Best Social Work Schools Near Erie, PA (2026)

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

Erie, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $8,831 to $25,879 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Erie, PA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $84,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Erie

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

Gannon University

Erie, PA 1.1 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,845
Avg net price $22,553/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA 1.3 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,452
Avg net price $19,444/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). 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 $44,810 Erie, PA $49,242
Healthcare Social Worker $60,390 Erie, PA $66,363
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $48,290 PA statewide $53,066
Social Worker, All Other $84,990 Erie, PA $93,396
Social and Community Service Manager $66,520 Erie, PA $73,099
Social and Human Service Assistant $39,710 Erie, PA $43,637
Community Health Worker $50,710 PA statewide $55,725

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.

Erie at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Erie County 7,650 workers, 524 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Erie-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Erie. The closest is Gannon University in Erie, PA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (72.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Erie are: Social Worker, All Other ($84,990), Social and Community Service Manager ($66,520), Healthcare Social Worker ($60,390). 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 Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study social work?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie 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 Erie

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

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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