Best Social Work Schools Near Parkersburg, WV (2026)

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

Parkersburg, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs. Parkersburg has a population of about 29,461. Median household income is $44,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area, the top-earning social work-related role is Healthcare Social Worker at a median $63,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Social Work Schools to Parkersburg

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

West Virginia State University

Institute, WV 62.1 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,492
Avg net price $11,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

West Virginia Northern Community College

Wheeling, WV 70.5 miles from Parkersburg
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $30,162
Avg net price $5,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Marshall University

Huntington, WV 75.1 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,354
Avg net price $7,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

West Liberty University

West Liberty, WV 79.9 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,296
Avg net price $15,366/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Bethany College

Bethany, WV 83.5 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,512
Avg net price $18,605/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 88.5 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $15,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Concord University

Athens, WV 130.3 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,703
Avg net price $9,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV 200.0 miles from Parkersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,358
Avg net price $11,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Social Work Wages Near Parkersburg

Parkersburg is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area (BLS area code 37620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Child, Family, and School Social Worker $52,220 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $59,954
Healthcare Social Worker $63,460 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $72,859
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $50,070 WV statewide $57,486
Social Worker, All Other $62,590 WV statewide $71,860
Social and Community Service Manager $61,370 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $70,459
Social and Human Service Assistant $37,990 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV $43,617
Community Health Worker $37,950 WV statewide $43,571

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.

Parkersburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,461 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $44,675 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Social Work-related employment in Wood County 1,462 workers, 224 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Parkersburg-Area Cities With Social Work Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited social work schools are near Parkersburg, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering social work programs near Parkersburg. The closest is Washington State College of Ohio in Marietta, OH (13.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ohio University-Zanesville Campus (54.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying social work-related roles near Parkersburg are: Healthcare Social Worker ($63,460), Social Worker, All Other ($62,590), Social and Community Service Manager ($61,370). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marietta instead of Parkersburg?

Marietta, OH is 12.3 miles from Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg an affordable place to study social work?

Parkersburg’s median household income of $44,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Parkersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West 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 Parkersburg

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

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.

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