Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

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

8 Ranked Colleges
129 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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 Plains States region, there were 4,575 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,827 and $29,452 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 129 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,701 and $106,703 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 8 colleges that offer a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 8 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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 #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at WUSTL

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN 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.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at UMN Twin Cities

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 2 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Social Work Report

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 8 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 1 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa are $27,613, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at Iowa

#5

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Capella University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Capella University are $14,767, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Capella University Social Work Report

#6

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

Saint Louis University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Louis University is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 2 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SLU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Saint Louis University are $22,074, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SLU Social Work Report

#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#7 in overall quality

University of Kansas landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, KU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Kansas are $25,007.

Full University of Kansas Social Work Report

#8

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

University of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 15 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of St Thomas Minnesota are $24,814, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at University of St Thomas Minnesota

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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

Featured Social Work Schools

Find Schools Near You