2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in West Virginia
[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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for social work students.
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2027 Best Value Social Work Schools in West Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social work, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Work Schools
For return on investment in social work, no school beat Marshall University this year. Marshall University is a large public school located in the city of Huntington. In-state tuition and fees average $9,162, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $27,000. Social Work graduates of Marshall University earn a median of $40,417 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Marshall University admits about 96% of applicants.
Concord University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value social work schools. Located in the rural area of Athens, Concord University is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,664, while out-of-state students pay about $22,000. Students borrow a median of $18,967 to complete the social work program here. Early-career social work graduates make about $41,360. Set against $18,967 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at West Virginia State University earned it the #3 place for social work. Located in the suburb of Institute, West Virginia State University is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,570, with out-of-state students paying around $14,990. Social Work graduates carry a median of $37,371 in student loans. Social Work graduates of West Virginia State University earn a median of $30,060 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
West Virginia University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, compared with $28,608 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from West Virginia University generally make around $41,026. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. West Virginia University admits about 89% of applicants.
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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 · 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.
