2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in Michigan
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 21 schools to find the best return on investment for social work students.
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2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the social work degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Social Work Schools
For return on investment in social work, no school beat Macomb Community College this year. Macomb Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Warren. In-state tuition and fees average $3,660, while out-of-state students pay about $8,370. Social Work graduates carry a median of $9,862 in student loans. Social Work graduates of Macomb Community College earn a median of $38,758 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Henry Ford Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #2 spot this year. Henry Ford Community College is a large public school located in the city of Dearborn. In-state tuition and fees average $3,568, with out-of-state students paying around $7,816. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $18,876. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Henry Ford Community College generally make around $36,247. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Oakland Community College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Located in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,120, while out-of-state students pay about $5,560. Social Work graduates carry a median of $15,865 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Oakland Community College generally make around $43,205. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Ferris State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #4 spot this year. Ferris State University is a large public school located in the town of Big Rapids. Students from in state pay about $14,778 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,750 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Ferris State University generally make around $45,333. Set against $25,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 91%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Oakland University earned it the #5 place for social work. Oakland University is a large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, while out-of-state students pay about $24,735. Students borrow a median of $28,250 to complete the social work program here. Social Work graduates of Oakland University earn a median of $38,446 early in their careers. Set against $28,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Michigan Flint earned the #6 position for value in social work this year. University Of Michigan Flint is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Flint. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,236, with out-of-state students paying around $27,790. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $38,000. Early-career social work graduates make about $40,371. Set against $38,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Saginaw Valley State University came in at #7 for value in social work this year. Located in the suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,930, while out-of-state students pay about $30,450. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $31,000. Early-career social work graduates make about $45,007. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor came in at #8 for value in social work this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Students from in state pay about $18,848 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Social Work graduates carry a median of $19,137 in student loans. Early-career social work graduates make about $52,424. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 16% of applicants are accepted.
Wayne State University placed #9 among the best values for social work. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. Students from in state pay about $16,159 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,650. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $28,012. Early-career social work graduates make about $44,954. That is a strong return on a $28,012 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Andrews University earned the #10 position for value in social work this year. Andrews University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Berrien Springs. In-state tuition and fees average $35,056. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $26,314. Early-career social work graduates make about $45,360. Set against $26,314 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Andrews University admits about 82% of applicants.
Western Michigan University earned the #11 position for value in social work this year. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $44,056. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Northern Michigan University earned the #12 position for value in social work this year. Set in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,322, with out-of-state students paying around $19,944. Students borrow a median of $24,301 to complete the social work program here. Early-career social work graduates make about $36,513. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,990. Social Work graduates carry a median of $31,111 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University generally make around $45,709. That is a strong return on a $31,111 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Grand Valley State University came in at #14 for value in social work this year. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,502, with out-of-state students paying around $21,894. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Grand Valley State University generally make around $43,789. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Grand Valley State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Central Michigan University came in at #15 for value in social work this year. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $27,000. Social Work graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $35,800 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Madonna University ranked #16 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Located in the city of Livonia, Madonna University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $28,440. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $25,597. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Madonna University generally make around $49,829. Set against $25,597 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Madonna University admits about 63% of applicants.
Spring Arbor University earned the #17 position for value in social work this year. Spring Arbor University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Spring Arbor. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,014. Students borrow a median of $29,893 to complete the social work program here. Early-career social work graduates make about $47,673. Set against $29,893 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Spring Arbor University admits about 52% of applicants.
Michigan State University landed the #18 spot for social work value this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,079, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Students borrow a median of $26,169 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Michigan State University generally make around $42,640. That is a strong return on a $26,169 median debt. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
Cornerstone University ranked #19 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Located in the city of Grand Rapids, Cornerstone University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,000. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the social work program here. Early-career social work graduates make about $44,501. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Calvin College ranked #20 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Located in the city of Grand Rapids, Calvin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,350. Social Work graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Social Work graduates of Calvin College earn a median of $31,584 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Calvin College admits about 71% of applicants.
Hope College earned the #21 position for value in social work this year. Located in the city of Holland, Hope College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $39,484. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $26,670. Early-career social work graduates make about $37,270. That is a strong return on a $26,670 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
More Social Work Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 21 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 21 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
