Best Social Work Schools Near Alexandria, VA (2026)

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

Alexandria, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $35,810 to $54,630 per year for indexed programs. Alexandria has a population of about 156,788. Median household income is $113,638 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 65.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $101,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Alexandria

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

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 11.9 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Union University

Richmond, VA 89.0 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,275
Avg net price $13,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 89.9 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 99.8 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 99.9 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA 110.9 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $15,840/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA 116.7 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,427
Avg net price $12,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA 125.5 miles from Alexandria
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,509
Avg net price $23,015/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,828
Out‑of‑state$31,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 26

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

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

Social Work Wages Near Alexandria

Alexandria is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $75,550 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $69,376
Healthcare Social Worker $80,710 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $74,114
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $78,210 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $71,818
Social Worker, All Other $93,220 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $85,601
Social and Community Service Manager $101,240 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $92,966
Social and Human Service Assistant $48,370 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $44,417
Community Health Worker $58,790 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $53,985

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.

Alexandria at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 156,788 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $113,638 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 65.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Alexandria (city) County 1,721 workers, 212 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Alexandria-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Alexandria, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Alexandria. The closest is Gallaudet University in Washington, DC (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Mason University (11.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Alexandria are: Social and Community Service Manager ($101,240), Social Worker, All Other ($93,220), Healthcare Social Worker ($80,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Washington instead of Alexandria?

Washington, DC is 7.0 miles from Alexandria 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 Alexandria an affordable place to study social work?

Alexandria’s median household income of $113,638 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alexandria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Alexandria

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

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 Virginia: Online Programs (2026)