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

Richland, Washington has 2 accredited schools offering social work programs. Richland has a population of about 61,912. Median household income is $92,550 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.0% 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 Richland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer social work programs near Richland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Richland 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 Richland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Walla Walla University

College Place, WA 46.3 miles from Richland BOC Score 67.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Heritage University

Toppenish, WA 52.9 miles from Richland BOC Score 50.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 17

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 116.3 miles from Richland BOC Score 59.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 63

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 160.7 miles from Richland BOC Score 73.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 161.3 miles from Richland BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 48

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA 163.0 miles from Richland BOC Score 83.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 171.1 miles from Richland BOC Score 89.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 173.7 miles from Richland BOC Score 70.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Social Work Wages Near Richland

Richland 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.

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


Richland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population61,912Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$92,550Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+46.0%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 County4,147 workers, 265 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Richland-Area Cities With Social Work Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering social work programs near Richland are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Richland 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 Kennewick instead of Richland?

Kennewick, WA is 8.2 miles from Richland 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 Richland an affordable place to study social work?

Richland’s median household income of $92,550 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richland 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 Richland

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.