Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

50 Ranked Colleges
1,891 Degrees Awarded
$34,684 Avg Salary
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,891 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 50 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Minot State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Minot, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

MSU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $11,401 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full MSU Social Work Report

#2

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,140 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Winona State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Winona State University

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 25 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,438 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Social Work Report

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $17,577 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at St. Olaf

#5

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 84 students in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $15,109 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 University of North Dakota Social Work Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large public school situated in Mankato, Minnesota. It awarded 61 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $14,451 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Minnesota State Mankato Social Work Report

#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

St. Cloud State University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Cloud State University Social Work Report

#8

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bemidji State University is a public institution located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Bemidji State University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $14,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at Bemidji State University

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

With a ranking of #9, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,729 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNI Social Work Report

With a ranking of #9, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

MSU Moorhead also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $15,002 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Minnesota State University - Moorhead

With a ranking of #11, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Missouri - Columbia

#12

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $7,894 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UMSL Social Work Report

#13

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

St Catherine University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

St. Kate’s also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,062 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Kate’s.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 St. Kate’s

#14

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Metro State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Metro State is $15,869 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Metro State

Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,988 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University Social Work Report

Fort Hays State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $12,549 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Fort Hays State University Social Work Report

#17

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,889 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend K -State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Kansas State University Social Work Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 43 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,833 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UNOMAHA Social Work Report

The College of Saint Scholastica landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Scholastica has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Scholastica is $22,813 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 College of Saint Scholastica

#20

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,056 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Pitt State.

Full Pittsburg State University Social Work Report

#21

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #21, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 54 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,272 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Iowa

#22

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

With a ranking of #22, Missouri Western State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Missouri Western is a small school located in Saint Joseph, Missouri that handed out 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Western is $11,336 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at Missouri Western

#23

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

With a ranking of #23, Southeast Missouri State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southeast Missouri State University is a public institution located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeast Missouri State University is $12,882 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Southeast Missouri State University

#24

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

With a ranking of #24, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 50 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,977 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Missouri.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Central Missouri

#25

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 75 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,386 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wichita State University.

Read full report on Social Work at Wichita State University

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