by our College Data Analytics Team
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their social work graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send social work graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked University Of Maine the top school for social work graduate earnings in Maine. Set in the suburb of Orono, University Of Maine is a public institution. Social Work graduates of University Of Maine earn a median of about $55,056 a year early in their careers.
University Of New England came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the suburb of Biddeford, University Of New England is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from University Of New England make a median of around $58,809 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Southern Maine one of the highest-paying schools for social work. Located in the city of Portland, University Of Southern Maine is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from University Of Southern Maine make a median of around $49,564 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries social work graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.