

Wake Forest 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.

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.

Wake Forest at a Glance

Other Wake Forest-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Raleigh, NC – 11.6 mi away (1,005,457 pop)
• Garner, NC – 19.5 mi away (28,776 pop)
• Morrisville, NC – 20.0 mi away (24,732 pop)
• Cary, NC – 21.0 mi away (162,320 pop)
• Clayton, NC – 21.3 mi away (20,260 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Wake Forest, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Wake Forest. The closest is North Carolina State University at Raleigh in Raleigh, NC (14.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (30.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near Wake Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Wake Forest 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 Raleigh instead of Wake Forest?

Raleigh, NC is 11.6 miles from Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest an affordable place to study social work?

Wake Forest’s median household income of $120,777 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wake Forest 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

• Social Work accreditation: what to look for
• Social Work concentrations and specializations
• Is a Social Work degree worth it?
• Main Social Work degree guide
• Online Social Work programs in North Carolina
• Social Work programs by state

Other Programs Available in Wake Forest

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

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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.