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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

92 Ranked Colleges
4,358 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 57,618 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 10,171 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,708 and $29,897 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,358 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 92 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Northwest landed the #1 spot on the list. Gary, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend IU Northwest.

Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - Northwest

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 71 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Social Work Report

Out of the 92 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 UIUC Social Work Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 72 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Social Work Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full UW - Stevens Point Social Work Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at UW Oshkosh

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 146 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#10

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU East is a small school located in Richmond, Indiana that handed out 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,722 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend IU East.

Read more about Social Work at IU East

#11

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 37 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $8,717 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - South Bend

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #12, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Ball State University

#13

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Superior is a small school located in Superior, Wisconsin that handed out 38 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UW - Superior has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Superior is $13,774 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Superior

#14

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Governors State University

#15

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Hammond, Indiana, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Purdue Northwest

#16

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full UW - Whitewater Social Work Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 94 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Social Work Report

#18

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 67 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Ferris State University

#19

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 43 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Work at Michigan State

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 59 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

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%.

Full USI Social Work Report

#21

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on Social Work at UIS

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University

#23

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Oakland University.

Full Oakland University Social Work Report

#24

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 81 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Youngstown State University is $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Full Youngstown State University Social Work Report

University of Michigan - Flint did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Flint, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,734 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Flint.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Michigan - Flint

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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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