Best Social Work Schools Near State College, PA (2026)

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

State College, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $74,430 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to State College

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

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA 21.8 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,918
Avg net price $23,988/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA 45.5 miles from State College
  • 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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#3

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 53.6 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,351
Avg net price $23,726/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 63.3 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,064
Avg net price $26,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 75.1 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 79.9 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,399
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, PA 95.3 miles from State College
  • 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

#8

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 96.0 miles from State College
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,246
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 63

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 State College

State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). 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 $45,460 State College, PA $46,963
Healthcare Social Worker $62,380 State College, PA $64,442
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $48,290 PA statewide $49,886
Social Worker, All Other $74,430 PA statewide $76,890
Social and Community Service Manager $69,450 State College, PA $71,746
Social and Human Service Assistant $41,710 State College, PA $43,089
Community Health Worker $50,710 PA statewide $52,386

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.

State College at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,669 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Centre County 1,291 workers, 174 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other State College-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near State College, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near State College. The closest is Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA (21.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (63.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying social work roles near State College?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near State College are: Social Worker, All Other ($74,430), Social and Community Service Manager ($69,450), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,380). 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 Lewistown instead of State College?

Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study social work?

State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College

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

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)