2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in District of Columbia
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong social work education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value social work schools.
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2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in District of Columbia
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
University Of The District Of Columbia earned the #1 spot for value among social work schools in District of Columbia. Set in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,662 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,514 for out-of-state students. Social Work graduates carry a median of $49,652 in student loans. Social Work graduates of University Of The District Of Columbia earn a median of $45,973 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $49,652 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in social work will find it at Gallaudet University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,654. Students borrow a median of $23,017 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Gallaudet University generally make around $34,592. Set against $23,017 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Gallaudet University admits about 58% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in social work will find it at Catholic University Of America, which ranked #3. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students from in state pay about $58,378 in tuition and fees. Social Work graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Social Work graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $59,489 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Howard University one of the best values for social work. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,810. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $57,362. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
