Human services programs in Massachusetts

10 human services programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

6 schools offer these human services programs, and Massachusetts has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Social and human service assistants help clients in fields such as psychology, rehabilitation and social work. Most need at least a high school diploma and learn on the job, though some employers prefer an associate's or bachelor's degree in human services or a related field.¹

In Massachusetts, all 10 programs take students without a high school diploma.

By kind, the 10 programs here are human services certificate (5 programs) and human services or social work (associate degree, 5 programs).

See the 10 programs

How much do human services programs cost in Massachusetts?

Two-year degrees (5 programs): $12,915 to $24,520all 4 with a price, usually 60 to 80 weeks long
Other human services programs (5 programs): $6,020 to $7,470most of them, usually 30 to 36 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program: Not reported; None of the 10 programs report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; None of the 10 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; None of the 10 programs report it
Length: 35 to 74 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Massachusetts may also offer human services programs. How these figures are made

Are there free human services programs in Massachusetts?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Two-year degrees here cost $12,915 to $24,520.Other human services programs here mostly cost $6,020 to $7,470.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 10 human services programs in Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding

10 programs

Human services certificateIn personNo diploma needed
Human Services Certificate
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Quinsigamond Community College, WorcesterHuman services certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$5,697
Program website, Human Services Certificate at Quinsigamond Community College
More details about Human Services Certificate at Quinsigamond Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
30 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$7,293
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$5,697
Program website, Human Services Certificate at Quinsigamond Community College
Human services certificateIn personNo diploma needed
Human Services Certificate
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Holyoke Community College, HolyokeHuman services certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,020
School website, Human Services Certificate at Holyoke Community College
More details about Human Services Certificate at Holyoke Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
37 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$4,000
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,020
School website, Human Services Certificate at Holyoke Community College
Human services certificateOnlineNo diploma needed
Professional Careers in the Human Services
YMCA of Greater Boston
Based in Boston, MA
No diploma needed
YMCA of Greater Boston, based in Boston, MAHuman services certificateOnline · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$6,500
School website, Professional Careers in the Human Services at YMCA of Greater Boston
More details about Professional Careers in the Human Services at YMCA of Greater Boston
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
28 weeks, 30 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$6,500
School website, Professional Careers in the Human Services at YMCA of Greater Boston
Human services certificateOnlineNo diploma needed
Social Work Certificate Program
Quincy College
Based in Quincy, MA
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Quincy College, based in Quincy, MAHuman services certificate · Accredited schoolOnline · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,470
Program website, Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
More details about Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
35 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,470
Program website, Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
Human services certificateIn personNo diploma needed
Social Work Certificate Program
Quincy College
Quincy
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Quincy College, QuincyHuman services certificate · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$7,470
Program website, Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
More details about Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
36 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$7,470
Program website, Social Work Certificate Program at Quincy College
Human services or social work (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Human Services Associates Degree
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Quinsigamond Community College, WorcesterHuman services or social work (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$12,915
Program website, Human Services Associates Degree at Quinsigamond Community College
More details about Human Services Associates Degree at Quinsigamond Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
60 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$15,813
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$12,915
Program website, Human Services Associates Degree at Quinsigamond Community College
Human services or social work (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Human Services AS Degree
Northern Essex Community College
Haverhill
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Northern Essex Community College, HaverhillHuman services or social work (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$13,356
Program website, Human Services AS Degree at Northern Essex Community College
More details about Human Services AS Degree at Northern Essex Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
60 weeks, 23 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$10,619
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$13,356
Program website, Human Services AS Degree at Northern Essex Community College
Human services or social work (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Human Services AS Degree Program
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Holyoke Community College, HolyokeHuman services or social work (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$14,500
Program website, Human Services AS Degree Program at Holyoke Community College
More details about Human Services AS Degree Program at Holyoke Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
80 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$8,000
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$14,500
Program website, Human Services AS Degree Program at Holyoke Community College
Human services or social work (associate degree)OnlineNo diploma needed
Associates Degree- Human Services
Quincy College
Based in Quincy, MA
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Quincy College, based in Quincy, MAHuman services or social work (associate degree) · Accredited schoolOnline · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$24,520
Program website, Associates Degree- Human Services at Quincy College
More details about Associates Degree- Human Services at Quincy College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
78 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$24,520
Program website, Associates Degree- Human Services at Quincy College
Human services or social work (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Human Services Associate Degree
Bristol Community College
Fall River
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Bristol Community College, Fall RiverHuman services or social work (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourselfLeft out
Program website, Human Services Associate Degree at Bristol Community College
More details about Human Services Associate Degree at Bristol Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
90 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
Not reported
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
Left out
Program website, Human Services Associate Degree at Bristol Community College

How to pay for human services programs in Massachusetts

WIOA funding can pay for human services programs in Massachusetts

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for human services programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for human services programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Human services programs in Massachusetts

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 7th of 17
human services programs here, against the typical state's 4: 10 vs 4

State comparisons use the same figures as the human services programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Human services programs in Worcester, Springfield, Boston and other Massachusetts cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 3 programs are online.

Other training in Massachusetts

How human services programs compare with the rest of education and social services: Child care and social services training in Massachusetts

Where the Massachusetts human services program numbers come from

Which Massachusetts human services programs are on this list?

These are the human services programs Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Massachusetts offers.

How the prices and results of Massachusetts human services programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about human services programs in Massachusetts

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources

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Education and social services

Human services programs in Massachusetts

How much do human services programs cost in Massachusetts?

Are there free human services programs in Massachusetts?

All 10 human services programs in Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding

Human Services Certificate

Human Services Certificate

Professional Careers in the Human Services

Social Work Certificate Program