2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 640 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 70 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work programs, but they also 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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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Pennsylvania
Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Social Work at University of California - Berkeley
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Social Work Report
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194.
Florida International University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida International University are $24,211, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Social Work at Florida International University
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.
Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Los Angeles
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845.
Florida State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State University are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.
Read full report on Social Work at Michigan State University
With a ranking of #15, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Georgia landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UGA are $27,476.
Smith College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Smith are $53,940, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013.
University of Southern California ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 152 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Southern California are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Social Work at University of Southern California
Boston University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
Boston U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston U are $57,666, but some majors have different tuition rates.
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Knoxville also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville are $31,798, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Social Work at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 6 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Tulane are $61,176.
University of Utah ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 5 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at U of U are $24,695, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
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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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