2021 Best Value Colleges for Social Work
Finding the Best Value Social Work School for You
Social Work is the #24 most popular major in the country with 22,681 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2018-2019.
This year's Best Value Colleges for Social Work ranking analyzed 264 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in social work. When talking about the 'best value', we do not simply mean those with the lowest price. For this ranking, we are identifying those social work schools that provide their students with a hiqh quality education at a price that is lower than other colleges and universities of the same caliber.
When calculating average cost, we take tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other related expenses into account. We then subtract the average financial aid award. The is meant to give you an idea of how much money you'll need to pay out-of-pocket through loans, external scholarships, or other methods. Depending on your income and other factors, the cost for you to attend a particular school may be more or less.
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More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools
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 ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
2021 Best Value Social Work Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Social Work Colleges for the Money.
Top 25 Best Value Social Work Schools
Our rankings recognize Winona State University as the #1 school in this year's rankings. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona. In addition to its great value ranking, Winona State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
It takes the average student at Winona State about 4.5 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $21,880. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Winona State is $98,022. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
On average, social work graduates from Winona State take out $23,971 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Social Work at Winona State University Report
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University of Wyoming earned the #2 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Laramie, U of Wyoming is a public college with a fairly large student population. U of Wyoming excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
It takes the average student at U of Wyoming about 4.6 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,323. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of Wyoming be around $94,299. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at U of Wyoming take out while working on their bachelor's is $17,315. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social work schools. USF Tampa is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Social Work ranking.
The average student at USF Tampa graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $23,095. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from USF Tampa is about $99,308. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Social Work majors at USF Tampa take out an average of $17,105 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $166.
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Appalachian State University comes in at #4 in this year's ranking. Located in the distant town of Boone, Appalachian State is a public college with a large student population. In addition to its great value ranking, Appalachian State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
The average student at Appalachian State graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $22,137. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State be around $95,410. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from Appalachian State carry an average student debtload of $19,296. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $205, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social work schools. UND is a fairly large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UND also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Social Work ranking.
It takes the average student at UND about 4.6 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,788. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UND is $109,187. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Social Work majors at UND take out an average of $22,480 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $249, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Northern Iowa comes in at #6 in this year's ranking. UNI is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. On top of its placing in our value rankings, UNI also did well on our Best Colleges for Social Work list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes the average student at UNI about 4.4 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $24,198. This means that the average student pays around $107,439 to get a bachelor’s degree from UNI. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from UNI carry an average student debtload of $20,587. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Western Carolina University. WCU is a large public school located in the distant town of Cullowhee.
The average student at WCU graduates in less than 4.4 years, and it costs about $15,387 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from WCU is $67,549. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at WCU take out while working on their bachelor's is $21,504. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $241, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Harding University earned the #8 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
At Harding, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $20,917. This means that the average student pays around $90,989 to get a bachelor’s degree from Harding. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Harding take out while working on their bachelor's is $26,494. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $278.
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Bemidji State University comes in at #9 in this year's ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Bemidji State University to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $15,793. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State University be around $69,489. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from Bemidji State University carry an average student debtload of $23,952. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Our rankings recognize University of Nebraska at Kearney as the #10 school in this year's rankings. Located in the town of Kearney, UNK is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UNK is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,217. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from UNK is $91,987. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from UNK carry an average student debtload of $20,022. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Minnesota State University - Mankato comes in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public school with a large student population.
At Minnesota State University - Mankato, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,786. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato be around $99,998. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from Minnesota State University - Mankato carry an average student debtload of $22,546. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $241, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Grand Valley State University earned the #12 spot in our 2021 rankings. GVSU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Allendale.
It takes the average student at GVSU about 4.5 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,233. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from GVSU is $105,245. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
While working on their bachelor's, social work majors at GVSU accumulate an average of around $25,123 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Ferris State University comes in at #13 in this year's ranking. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public college with a fairly large student population.
