Best Online Social Work Programs in Burien, WA (2026)

Burien, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Burien has a population of about 51,331. Median household income is $90,597 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $106,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Social Work Schools to Burien

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer social work programs near Burien. Distances are calculated from Burien 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 Burien. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 6.4 miles from Burien BOC Score68.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 12.5 miles from Burien BOC Score89.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 13.4 miles from Burien BOC Score70.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 16.6 miles from Burien BOC Score83.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 23.5 miles from Burien BOC Score73.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Social Work Wages Near Burien

Burien is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker$75,280Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$67,759
Healthcare Social Worker$83,550Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$75,203
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,350Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$70,522
Social Worker, All Other$105,570Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$95,023
Social and Community Service Manager$106,400Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$95,770
Social and Human Service Assistant$58,090Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$52,286
Community Health Worker$57,980Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$52,187

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.


Burien at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,331Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,597Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in King County49,558 workers, 2,489 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Burien-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Burien, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Burien. The closest is Highline College in Des Moines, WA (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pacific Lutheran University (23.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Burien are: Social and Community Service Manager ($106,400), Social Worker, All Other ($105,570), Healthcare Social Worker ($83,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in SeaTac instead of Burien?

SeaTac, WA is 2.9 miles from Burien 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 Burien an affordable place to study social work?

Burien’s median household income of $90,597 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Burien while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Burien

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

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.