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For graduate earnings in social work, no school beat Troy University this year. Located in the town of Troy, Troy University is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,451.
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 schools below stand out for the salaries their social work graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find where social work graduates earn the most.
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 Troy University this year. Located in the town of Troy, Troy University is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,451.
A rank of #2 makes The University Of Alabama one of the highest-paying schools for social work. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a public institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from The University Of Alabama typically earn about $53,526 annually.
Auburn University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a public institution. Social Work graduates of Auburn University earn a median of about $46,371 a year early in their careers.
Alabama A And M University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the city of Normal, Alabama A And M University is a public institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Alabama A And M University typically earn about $51,323 annually.
Samford University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from Samford University make a median of around $44,603 per year.
Jacksonville State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Jacksonville State University is a public school located in the suburb of Jacksonville. Social Work graduates of Jacksonville State University earn a median of about $41,283 a year early in their careers.
Alabama State University came in at #7 for social work graduate earnings this year. Alabama State University is a public school located in the city of Montgomery. Social Work graduates of Alabama State University earn a median of about $40,048 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.