2026 Best Value Social Work Schools in District of Columbia
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for social work students.
What’s on this page:
2026 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
Gallaudet University tops our 2026 list of the best value social work schools in District of Columbia. 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. Social Work graduates carry a median of $23,017 in student loans. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Gallaudet University generally make around $34,592. That is a strong return on a $23,017 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The District Of Columbia came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value social work schools. Set in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,662, with out-of-state students paying around $12,514. Students borrow a median of $49,652 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from University Of The District Of Columbia generally make around $45,973. That is a strong return on a $49,652 median debt.
Catholic University Of America is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #3 spot this year. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $58,378. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $25,000. Social Work graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $59,489 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Howard University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $35,810. Social Work graduates carry a median of $25,498 in student loans. Early-career social work graduates make about $57,362. That is a strong return on a $25,498 median debt. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, 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 3 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.
