2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
111
Ranked Colleges
11,649
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 58,326 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,651 and had an average of $26,679 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 11,649 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,366 and $28,905 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 111 colleges that offer 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social work program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in the Southeast 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 137 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Social Work Report
Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Atlantic University landed the #2 spot on the list. FAU is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 208 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FAU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $6,726 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Florida Atlantic University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 182 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
USF Tampa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Social Work Report
Out of the 111 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 101 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Florida State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,950 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Work at Florida State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida International University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
FIU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $3,196 for Southeast Region 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 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full FIU Social Work Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 240 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UGA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $8,303 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UGA Social Work Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 386 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $4,468 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Central Florida Social Work Report
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 168 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $7,283 for southeast region 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at North Carolina State University
Northern Kentucky University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, and it awarded 145 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $4,632 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Northern Kentucky University Social Work Report
The University of West Florida landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of West Florida is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 58 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,288 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UWF.
Full UWF Social Work Report
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 405 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UT Knoxville also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,433 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
With a ranking of #12, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 152 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Appalachian State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $7,354 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Appalachian State University Social Work Report
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a large school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 352 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Louisiana State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,318 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Social Work Report
Murray State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Murray State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Murray, Kentucky. It awarded 53 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Murray State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,339 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Murray State University.
Full Murray State Social Work Report
University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNC Greensboro is located in Greensboro, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 111 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Greensboro, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,645 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Full UNC Greensboro Social Work Report
Fayetteville State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Fayetteville State University is a public institution located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Fayetteville State University is $5,366 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Fayetteville State University Social Work Report
Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $6,762 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 full report on Social Work at Florida Gulf Coast University
East Carolina University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 118 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
ECU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $11,260 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at ECU
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. UK is a large school located in Lexington, Kentucky that handed out 346 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UK also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kentucky is $12,593 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at UK
University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UofSC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Carolina - Columbia is $12,130 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Social Work at UofSC
University of North Florida came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNF is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 28 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,367 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNF.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNF Social Work Report
With a ranking of #22, North Carolina A & T State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NC A&T is $7,827 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full North Carolina A & T State University Social Work Report
University of Arkansas ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arkansas is a large school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that handed out 105 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UARK has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arkansas is $12,003 for southeast region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Work at University of Arkansas
West Virginia University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. West Virginia University is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,014 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Work at WVU
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 92 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,763 for Southeast Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Work at Middle Tennessee State University
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