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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)

439 Ranked Colleges
57,401 Degrees Awarded
$5,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 57,401 social work students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 439 colleges that offer a degree in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social work program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Social Work Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 175 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at UChicago

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 501 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Columbia

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 439 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 180 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $1,938 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at UPenn

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 267 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $2,446 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington University in St Louis Social Work Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 403 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at U-M

6

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at UC Berkeley

7
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 661 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Hunter is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,135 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hunter College.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Hunter College Social Work Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 308 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,701 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Social Work Report

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 208 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Social Work Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $4,788 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at UW - Madison

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 137 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Social Work Report

12

California State University - Fresno came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 184 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,655 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Social Work Report

13

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 617 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $8,216 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 more about Social Work at IUPUI

14

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 281 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at UT Rio Grande Valley

15
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey

Camden County College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Blackwood, New Jersey, and it awarded 38 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Camden County College also did well on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Camden County College is $5,080 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Camden County College

16
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bronx, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 213 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,381 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lehman College.

Read more about Social Work at Lehman

17

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

18

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 92 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,891 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCLA Social Work Report

19

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 153 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $6,613 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Social Work at CSUSB

20
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #20, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 208 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FAU is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend FAU is $8,262 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Florida Atlantic University

21
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

With a ranking of #21, York College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Jamaica, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 89 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend York is $4,585 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 York College

22

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 182 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,632 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at University of South Florida - Main Campus

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 273 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Boston College also made our “Best Social Work Schools” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $7,075 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 more about Social Work at Boston College

24
Bristol crest
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts

Bristol Community College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bristol is a medium-sized public school situated in Fall River, Massachusetts. It awarded 27 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,021 for social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bristol.

Full Bristol Social Work Report

25
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 101 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It costs about $7,349 for Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Florida State

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
29
30
31
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
32
33
34
35
36
37
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
38
Bryn Mawr crest
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
39
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
40
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
41
42
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
43
Rutgers Camden crest
Rutgers University - Camden
Camden, New Jersey
44
45
46
47
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey
47
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51California State University - East BayHayward, CA
52Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
53Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
54University of Minnesota - DuluthDuluth, MN
55Brigham Young University - IdahoRexburg, ID
55Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
57North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
58Minot State UniversityMinot, ND
59Murray State UniversityMurray, KY
60Texas Woman’s UniversityDenton, TX
61College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, NY
62University of WyomingLaramie, WY
63University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
64San Juan CollegeFarmington, NM
65California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Passaic County Community CollegePaterson, NJ

Notes and References

References

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