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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in the Far Western US Region

41 Ranked Colleges
6,765 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 58,326 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States. 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 Far Western US region, there were 6,765 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,156 and $22,714 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 41 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region social work students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in the Far Western US Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 184 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $6,230 for Far Western US Region Social Work students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno State

2

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 301 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for far western us region social work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at CSULB

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Bernardino. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 155 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,107 for far western us region social work students per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 CSUSB

4
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Baptist University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 108 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $26,719 for far western us region social work students.

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%.

Full California Baptist University Social Work Report

5

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #5 spot on the list. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 152 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $10,993 for Far Western US Region Social Work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Social Work Report

6

California State University - East Bay ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 77 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $13,298 for far western us region social work students.

The undergrad 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 Cal State East Bay Social Work Report

7

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 266 students in 2020-2021.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $14,930 for far western us region social work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Reno Social Work Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 310 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for far western us region social work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Sacramento

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 201 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for far western us region social work students per year to attend San Diego State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Work at San Diego State University

10

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #10. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 308 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for Far Western US Region Social Work students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles

11
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 211 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $16,542 for far western us region social work students per year to attend San Jose State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 San Jose State Social Work Report

12

California State University - Chico landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 173 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,218 for far western us region social work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full California State University - Chico Social Work Report

13
Azusa Pacific crest
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California

Azusa Pacific University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Azusa, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Azusa Pacific University is $30,744 for far western us region social work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Social Work at Azusa Pacific

14

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 42 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,597 for far western us region social work students.

The low undergrad 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 CSUMB Social Work Report

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for far western us region social work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Northridge

16

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 87 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,566 for Far Western US Region Social Work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stan State Social Work Report

17

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,023 for Far Western US Region Social Work students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Los Angeles

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region social work students list, SFSU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,459 for far western us region social work students per year to attend SFSU.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at San Francisco State University

19
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon

With a ranking of #19, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 341 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Portland State University also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $12,498 for Far Western US Region Social Work students per year to attend Portland State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Portland State University

20
Walla Walla U crest
Walla Walla University
College Place, Washington

Walla Walla University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This small school is located in College Place, Washington, and it awarded 94 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,823 for Far Western US Region Social Work students per year to attend Walla Walla University.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Social Work at Walla Walla U

21

California State University - Fullerton ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for far western us region social work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Social Work at Cal State Fullerton

22
EWU crest
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington

With a ranking of #22, Eastern Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Eastern Washington University is a fairly large school located in Cheney, Washington that handed out 177 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

EWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,335 for Far Western US Region Social Work students per year to attend Eastern Washington University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Eastern Washington University

23
GFU crest
George Fox University
Newberg, Oregon

George Fox University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. GFU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Newberg, Oregon. It awarded 60 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

GFU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GFU is $30,839 for far western us region social work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at George Fox University

24
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 113 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for far western us region social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Humboldt State University

25
Heritage University crest
Heritage University
Toppenish, Washington

Heritage University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Heritage University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Toppenish, Washington. It awarded 47 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Heritage University is $6,850 for far western us region social work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Work at Heritage University

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