2027 Best Value Other Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[Other Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/social-work-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for other social work students.
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2027 Best Value Other Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other social work, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Social Work Schools
Dominican University earned the #1 spot for value among other social work schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the suburb of River Forest, Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,828. Students borrow a median of $26,236 to complete the other social work program here. Early-career other social work graduates make about $45,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Michigan Ann Arbor one of the best values for other social work. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,848, while out-of-state students pay about $63,081. Typical student debt for other social work graduates is $19,137. Soon after graduation, other social work degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor generally make around $66,254. That is a strong return on a $19,137 median debt. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
University Of St Francis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other social work, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of St Francis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Joliet. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,110. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the other social work program here. Early-career other social work graduates make about $47,909. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. University Of St Francis admits about 65% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other social work, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,398, compared with $22,398 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $29,610 to complete the other social work program here. Early-career other social work graduates make about $46,561. That is a strong return on a $29,610 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee admits about 91% of applicants.
Indiana Wesleyan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other social work, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the town of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $32,352. Typical student debt for other social work graduates is $41,903. Soon after graduation, other social work degree recipients from Indiana Wesleyan University generally make around $48,907. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Marquette University placed #6 among the best values for other social work. Marquette University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,170. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the other social work program here. Other Social Work graduates of Marquette University earn a median of $37,494 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #7 for value in other social work this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Students borrow a median of $21,133 to complete the other social work program here. Soon after graduation, other social work degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $58,568. That is a strong return on a $21,133 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- 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.