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

Wilmington, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $40,410 to $58,752 per year for indexed programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $91,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Wilmington

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

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

Social Work Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). 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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Jacksonville, NC – 45.6 mi away (101,865 pop)
• Myrtle Beach, SC – 66.9 mi away (256,079 pop)
• Lumberton, NC – 70.8 mi away (29,681 pop)
• Conway, SC – 70.9 mi away (22,761 pop)
• Havelock, NC – 74.0 mi away (21,083 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Wilmington. The closest is University of North Carolina Wilmington in Wilmington, NC (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Campbell University (95.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Wilmington are: Social Worker, All Other ($91,080), Social and Community Service Manager ($77,860), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($62,710). 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 Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study social work?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington 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 Wilmington

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

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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.