At Ferris, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $15,909. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Ferris is $73,022. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Social Work majors at Ferris take out an average of $26,508 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $265.
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Minot State University earned the #14 spot in our 2021 rankings. MSU is a small public school located in the town of Minot.
It takes the average student at MSU about 4.6 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $15,146. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from MSU is $69,672. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
While working on their bachelor's, social work majors at MSU accumulate an average of around $15,274 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Union University comes in at #15 in this year's ranking. Union U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Jackson. In addition to its great value ranking, Union U is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Union U is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $23,968. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Union U is $98,029. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Social Work majors at Union U take out an average of $28,109 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $280.
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Our rankings recognize St Catherine University as the #16 school in this year's rankings. St. Kate's is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul. St. Kate's did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
It takes the average student at St. Kate’s about 4.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,980. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the St. Kate’s is $118,635. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
On average, social work graduates from St. Kate's take out $30,047 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $315, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #17 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Located in the city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UW Oshkosh is 4.8 years, and it costs about $19,232 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW Oshkosh is $91,544. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
On average, social work graduates from UW Oshkosh take out $22,831 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $239.
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The #18 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Aurora University. Located in the large suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Aurora to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $25,458. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Aurora is $110,997. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
While working on their bachelor's, social work majors at Aurora accumulate an average of around $22,909 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $228, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earned the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.
It takes the average student at SIUE about 4.5 years to graduate, and it costs about $17,498 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from SIUE be around $79,091. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from SIUE carry an average student debtload of $22,482. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $230.
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The #20 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. SRU is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Slippery Rock.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at SRU to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,713. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the SRU is $93,149. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
While working on their bachelor's, social work majors at SRU accumulate an average of around $24,901 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #21 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Florida State University. Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public school with a fairly large student population.
It takes the average student at Florida State about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $27,233. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Florida State is $115,196. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from Florida State carry an average student debtload of $18,684. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $194, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #22 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Westfield State University. Westfield is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Westfield.
At Westfield, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,805. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Westfield is $103,933. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Westfield take out while working on their bachelor's is $18,807. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $200.
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Our rankings recognize Texas Tech University as the #23 school in this year's rankings. Texas Tech is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Lubbock.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at Texas Tech to complete their degree, and it costs about $23,296 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Texas Tech is $105,298. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Social Work majors at Texas Tech take out an average of $26,230 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $272.
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Mount Vernon Nazarene University landed the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social work schools. Located in the town of Mount Vernon, MVNU is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at MVNU to complete their degree, and it costs about $18,170 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from MVNU is about $76,496. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
After completing their bachelor's degree, social work graduates from MVNU carry an average student debtload of $25,670. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Stockton University comes in at #25 in this year's ranking. Located in the midsize suburb of Galloway, Stockton State is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. Stockton State excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Work list.
The average student at Stockton State graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,302. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Stockton State be around $116,580. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Social Work majors at Stockton State take out an average of $23,040 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $246, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Colleges for Social Work award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Our Lady of the Lake University | San Antonio, TX |
| 41 | Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | Edinboro, PA |
| 42 | East Carolina University | Greenville, NC |
| 43 | Arkansas State University - Main Campus | Jonesboro, AR |
| 44 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay, WI |
| 45 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro, NC |
| 46 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 47 | University of North Carolina at Wilmington | Wilmington, NC |
| 48 | The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth, MN |
| 49 | The University of Tennessee - Martin | Martin, TN |
| 50 | University of Wisconsin - River Falls | River Falls, WI |
| 51 | Nazareth College | Rochester, NY |
| 52 | Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion, IN |
Social Work by Region
View the Best Value Colleges for Social Work for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Social Work Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Social Work
Social Work is one of 5 different types of Public Administration & Social Service programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Social Work
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Human Services | 6,503 |
| Public Administration | 3,195 |
| Public Policy | 2,308 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 1,625 |
| Other Public Administration | 327 |
View All Social Work Related Majors >
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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