2026 Best Social Work Schools in District of Columbia
Social Work is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their social work programs.
For its 2026 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.
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Best Schools for Social Work in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall social work education in District of Columbia.
Top Schools in Social Work
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 school for social work. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 76 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. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
More information about a degree in social work from Catholic University Of America
A rank of #2 makes Howard University one of the top schools for social work. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. Howard University graduates 70% of students within six years. About 127 social work degrees were awarded at Howard University in the most recent year. Graduates of the social work program make about $57,362 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,498.
See the full social work program report for Howard University
Students looking for a strong social work program will find one at Gallaudet University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Washington, Gallaudet University is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 47%. About 36 social work degrees were awarded at Gallaudet University in the most recent year. Students who receive their social work degree from Gallaudet University earn around $34,592 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,017.
See the full social work program report for Gallaudet University
University Of The District Of Columbia is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in social work, landing the #4 spot this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Washington. University Of The District Of Columbia graduates 44% of students within six years. University Of The District Of Columbia awarded about 16 social work degrees 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
More Social Work Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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.
