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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k)

275 Ranked Colleges
32,208 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 275 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.

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.

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 $48-$75k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k)

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 275 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 502 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 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 Columbia are $51,194.

Read more about Social Work at Columbia

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 199 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Chicago

#3

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 247 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full WUSTL Social Work Report

#4

Hunter College

New York, New York
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 544 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 in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at Hunter College

#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Pennsylvania

#10 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 379 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at U-M

#11 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 150 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at UW Seattle

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 174 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Social Work Report

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.

UCLA also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at UCLA

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 91 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #8 rank 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 UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Full UC Berkeley Social Work Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Social Work Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 99 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884.

Full CSUDH Social Work Report

#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 167 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #15 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 Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Full UW - Madison Social Work Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 49 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 89 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Stanislaus

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 230 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 you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Long Beach Social Work Report

#17

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s in the top 10% 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Read more about Social Work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

California State University - Fullerton came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at Cal State Fullerton

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

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

#20

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman College are $21,000, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Lehman College Social Work Report

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 184 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 - Northridge are $17,955.

Full California State University - Northridge Social Work Report

#23

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 194 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at UCF

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #24, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 99 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - San Bernardino

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 128 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full USF Tampa Social Work Report

Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#29

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#31

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#32

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#33

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico
#35

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#37

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#38

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#40

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#41

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

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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