2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
With 56,762 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social work is the 8th most popular major in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 32,208 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 275 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
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 a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 193 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 247 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
WUSTL also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 502 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 199 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 544 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Hunter also did well on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 379 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 167 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #8, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 217 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930.
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 174 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 142 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Social Work Report
With a ranking of #11, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 91 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Social Work at University of California - Berkeley
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 99 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 49 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fresno are $17,581.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 86 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.
Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Lehman College is a fairly large school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 81 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman are $21,000.
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Stanislaus are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Social Work Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 230 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSULB is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 93 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 151 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Smith College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 119 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Smith is in the top on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Smith are $53,940.
With a ranking of #23, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 124 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, UMN Twin Cities is in the top on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845.
Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Boston U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 355 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666.
California State University - Northridge came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 184 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955.
Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k
Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.
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