Best Social Work Schools Near Roanoke, VA (2026)

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

Roanoke, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Roanoke has a population of about 98,677. Median household income is $52,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Roanoke, VA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $97,060 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Roanoke

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

Ferrum College

Ferrum, VA 24.6 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $20,082/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Radford University

Radford, VA 34.0 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,739
Avg net price $14,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 42.9 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA 77.6 miles from Roanoke
  • 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

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#5

Longwood University

Farmville, VA 85.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,347
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 99.6 miles from Roanoke
  • 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

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#7

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 101.2 miles from Roanoke
  • 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

#8

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 138.8 miles from Roanoke
  • 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

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

Social Work Wages Near Roanoke

Roanoke is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). 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 $49,230 Roanoke, VA $52,596
Healthcare Social Worker $60,430 Roanoke, VA $64,562
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $58,320 Roanoke, VA $62,308
Social Worker, All Other $97,060 Roanoke, VA $103,697
Social and Community Service Manager $81,440 Roanoke, VA $87,009
Social and Human Service Assistant $37,490 Roanoke, VA $40,053
Community Health Worker $48,910 VA statewide $52,254

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.

Roanoke at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 98,677 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,671 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Roanoke (city) County 1,372 workers, 466 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Roanoke-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Roanoke. The closest is Ferrum College in Ferrum, VA (24.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mary Baldwin University (77.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Roanoke are: Social Worker, All Other ($97,060), Social and Community Service Manager ($81,440), Healthcare Social Worker ($60,430). 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 Salem instead of Roanoke?

Salem, VA is 5.4 miles from Roanoke 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 Roanoke an affordable place to study social work?

Roanoke’s median household income of $52,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Roanoke 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 Roanoke

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

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)