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2024 Best Social Work Schools in the Southwest Region

38 Colleges in the Southwest Region
6,330 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$36,059 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in social work, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #13 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 38 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Social Work Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 6,330 degrees in social work to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Work School

Best Social Work Schools in the Southwest Region Your choice of social work school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Social Work School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Social Work Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Work
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Work
Master's Degrees in Social Work
Doctor's Degrees in Social Work

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Social Work Schools in the Southwest Region list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Social Work in the Southwest Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the social work degree levels they offer.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Social Work

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$40,109 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in social work. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 221 social work students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Social Work degree recipients from The University of Texas at Austin get an earnings boost of around $4,049 over the typical income of social work majors.

More information about a degree in social work from The University of Texas at Austin

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
453 Social Work Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in social work needs to take a look at Arizona State University - Tempe. ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 453 social work students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social work major at Arizona State University - Tempe get $4,941 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in social work from Arizona State University - Tempe

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$47,309 Median Starting Salary

Texas Christian University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in social work. Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 47 social work students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Social Work degree recipients from Texas Christian University get an earnings boost of about $11,250 over the typical income of social work graduates.

More information about a degree in social work from Texas Christian University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
852 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$37,889 Median Starting Salary

The University of Texas at Arlington is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in social work. Located in the large city of Arlington, UT Arlington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #290 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Arlington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 852 social work students who graduated with this degree at UT Arlington in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program report average early career income of $37,889.

More information about a degree in social work from The University of Texas at Arlington

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
277 Social Work Degrees Awarded
27.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #140 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were about 277 social work students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients usually earn about $37,892 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$41,479 Median Starting Salary

Baylor is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Waco. A Best Colleges rank of #123 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.

There were about 186 social work students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social work program at Baylor University get $5,420 more than the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in social work from Baylor University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
364 Social Work Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #272 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Grand Canyon University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 364 social work students who graduated with this degree at Grand Canyon University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients generally earn about $35,775 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social work from Grand Canyon University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Social Work Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #278 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means NAU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 221 social work students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the social work program make an average of $33,882 for their early career.

More information about a degree in social work from Northern Arizona University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
248 Social Work Degrees Awarded
6.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Houston, UH is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #211 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UH is a great university overall.

There were about 248 social work students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent data year. Social Work degree recipients from University of Houston receive an earnings boost of approximately $9,847 over the typical income of social work majors.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Houston

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
330 Social Work Degrees Awarded
14.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Edinburg, UT Rio Grande Valley is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 21st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 330 social work students who graduated with this degree at UT Rio Grande Valley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program state that they receive average early career income of $38,014.

More information about a degree in social work from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Best Social Work Colleges by State

Explore the best social work schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Texas3174,142
Arizona2871,284
Oklahoma257335
New Mexico219351

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the <nil> area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Social Work Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Social Work6,294
Other Social Work24
Child Advocacy & Policy12

View All Social Work Focus Areas >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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