by our College Data Analytics Team
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 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 Arizona State University the top school for social work graduate earnings in Arizona. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from Arizona State University make a median of around $48,856 per year.
A rank of #2 makes Northern Arizona University one of the highest-paying schools for social work. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a public institution. Social Work graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of about $46,353 a year early in their careers.
Grand Canyon University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the city of Phoenix, Grand Canyon University is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Grand Canyon University typically earn about $44,317 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Pima Community College earned it the #4 place for social work. Pima Community College is a public school located in the city of Tucson. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $29,518.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their social work graduates, 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.