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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois (With Aid)

18 Ranked Colleges
791 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 56,762 social work students received their degree, making the major the 8th most popular in the country.

Across Illinois, there were 2,650 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 791 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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 a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois (With Aid)

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

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

Read full report on Social Work at UIUC

#2

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, GSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Governors State University

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about Social Work at UIS

#4

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Saint Augustine College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. St. Augustine College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Augustine College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Augustine College is $12,193 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Augustine College

#5

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Aurora University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 141 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, Aurora has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend Aurora.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Social Work Report

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Social Work at WIU

#7 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 132 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University

#10 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUC

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Social Work Report

#11

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Saint Francis

#12

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

National Louis University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. National Louis University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

NLU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend NLU.

Read full report on Social Work at National Louis University

#13

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Social Work Report

#14

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, Concordia University, Chicago has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Concordia University, Chicago

#15

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Millikin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Social Work at Millikin

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend Bradley University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Social Work Report

#17

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian is $21,904 for illinois 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Social Work at Trinity Christian

#18

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Loyola Chicago Social Work Report

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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