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

Scranton, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $6,450 to $52,673 per year for indexed programs. Scranton has a population of about 76,074. Median household income is $49,531 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,710 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Scranton

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

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 Scranton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Marywood University

Scranton, PA 2.5 miles from Scranton BOC Score64.3
Published tuition$39,570 - $52,673
Online programsYes

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#2

Misericordia University

Dallas, PA 16.7 miles from Scranton BOC Score58.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Luzerne County Community College

Nanticoke, PA 22.3 miles from Scranton BOC Score43.0
Published tuition$6,450 - $15,810
Online programsYes

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#4

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, PA 38.0 miles from Scranton BOC Score51.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 49.4 miles from Scranton BOC Score56.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Social Work Wages Near Scranton

Scranton is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$45,820Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$48,953
Healthcare Social Worker$61,590Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$65,801
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$45,670Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$48,793
Social Worker, All Other$61,230Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$65,417
Social and Community Service Manager$75,710Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$80,887
Social and Human Service Assistant$42,310Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$45,203
Community Health Worker$49,660Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$53,056

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.


Scranton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,074Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,531Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Lackawanna County4,886 workers, 276 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Scranton-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Scranton. The closest is Marywood University in Scranton, PA (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (49.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Scranton are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,710), Healthcare Social Worker ($61,590), Social Worker, All Other ($61,230). 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 Wilkes-Barre instead of Scranton?

Wilkes-Barre, PA is 15.4 miles from Scranton 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 Scranton an affordable place to study social work?

Scranton’s median household income of $49,531 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Scranton 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 Scranton

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

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.