Best Online Social Work Programs in Lancaster, SC (2026)

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $15,956 to $30,286 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Lancaster

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Lancaster. Distances are calculated from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC 20.5 miles from Lancaster BOC Score53.7
Published tuition$15,956 - $30,286
Online programsYes

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#2

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, NC 36.1 miles from Lancaster BOC Score33.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 40.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score72.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 49.1 miles from Lancaster BOC Score37.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 51.0 miles from Lancaster BOC Score16.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Social Work Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$60,950Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$62,641
Healthcare Social Worker$66,410Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$68,253
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$58,090Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$59,702
Social Worker, All Other$69,300Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$71,223
Social and Community Service Manager$79,990Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$82,210
Social and Human Service Assistant$43,480Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$44,687
Community Health Worker$49,920Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$51,305

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.


Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population8,738Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Lancaster County569 workers, 87 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Lancaster. The closest is Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC (20.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Benedict College (51.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Lancaster are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,990), Social Worker, All Other ($69,300), Healthcare Social Worker ($66,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study social work?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Lancaster

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

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.