Best Social Work Schools Near Lancaster, PA (2026)

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

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lancaster, PA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $77,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, PA 2.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,096
Avg net price $25,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). 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 $51,130 Lancaster, PA $52,014
Healthcare Social Worker $62,300 Lancaster, PA $63,377
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $46,680 Lancaster, PA $47,487
Social Worker, All Other $61,610 Lancaster, PA $62,675
Social and Community Service Manager $77,390 Lancaster, PA $78,728
Social and Human Service Assistant $44,070 Lancaster, PA $44,832
Community Health Worker $50,710 PA statewide $51,587

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,683 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,421 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Lancaster County 7,662 workers, 505 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Lancaster. The closest is Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Reading Area Community College (28.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Lancaster are: Social and Community Service Manager ($77,390), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,300), Social Worker, All Other ($61,610). 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 Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study social work?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 Lancaster

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

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 Pennsylvania (2026)