Best Social Work Schools Near Cleveland, TN (2026)

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

Cleveland, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Cleveland has a population of about 48,185. Median household income is $55,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $88,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Cleveland

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

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 13.8 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,723
Avg net price $24,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 24.1 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 26.0 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 75.2 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 143

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 95.6 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN 117.9 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,956
Avg net price $20,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 124.8 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 125.7 miles from Cleveland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Cleveland

Cleveland is part of the Cleveland, TN metro area (BLS area code 17420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $58,020 Cleveland, TN $65,857
Healthcare Social Worker $58,240 Cleveland, TN $66,107
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $49,850 Cleveland, TN $56,583
Social Worker, All Other $51,460 TN statewide $58,411
Social and Community Service Manager $88,240 TN statewide $100,159
Social and Human Service Assistant $38,170 Cleveland, TN $43,326
Community Health Worker $42,310 TN statewide $48,025

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.

Cleveland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 48,185 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,904 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Bradley County 1,079 workers, 131 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cleveland-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Cleveland, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Cleveland. The closest is Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN (13.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgia Northwestern Technical College (68.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Cleveland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($88,240), Healthcare Social Worker ($58,240), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($58,020). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chattanooga instead of Cleveland?

Chattanooga, TN is 22.8 miles from Cleveland 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 Cleveland an affordable place to study social work?

Cleveland’s median household income of $55,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cleveland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Cleveland

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

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 Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)