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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

34 Ranked Colleges
2,381 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 57,618 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. 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 Southwest region, there were 6,090 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,551 and $25,822 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,381 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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 Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #1 spot on the list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 121 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Woman’s University landed the #2 spot on the list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, TWU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TWU is $6,706 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Texas Woman’s University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 64 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $8,521 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of North Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 68 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin

#5

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 41 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend NSU is $7,614 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NSU Social Work Report

#6

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $7,703 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full MSU Texas Social Work Report

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas Tech University is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech Social Work Report

#8

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #8, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Angelo State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Angelo State.

Read full report on Social Work at Angelo State

#9

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Texas State is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 111 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $11,125 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Texas State University

Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

SFASU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $8,650 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University Social Work Report

With a ranking of #11, University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH Clear Lake is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at UH Clear Lake

#12

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, NAU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Northern Arizona University

#13

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

With a ranking of #13, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lamar University is located in Beaumont, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Lamar University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Lamar University is $9,200 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Lamar University

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 36 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UTEP Social Work Report

With a ranking of #15, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,896 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Full NMSU Main Campus Social Work Report

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 234 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Arlington has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $11,811 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at UT Arlington

#17

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ada, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $7,787 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at ECU

University of Houston - Downtown ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH Downtown is a fairly large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 56 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UH Downtown has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,065 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH Downtown.

Read more about Social Work at University of Houston - Downtown

Texas A&M University - Kingsville came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Kingsville, Texas, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Kingsville also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Kingsville is $11,105 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Texas A&M Kingsville

Texas A&M University - Commerce landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M University - Commerce is a fairly large school located in Commerce, Texas that handed out 54 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Commerce is $10,013 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Texas A&M University - Commerce

#21

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico
#9 in overall quality

Western New Mexico University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western New Mexico University is located in Silver City, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Western New Mexico University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Western New Mexico University is $12,306 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Western New Mexico University

#22

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

With a ranking of #22, West Texas A&M University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Canyon, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

West Texas A&M University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,730 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend West Texas A&M University.

Read full report on Social Work at West Texas A&M University

#23

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tarleton State University is located in Stephenville, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Tarleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tarleton is $15,604 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Tarleton State University Social Work Report

#24

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. PVAMU is a medium-sized public school situated in Prairie View, Texas. It awarded 47 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,291 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend PVAMU.

Read full report on Social Work at PVAMU

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $16,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

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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.

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