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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

18 Ranked Colleges
791 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Illinois, there were 2,654 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,589 and $33,608 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 791 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered 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.

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 Illinois”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Illinois State

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 78 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend UIUC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at UIUC

#3

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read more about Social Work at WIU

#4

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Augustine College landed the #4 spot on the list. Saint Augustine College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Augustine College also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,193 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Saint Augustine College.

Full Saint Augustine College Social Work Report

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUE

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 132 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Governors State University

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students list, SIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend SIUC.

Read more about Social Work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Aurora University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Social Work Report

#11

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. NLU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

NLU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,957 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read more about Social Work at NLU

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.

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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Bradley University

#13

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 more about Social Work at Olivet Nazarene

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of St Francis

#15

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Trinity Christian.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Trinity Christian College

#16

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Social Work Report

#17

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Millikin is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Millikin also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Millikin.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Millikin University Social Work Report

#18

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at Loyola Chicago

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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