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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid

439 Ranked Colleges
57,401 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Social Work is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 9th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 57,401 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 439 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (With Aid)

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 661 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Hunter also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,158 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend Hunter.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Social Work Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 308 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for Social Work students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Cal State LA

3

Out of the 439 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 140 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for Social Work students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Social Work at UW Seattle

4
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Out of the 439 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 213 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,614 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman College Social Work Report

5
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Camden County College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Camden County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Blackwood, New Jersey. 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 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,083 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend Camden County College.

Read more about Social Work at Camden County College

6

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 281 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,743 for social work students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Social Work Report

7

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,230 for social work students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Fresno

8
York crest
York College
Jamaica, New York

York College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. York is a medium-sized public school situated in Jamaica, New York. It awarded 89 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,985 for social work students with aid per year to attend York College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at York College

9
Bristol crest
Bristol Community College
Fall River, Massachusetts

Bristol Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fall River, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,862 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend Bristol.

Read more about Social Work at Bristol

10

With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 137 students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It costs about $12,469 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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

Full UNC Chapel Hill Social Work Report

11

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 153 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSUSB is also in the top of our “Best Social Work Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $8,107 for social work students with aid.

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

12

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 617 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, IUPUI is in the top 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 $12,416 for Social Work students with aid.

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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Social Work Report

13
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #13, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.

FAU excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,735 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at FAU

14

University of California - Berkeley ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 197 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for Social Work students with aid.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Social Work Report

15

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 301 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $10,054 for social work students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 full report on Social Work at California State University - Long Beach

16

Austin Community College District came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 40 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,224 for social work students with aid per year to attend Austin Community College District.

Full Austin Community College District Social Work Report

17

Florida International University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 79 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for social work students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 International University

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 310 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Sac 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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for social work students with aid.

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 more about Social Work at Sac State

19
Rutgers Newark crest
Rutgers University - Newark
Newark, New Jersey

Rutgers University - Newark came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Newark, New Jersey, this fairly large public school handed out 108 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

Rutgers Newark 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 Rutgers Newark is $15,996 for social work students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at Rutgers University - Newark

20

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 182 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for social work students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Social Work Report

21
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #21, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 326 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, U of U also did well on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,572 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend U of U.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at University of Utah

22

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 226 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for social work students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

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

23

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Work Schools” list. It costs about $15,023 for Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 UCLA Social Work Report

24

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,026 for Social Work students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Dominguez Hills

25

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 152 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $10,993 for social work students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Social Work Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid

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
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
29
30
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
31
32
33
34
35
36
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
37
38
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
39
CSI crest
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, New York
40
41
42
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Work Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
52Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
53North Carolina A & T State UniversityGreensboro, NC
54Rutgers University - CamdenCamden, NJ
55San Juan CollegeFarmington, NM
56California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
57East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
58Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
59Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
60Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI
61San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
62Northeastern State UniversityTahlequah, OK
63Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
64Texas Woman’s UniversityDenton, TX
65Minot State UniversityMinot, ND
RankCollegeLocation
66Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ

Notes and References

References

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