Best Social Work Schools Near Cleveland, OH (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Cleveland, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Cleveland has a population of about 367,523. Median household income is $39,187 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $77,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Cleveland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Cleveland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cleveland 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:

  • 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 Cleveland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 1.8 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH 4.2 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,989
Avg net price $41,190/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Cleveland

Cleveland is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $57,860 Cleveland, OH $61,619
Healthcare Social Worker $66,230 Cleveland, OH $70,532
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $45,390 Cleveland, OH $48,339
Social Worker, All Other $68,100 Cleveland, OH $72,524
Social and Community Service Manager $77,200 Cleveland, OH $82,215
Social and Human Service Assistant $39,780 Cleveland, OH $42,364
Community Health Worker $48,260 Cleveland, OH $51,395

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.

Cleveland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 367,523 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $39,187 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Cuyahoga County 17,274 workers, 982 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cleveland-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Cleveland, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Cleveland. The closest is Cleveland State University in Cleveland, OH (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lorain County Community College (20.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Cleveland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($77,200), Social Worker, All Other ($68,100), Healthcare Social Worker ($66,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Garfield Heights instead of Cleveland?

Garfield Heights, OH is 5.6 miles from Cleveland 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 Cleveland an affordable place to study social work?

Cleveland’s median household income of $39,187 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cleveland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Cleveland

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

Data verified: September 6, 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 Social Work Schools in Ohio: Online Programs (2026)