2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Social Work is the 12th most popular major in the country with 57,618 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,459 and had an average of $30,084 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,171 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,708 and $29,897 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,358 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 92 colleges that offer a degree in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 71 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Social Work at Ohio State University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 43 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Northwest landed the #5 spot on the list. IU Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 30 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Northwest is $3,287 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - Northwest
University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - River Falls also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Social Work Report
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Social Work Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Ferris State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferris is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferris.
Ball State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 70 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State University.
Indiana University - South Bend ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.
Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - South Bend
University of Southern Indiana ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.
Indiana University - East landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU East is $3,622 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,868 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Superior is a public institution located in Superior, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Superior also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Superior is $9,288 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Purdue University Northwest ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Read full report on Social Work at Purdue University Northwest
Oakland University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Grand Valley State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
GVSU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #23, University of Michigan - Flint did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Flint is a medium-sized public school situated in Flint, Michigan. It awarded 30 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,955 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UM Flint.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Michigan - Flint
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University
Viterbo University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Viterbo, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Viterbo University is $13,538 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.
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