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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

83 Ranked Colleges
10,126 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,126 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 83 colleges that offer a degree in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 175 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,375 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Chicago

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 403 students in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,481 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 208 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 UW - Madison

4

Out of the 83 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 226 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at UIUC

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 526 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Ohio State University - Main Campus

6

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 617 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, IUPUI has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $13,306 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Social Work Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 251 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $14,105 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

8

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,737 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UW - Eau Claire Social Work Report

9
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 712 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $15,645 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Aurora

10
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 453 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,612 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Wayne State Social Work Report

11
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,008 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland University.

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 Oakland

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 119 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $14,226 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Social Work Report

13

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. South Bend, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $10,840 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Social Work Report

14
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Ball State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,158 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ball State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Ball State Social Work Report

15

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 27 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,369 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Social Work Report

16

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $13,560 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

17
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Indiana University - East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,955 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - East.

Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - East

18
Saginaw Valley State University crest
Saginaw Valley State University
University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,265 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University

19
Stark State College crest
Stark State College
North Canton, Ohio

Stark State College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stark State College is located in North Canton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Stark State College is $8,660 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at Stark State College

20

Grand Valley State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 227 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $15,277 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad 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 full report on Social Work at GVSU

20

Indiana University - Northwest landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Northwest is located in Gary, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,885 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Northwest.

Read full report on Social Work at IU Northwest

22

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 24 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,528 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UW - River Falls

23

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 20 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,492 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at UIS

24

University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Superior, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Superior is $12,668 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Superior Social Work Report

25

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Oshkosh also took the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $14,157 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Social Work Report

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