Best Social Work Schools Near Plum, PA (2026)

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

Plum, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $35,874 to $61,261 per year for indexed programs. Plum has a population of about 26,873. Median household income is $98,475 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $87,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Plum

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

Chatham University

Pittsburgh, PA 10.0 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
55.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 62%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,410
Avg net price $29,954/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,626
Out‑of‑state$44,626
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 11.4 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 239

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, PA 12.1 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 87%
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,051
Avg net price $20,786/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,874
Out‑of‑state$35,874
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, PA 16.7 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,748
Avg net price $22,204/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA 31.1 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,295
Avg net price $18,256/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, PA 41.7 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,032
Avg net price $19,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Grove City College

Grove City, PA 48.4 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA 58.3 miles from Plum
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,101
Avg net price $23,526/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

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 Plum

Plum is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). 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 $49,800 Pittsburgh, PA $52,587
Healthcare Social Worker $60,430 Pittsburgh, PA $63,812
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $47,100 Pittsburgh, PA $49,736
Social Worker, All Other $87,800 Pittsburgh, PA $92,714
Social and Community Service Manager $74,170 Pittsburgh, PA $78,321
Social and Human Service Assistant $43,970 Pittsburgh, PA $46,431
Community Health Worker $49,940 Pittsburgh, PA $52,735

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.

Plum at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,873 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $98,475 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 43.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Allegheny County 25,608 workers, 1,986 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Plum-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Plum. The closest is Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA (10.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Seton Hill University (16.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Plum are: Social Worker, All Other ($87,800), Social and Community Service Manager ($74,170), Healthcare Social Worker ($60,430). 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 Monroeville instead of Plum?

Monroeville, PA is 5.3 miles from Plum 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 Plum an affordable place to study social work?

Plum’s median household income of $98,475 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Plum 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 Plum

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

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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