Best Online Social Work Programs in Cookeville, TN (2026)

Cookeville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $29,264 to $36,828 per year for indexed programs. Cookeville has a population of about 35,544. Median household income is $48,501 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% 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 Cookeville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Cookeville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cookeville 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 Cookeville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 51.8 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 64.5 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 52.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 70.8 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 48.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 71.7 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 61.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 72.0 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN 73.4 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 34.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,730
Avg net price $15,796/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 77.0 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 54.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN 80.3 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 45.6
  • 4 year
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: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Cookeville

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$56,310
Healthcare Social Worker$61,240
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$46,500
Social Worker, All Other$51,460
Social and Community Service Manager$88,240
Social and Human Service Assistant$40,310
Community Health Worker$42,310

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.


Cookeville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,501Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Social Work-related employment in Putnam County1,222 workers, 156 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cookeville-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Cookeville are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying social work roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles in Tennessee are: Social and Community Service Manager ($88,240), Healthcare Social Worker ($61,240), Child, Family, and School Social Worker ($56,310). Wages for Cookeville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Cookeville?

Lebanon, TN is 46.7 miles from Cookeville 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 Cookeville an affordable place to study social work?

Cookeville’s median household income of $48,501 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cookeville 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 Cookeville

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.