Best Online Social Work Programs in Philadelphia, PA (2026)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $19,964 to $39,799 per year for indexed programs. Philadelphia has a population of about 1,582,432. Median household income is $60,698 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $80,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Philadelphia

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

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

Social Work Wages Near Philadelphia

Philadelphia is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania 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.

Philadelphia at a Glance

Other Philadelphia-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

• Camden, NJ – 5.1 mi away (74,420 pop)
• Norristown, PA – 13.5 mi away (34,370 pop)
• Chester, PA – 16.9 mi away (33,988 pop)
• Trenton, NJ – 24.6 mi away (293,697 pop)
• Wilmington, DE – 28.2 mi away (71,442 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Philadelphia. The closest is Temple University in Philadelphia, PA (1.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Manor College (5.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Philadelphia are: Social and Community Service Manager ($80,810), Social Worker, All Other ($80,660), Healthcare Social Worker ($65,990). 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 Camden instead of Philadelphia?

Camden, NJ is 5.1 miles from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia an affordable place to study social work?

Philadelphia’s median household income of $60,698 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Philadelphia 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

• 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 Pennsylvania
• Social Work programs by state

Other Programs Available in Philadelphia

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

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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.