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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)

69 Ranked Colleges
640 Degrees Awarded
$37,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 69 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

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 $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 $30-$48k

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

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

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, WUSTL has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full WUSTL Social Work Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Work at University of Chicago

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 14 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #7 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 Pennsylvania are $41,760.

Full UPenn Social Work Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Columbia Social Work Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Boston College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 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 4 students in 2019-2020.

Boston College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at Boston College

#7

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#23 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 4 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #23 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Social Work Report

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 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 UC Berkeley are $29,347.

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

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Social Work Report

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Social Work Report

Florida International University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. FIU is a large school located in Miami, Florida that handed out 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida International University are $24,211, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Work at Florida International University

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UIUC Social Work Report

#13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota 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.

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. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#14

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707.

Read full report on Social Work at Florida State University

#15

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Bryn Mawr College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Bryn Mawr also made our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Bryn Mawr College are $45,240.

Full Bryn Mawr College Social Work Report

#16

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston U are $57,666, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Boston U Social Work Report

#17

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 doctorate’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 USC are $48,715, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full USC Social Work Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 3 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141.

Read full report on Social Work at Ohio State

#19

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #19, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 7 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Smith are $53,940.

Full Smith College Social Work Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full IUPUI Social Work Report

#21

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Georgia are $27,476, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UGA Social Work Report

#25 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social work degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Social Work Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #15 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 The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886.

Read more about Social Work at UT Austin

#24

Tulane University of Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tulane University of Louisiana is a fairly large school located in New Orleans, Louisiana that handed out 16 doctorate’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Tulane are $61,176, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Work at Tulane University of Louisiana

#25

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UH are $18,689.

Read more about Social Work at UH

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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