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. The highest-paying schools turn a social work degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying social work schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose social work graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in social work, no school beat Metropolitan State College Of Denver this year. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a public institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Metropolitan State College Of Denver typically earn about $53,547 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Colorado State University Fort Collins earned it the #2 place for social work. Set in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,722.
Strong graduate earnings at Colorado State University Pueblo earned it the #3 place for social work. Colorado State University Pueblo is a public school located in the city of Pueblo. Early-career social work graduates from Colorado State University Pueblo make a median of around $47,782 per year.
Mesa State College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from Mesa State College make a median of around $42,254 per year.
This list is compiled 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 · 4 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.