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.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 8 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.
Barry University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools in Florida. Barry University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Miami. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,756.
A rank of #2 makes Florida Gulf Coast University one of the highest-paying schools for social work. Set in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,802.
Saint Leo University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in social work, landing the #3 spot this year. Saint Leo University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Saint Leo. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Saint Leo University typically earn about $56,826 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in social work will find them at University Of South Florida Main Campus, which ranked #4. University Of South Florida Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Tampa. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,130.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Central Florida earned it the #5 place for social work. Located in the suburb of Orlando, University Of Central Florida is a public institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from University Of Central Florida typically earn about $56,344 annually.
Nova Southeastern University landed the #6 spot for social work salaries this year. Nova Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Nova Southeastern University typically earn about $55,496 annually.
Southeastern University earned the #7 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Lakeland, Southeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Southeastern University typically earn about $48,071 annually.
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University make a median of around $36,501 per year.
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 · 8 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.