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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region

51 Ranked Colleges
4,791 Degrees Awarded
$17,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 58,326 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,651 and had an average of $26,679 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 4,791 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,939 and $30,670 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 51 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social work program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region social work students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in the Plains States Region

1
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #1 spot on the list. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 936 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, Walden University has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Walden University

2
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minot State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region. MSU is a public institution located in Minot, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, MSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,205 for Plains States Region Social Work students per year to attend Minot State University.

Read full report on Social Work at Minot State University

3
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Capella University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 69 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Capella University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Capella University is $16,545 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

Full Capella University Social Work Report

4
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $17,634 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Winona State

5
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

Out of the 51 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and it awarded 157 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $16,966 for plains states region social work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UND

6
Metro State crest
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Metropolitan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

Metro State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Metro State is $16,044 for plains states region social work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Metro State

7

With a ranking of #7, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $17,159 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Minnesota State University - Mankato

8

With a ranking of #8, Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, MSU Moorhead has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $17,680 for plains states region social work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Social Work Report

9

University of Northern Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 121 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $16,438 for plains states region social work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Northern Iowa

10

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Marshall, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $13,872 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

Full Southwest Minnesota State University Social Work Report

11
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 94 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Cloud State University is $14,581 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at St. Cloud State University

12

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,718 for Plains States Region Social Work students per year to attend Missouri State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Missouri State University - Springfield

13
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #13, Augsburg University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. Augsburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 102 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, Augsburg has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,898 for plains states region social work students per year to attend Augsburg.

Read full report on Social Work at Augsburg

14
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 33 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $16,033 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Bemidji State University

15

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. UNK is a medium-sized public school situated in Kearney, Nebraska. It awarded 44 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,099 for Plains States Region Social Work students per year to attend UNK.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at UNK

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 153 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UNOMAHA also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,914 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Nebraska at Omaha

17
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. Park University is located in Parkville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Park University is $14,619 for plains states region social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Park University

18

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 147 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, UST MN has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Thomas Minnesota is $31,066 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of St Thomas Minnesota

19
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 224 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $20,257 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Kansas Social Work Report

20
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 50 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

K -State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,433 for plains states region social work students per year to attend K -State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full K -State Social Work Report

21

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. WSU is a fairly large public school situated in Wichita, Kansas. It awarded 134 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wichita State University is $14,859 for plains states region social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at WSU

22

Fort Hays State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 54 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $13,189 for Plains States Region Social Work students.

Read more about Social Work at Fort Hays State University

23

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 80 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $18,505 for plains states region social work students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UMN Duluth

24
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

St Catherine University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. St. Kate’s is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

St. Kate’s did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Kate’s is $17,814 for plains states region social work students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full St Catherine University Social Work Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 117 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region social work students list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for plains states region social work students per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Social Work Report

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