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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

50 Ranked Colleges
4,791 Degrees Awarded
$16,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 4,791 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,939 and $30,670 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 50 colleges that offer a degree in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region social work students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #1 spot on the list. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,232 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UMSL

2
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Minot State University landed the #2 spot on the list. MSU is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend MSU is $12,205 for plains states region social work students with aid.

Full Minot State University Social Work Report

3

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #3 spot on the list. Minnesota State Mankato is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 94 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Minnesota State Mankato

4
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 157 students in 2020-2021.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UND is $16,966 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

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 University of North Dakota Social Work Report

5
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 174 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at Iowa

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $16,438 for plains states region social work students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Northern Iowa

7

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 153 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UNOMAHA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $13,914 for plains states region social work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Nebraska at Omaha

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for plains states region social work students with aid per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 29 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for plains states region social work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Social Work Report

10
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 94 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,581 for plains states region social work students with aid per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Cloud State University Social Work Report

11
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students with aid list, Winona State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,634 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Winona State University

12

Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

MSU Moorhead not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $17,680 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

13
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kansas State University is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 50 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,433 for plains states region social work students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at K -State

14
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Capella University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,545 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid per year to attend Capella University.

Read more about Social Work at Capella University

15

Wichita State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 134 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,859 for plains states region social work students with aid per year to attend WSU.

Full Wichita State University Social Work Report

16
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Metropolitan State University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Metro State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,044 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid per year to attend Metro State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Metro State Social Work Report

17
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #17, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 224 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region social work students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Full University of Kansas Social Work Report

18

University of Nebraska at Kearney landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nebraska at Kearney is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 44 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNK is $17,099 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

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 University of Nebraska at Kearney

19

Fort Hays State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Fort Hays State University is $13,189 for plains states region social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Fort Hays State University

20

With a ranking of #20, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 267 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $26,921 for plains states region social work students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 1.1% 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 WUSTL

21

Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marshall, Minnesota, and it awarded 14 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $13,872 for plains states region social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Southwest Minnesota State University

22

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $18,505 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Social Work Report

23

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 106 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,718 for plains states region social work students with aid per year to attend Missouri State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Missouri State University - Springfield

24

Pittsburg State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Pittsburg, Kansas, this medium-sized public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt State is $14,575 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Pitt State

25

Missouri Southern State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Missouri Southern State University is a small public school situated in Joplin, Missouri. It awarded 23 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $9,526 for Plains States Region Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Missouri Southern State University

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