2027 Best Value Clinical/Medical Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Clinical/Medical Social Work](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/clinical-medical-social-work/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical/medical social work students.
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2027 Best Value Clinical/Medical Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical/medical social work, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical/Medical Social Work Schools
Leading the list is Ivy Tech Community College, our #1 best value for clinical/medical social work in the Great Lakes Region. Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. Students from in state pay about $5,154 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,935. Students borrow a median of $16,067 to complete the clinical/medical social work program here. Clinical/medical Social Work graduates of Ivy Tech Community College earn a median of $29,954 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in clinical/medical social work will find it at Indiana State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,258, while out-of-state students pay about $22,322. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the clinical/medical social work program here. Clinical/medical Social Work graduates of Indiana State University earn a median of $43,930 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Southern Indiana earned it the #3 place for clinical/medical social work. University Of Southern Indiana is a large public school located in the suburb of Evansville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,066, while out-of-state students pay about $22,907. Typical student debt for clinical/medical social work graduates is $21,999. Clinical/medical Social Work graduates of University Of Southern Indiana earn a median of $48,165 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,999 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.
University Of Akron Main Campus came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value clinical/medical social work schools. University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Akron. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,135, while out-of-state students pay about $20,815. Typical student debt for clinical/medical social work graduates is $25,347. Soon after graduation, clinical/medical social work degree recipients from University Of Akron Main Campus generally make around $45,096. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
A rank of #5 makes Western Michigan University one of the best values for clinical/medical social work. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Students from in state pay about $15,987 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Students borrow a median of $27,981 to complete the clinical/medical social work program here. Clinical/medical Social Work graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $42,266 early in their careers. Set against $27,981 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Michigan State University landed the #6 spot for clinical/medical social work value this year. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. Clinical/medical Social Work graduates carry a median of $25,213 in student loans. Early-career clinical/medical social work graduates make about $53,352. That is a strong return on a $25,213 median debt. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
University Of Indianapolis came in at #7 for value in clinical/medical social work this year. University Of Indianapolis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Indianapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,200. Students borrow a median of $26,699 to complete the clinical/medical social work program here. Early-career clinical/medical social work graduates make about $52,298. Set against $26,699 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Indianapolis admits about 66% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.