2027 Best Social Work Schools in District of Columbia
Social Work is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for social work students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Social Work in District of Columbia
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social work degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Social Work
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 school for social work. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. There were roughly 77 social work students who graduated with this degree at Catholic University Of America in the most recent data year. Social Work graduates of Catholic University Of America earn a median of $59,489 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete this degree.
Read more about the social work program at Catholic University Of America
Students looking for a strong social work program will find one at Howard University, which ranked #2. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. The six-year graduation rate is 70%. Howard University awarded about 177 social work degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $57,362. Typical student debt for the program is $25,498.
See the full social work program report for Howard University
A rank of #3 makes University Of The District Of Columbia one of the top schools for social work. University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Washington. Roughly 44% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 14 social work students who graduated with this degree at University Of The District Of Columbia in the most recent data year. Graduates of the social work program make about $45,973 in their early career. University Of The District Of Columbia graduates carry a median of $49,652 in student loans.
See the full social work program report for University Of The District Of Columbia
Gallaudet University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best social work schools. Set in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 28 social work students who graduated with this degree at Gallaudet University in the most recent data year. Social Work graduates of Gallaudet University earn a median of $34,592 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,017 to complete this degree.
See the full social work program report for Gallaudet University
More Social Work Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.