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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

91 Ranked Colleges
4,146 Degrees Awarded
$8,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Social Work is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 56,762 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,933 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,146 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 91 colleges that offer a degree in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 91 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 78 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 154 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Social Work Report

#4

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 43 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at Michigan State University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Northwest. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Gary, Indiana, this small public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $3,287 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - Northwest

#6

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UW - River Falls

#2 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at UW - Eau Claire

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#16 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#10

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 31 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#11

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 67 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $7,207 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Ferris

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

Ball State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ball State Social Work Report

#13

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Indiana University - South Bend is a small public school situated in South Bend, Indiana. It awarded 37 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - South Bend

#14

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at USI

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW Oshkosh Social Work Report

#16

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Indiana University - East is a small school located in Richmond, Indiana that handed out 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,622 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU East.

Full IU East Social Work Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Social Work Report

#18

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Superior is a small school located in Superior, Wisconsin that handed out 38 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Superior has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Superior is $9,288 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at UW - Superior

#19

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University Northwest is located in Hammond, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Purdue University Northwest

#20

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 95 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,490 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Oakland Social Work Report

With a ranking of #21, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 38 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUE

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#22 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full GVSU Social Work Report

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UM Flint is a medium-sized school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 30 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Flint is $7,955 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at UM Flint

#24

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Saginaw Valley State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $10,522 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Social Work Report

#25

Viterbo University

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#4 in overall quality

Viterbo University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Viterbo is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Viterbo has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Viterbo is $13,538 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Viterbo University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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