University of Houston-Downtown
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Social Work Programs in Houston, TX (2026)
Houston, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $2,166 to $12,050 per year for indexed programs. Houston has a population of about 2,300,419. Median household income is $62,894 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $82,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Social Work Schools to Houston
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Houston. Distances are calculated from Houston 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 Houston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Texas Southern University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Houston
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Lee College
Published tuition$2,166 - $12,050
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Texas schools on the Texas social work page.
Social Work Wages Near Houston
Houston is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (BLS area code 26420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker | $56,670 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $57,475 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $71,900 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $72,921 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $48,880 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $49,574 |
| Social Worker, All Other | $82,610 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $83,783 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $76,780 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $77,870 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $46,100 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,755 |
| Community Health Worker | $50,330 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $51,045 |
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.
Houston at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,300,419 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $62,894 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 36.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Social Work-related employment in Harris County | 38,510 workers, 4,663 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Houston-Area Cities With Social Work Programs
- Pearland, TX – 16.4 mi away (113,570 pop)
- Pasadena, TX – 17.1 mi away (153,351 pop)
- Missouri City, TX – 17.7 mi away (74,561 pop)
- Deer Park, TX – 18.0 mi away (33,782 pop)
- Sugar Land, TX – 19.3 mi away (88,177 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited social work schools are near Houston, TX?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Houston. The closest is University of Houston-Downtown in Houston, TX (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lee College (25.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying social work roles near Houston?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Houston are: Social Worker, All Other ($82,610), Social and Community Service Manager ($76,780), Healthcare Social Worker ($71,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Pearland instead of Houston?
Pearland, TX is 16.4 miles from Houston 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 Houston an affordable place to study social work?
Houston’s median household income of $62,894 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Houston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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
- Social Work accreditation: what to look for
- Social Work concentrations and specializations
- Is a Social Work degree worth it?
- Main Social Work degree guide
- Online Social Work programs in Texas
- Social Work programs by state
Other Programs Available in Houston
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Houston:
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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.