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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

25 Ranked Colleges
2,654 Degrees Awarded
$13,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Illinois, there were 2,654 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,589 and $33,608 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 210 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Work at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 232 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois 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 94%. 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%.

Full UIUC Social Work Report

#3

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Land College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Mattoon, Illinois, this small public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lake Land College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Land College is $2,857 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Lake Land College

#4

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Illinois College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Belleville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, SWIC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwestern Illinois College is $5,506 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at SWIC

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 248 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 67 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 92 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $10,872 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full GSU Social Work Report

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 642 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $14,103 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Aurora Social Work Report

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WIU Social Work Report

#10

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $9,771 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at UIS

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 78 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Illinois State Social Work Report

With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 138 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Social Work Report

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Social Work at Bradley

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University

#15

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full University of St Francis Social Work Report

#16

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Augustine College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

St. Augustine College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,691 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Augustine College.

Read more about Social Work at St. Augustine College

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Social Work at Dominican U

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millikin University is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Millikin has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $17,656 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Millikin Social Work Report

#19

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Olivet Nazarene

#20

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,178 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at National Louis University

#21

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,507 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Chicago State University Social Work Report

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $14,097 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Social Work Report

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Palos Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,611 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity Christian College.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Work at Trinity Christian College

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 310 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Work at Loyola Chicago

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for illinois social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University Social Work Report

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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