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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

91 Ranked Colleges
4,146 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

With 56,762 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social work is the 8th most popular major in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 9,933 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,146 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 91 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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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. 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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Northwest. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Gary, Indiana, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Northwest is $7,755 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at IU Northwest

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 91 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 71 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Social Work Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 91 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 78 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full UIUC Social Work Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 72 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Full UW - Eau Claire Social Work Report

#5

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Social Work Report

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#8 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 61 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Full UW - Stevens Point Social Work Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#16 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#10

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - East is $7,722 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at IU East

#11

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $8,717 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Social Work Report

#12

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 70 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Ball State

#13

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Superior is located in Superior, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Superior, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,774 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Superior.

Read more about Social Work at UW - Superior

#14

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend GSU.

Read more about Social Work at GSU

#15

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Purdue Northwest

#16

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at UW - Whitewater

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

UWM also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UWM is $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Social Work Report

#18

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,889 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Ferris State University

#19

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 43 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 more about Social Work at Michigan State University

#20

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. USI is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Full USI Social Work Report

#21

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIS is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Social Work Report

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Saginaw Valley State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University

#23

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $11,802 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Oakland University

#24

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

With a ranking of #24, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large school located in Youngstown, Ohio that handed out 81 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,947 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Youngstown State University.

Read full report on Social Work at Youngstown State University

University of Michigan - Flint came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UM Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Flint is $12,734 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Full UM Flint Social Work Report

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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.

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