Best Social Work Schools Near Allentown, PA (2026)

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

Allentown, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $46,314 to $57,206 per year for indexed programs. Allentown has a population of about 125,320. Median household income is $53,403 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Allentown

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

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA 2.4 miles from Allentown
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,460
Avg net price $18,659/yr
Tuition
In‑state$46,314
Out‑of‑state$46,314
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Allentown

Allentown is part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area (BLS area code 10900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $56,940 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $56,940
Healthcare Social Worker $64,390 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $64,390
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $55,840 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $55,840
Social Worker, All Other $52,690 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $52,690
Social and Community Service Manager $75,150 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $75,150
Social and Human Service Assistant $46,040 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $46,040
Community Health Worker $58,180 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $58,180

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.

Allentown at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 125,320 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $53,403 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.0 (at U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Lehigh County 8,255 workers, 441 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Allentown-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Allentown, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Allentown. The closest is Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Reading Area Community College (30.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Allentown are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,150), Healthcare Social Worker ($64,390), Community Health Worker ($58,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bethlehem instead of Allentown?

Bethlehem, PA is 6.0 miles from Allentown 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 Allentown an affordable place to study social work?

Allentown’s median household income of $53,403 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Allentown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Allentown

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

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.

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