Best Social Work Schools Near Kennewick, WA (2026)

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

Kennewick, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs, with tuition ranging from $20,928 to $31,209 per year for indexed programs. Kennewick has a population of about 84,389. Median household income is $72,867 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning social work-related role is Social Worker, All Other at a median $102,520 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Kennewick

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

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA 38.9 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,885
Avg net price $23,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA 59.6 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,416
Avg net price $14,598/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,928
Out‑of‑state$20,928
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 116.7 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,897
Avg net price $13,886/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,586
Out‑of‑state$25,959
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 113

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 168.1 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 169.3 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 170.7 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $10,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 177.6 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 178.8 miles from Kennewick
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Kennewick

Kennewick is part of the Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area (BLS area code 28420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $69,960 Kennewick-Richland, WA $69,890
Healthcare Social Worker $78,360 Kennewick-Richland, WA $78,282
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $59,230 Kennewick-Richland, WA $59,171
Social Worker, All Other $102,520 WA statewide $102,418
Social and Community Service Manager $96,470 Kennewick-Richland, WA $96,374
Social and Human Service Assistant $47,790 Kennewick-Richland, WA $47,742
Community Health Worker $49,830 Kennewick-Richland, WA $49,780

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.

Kennewick at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 84,389 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $72,867 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Benton County 4,147 workers, 265 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Kennewick-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs near Kennewick. The closest is Walla Walla University in College Place, WA (38.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Heritage University (59.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Kennewick are: Social Worker, All Other ($102,520), Social and Community Service Manager ($96,470), Healthcare Social Worker ($78,360). 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 Pasco instead of Kennewick?

Pasco, WA is 4.2 miles from Kennewick 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 Kennewick an affordable place to study social work?

Kennewick’s median household income of $72,867 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kennewick 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 Kennewick

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

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 Washington: Online Programs (2026)