2026 Best Value Social Work Schools Schools in the Outlying Areas Region
[Social Work Schools](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for social work schools students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Social Work Schools Schools in the Outlying Areas Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social work schools, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Work Schools Schools
University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras tops our 2026 list of the best value social work schools schools in the Outlying Areas Region. Located in the city of San Juan, University Of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,324. Students borrow a median of $5,500 to complete the social work schools program here. Early-career social work schools graduates make about $26,804. Set against $5,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Students looking for strong value in social work schools will find it at Universidad Metropolitana, which ranked #2. Universidad Metropolitana is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Juan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,750. Social Work Schools graduates carry a median of $23,779 in student loans. Early-career social work schools graduates make about $17,692. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Universidad Del Este earned it the #3 place for social work schools. Located in the suburb of Carolina, Universidad Del Este is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,750. Social Work Schools graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Social Work Schools graduates of Universidad Del Este earn a median of $15,258 early in their careers. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla one of the best values for social work schools. Located in the suburb of Aguadilla, Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,742. Typical student debt for social work schools graduates is $7,000. Soon after graduation, social work schools degree recipients from Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Aguadilla generally make around $18,974. That is a strong return on a $7,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
A rank of #5 makes Universidad Del Turabo one of the best values for social work schools. Universidad Del Turabo is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Gurabo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,750. Students borrow a median of $10,004 to complete the social work schools program here. Early-career social work schools graduates make about $13,506. Set against $10,004 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Arecibo came in at #6 for value in social work schools this year. Set in the city of Arecibo, Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Arecibo is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,780. Social Work Schools graduates carry a median of $10,500 in student loans. Social Work Schools graduates of Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Arecibo earn a median of $27,188 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,500 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Metro ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value social work schools schools. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Metro is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Juan. Students from in state pay about $5,780 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $13,500 to complete the social work schools program here. Soon after graduation, social work schools degree recipients from Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Metro generally make around $23,481. That is a strong return on a $13,500 median debt. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Metro admits about 70% of applicants.
Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce landed the #8 spot for social work schools value this year. Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ponce. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,650. Social Work Schools graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Social Work Schools graduates of Pontifical Catholic University Of Puerto Rico Ponce earn a median of $18,132 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Puerto Rico Humacao came in at #9 for value in social work schools this year. Located in the suburb of Humacao, University Of Puerto Rico Humacao is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,324. Typical student debt for social work schools graduates is $5,500. Social Work Schools graduates of University Of Puerto Rico Humacao earn a median of $6,869 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Puerto Rico Humacao admits about 55% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
