Best Social Work Schools Near York, PA (2026)

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

York, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. York has a population of about 44,830. Median household income is $47,115 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.1% 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 York

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

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA 14.7 miles from York
  • 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

#2

Messiah University

Mechanicsburg, PA 19.0 miles from York
  • 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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#3

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA 20.0 miles from York
  • 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

#4

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, PA 24.7 miles from York
  • 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

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#5

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA 42.3 miles from York
  • 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

#6

Alvernia University

Reading, PA 48.3 miles from York
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,055
Avg net price $28,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA 60.0 miles from York
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,258
Avg net price $23,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Immaculata University

Immaculata, PA 61.6 miles from York
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,701
Avg net price $24,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 45

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 York

York is part of the York-Hanover, PA metro area (BLS area code 49620). 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 $52,850 York-Hanover, PA $55,052
Healthcare Social Worker $62,690 York-Hanover, PA $65,302
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $45,050 York-Hanover, PA $46,927
Social Worker, All Other $74,430 PA statewide $77,531
Social and Community Service Manager $63,570 York-Hanover, PA $66,219
Social and Human Service Assistant $41,580 York-Hanover, PA $43,312
Community Health Worker $49,410 York-Hanover, PA $51,469

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.

York at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,830 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,115 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in York County 4,731 workers, 478 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other York-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near York. The closest is Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA (14.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lancaster Bible College (24.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near York are: Social Worker, All Other ($74,430), Social and Community Service Manager ($63,570), Healthcare Social Worker ($62,690). 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 Hanover instead of York?

Hanover, PA is 17.0 miles from York 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 York an affordable place to study social work?

York’s median household income of $47,115 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in York 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 York

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

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)