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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

441 Ranked Colleges
58,326 Degrees Awarded
$5,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Social Work is the 13th most popular major in the country with 58,326 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 441 colleges that offered a degree in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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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 Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)

1
UChicago crest
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 For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 175 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Social Work Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $4,777 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Chicago Social Work Report

2

Out of the 441 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 501 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia also made our “Best Social Work Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $4,699 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Social Work at Columbia

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 180 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Social Work at University of Pennsylvania

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 267 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $2,446 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Washington University in St Louis

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 403 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at U-M

6

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 197 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Berkeley

7
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 661 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Hunter also did well on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It costs about $2,135 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Hunter

8

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 308 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Cal State LA

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 170 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Social Work Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Madison

11

With a ranking of #11, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 137 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Social Work at UNC Chapel Hill

12

California State University - Fresno landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $4,655 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Fresno State Social Work Report

13

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 617 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IUPUI is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $8,216 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at IUPUI

14

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 281 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at UT Rio Grande Valley

15
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey

Camden County College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Camden County College is located in Blackwood, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Camden County College is in the top on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Camden County College is $5,080 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Camden County College

16
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 213 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,381 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman College Social Work Report

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 226 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Social Work Report

18

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Los Angeles

19

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $6,613 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 California State University - San Bernardino

20
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, FAU is in the top on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $8,262 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Florida Atlantic University

21
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

York College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Jamaica, New York, and it awarded 89 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend York College is $4,585 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at York College

22

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 182 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,632 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Social Work at University of South Florida - Main Campus

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 273 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston College also made our “Best Social Work Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $7,075 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at Boston College

24
Bristol crest
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts

Bristol Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fall River, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bristol is $5,021 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Work at Bristol Community College

25
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 101 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,349 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Florida State Social Work Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
31
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
32
33
34
35
36
37
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
38
Bryn Mawr crest
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
39
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
40
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
41
42
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
43
Rutgers Camden crest
Rutgers University - Camden
Camden, New Jersey
44
45
46
47
47
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51California State University - East BayHayward, CA
52Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
53Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
54University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
55Brigham Young University - IdahoRexburg, ID
55Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
57North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
58Minot State UniversityMinot, ND
59Murray State UniversityMurray, KY
60Texas Woman’s UniversityDenton, TX
61College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY
62University of WyomingLaramie, WY
63University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
64San Juan CollegeFarmington, NM
65California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Passaic County Community CollegePaterson, NJ
67The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX

Notes and References

References

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