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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

25 Ranked Colleges
2,650 Degrees Awarded
$17,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 25 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.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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 Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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

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

#1

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lake Land College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Lake Land College is a small school located in Mattoon, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Land College also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Land College is $4,468 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Lake Land College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 232 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Social Work students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.

Read more about Social Work at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 248 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois social work students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UIC

#4

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwestern Illinois College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Belleville, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

SWIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SWIC is $7,098 for Illinois Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Southwestern Illinois College

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 92 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for illinois social work students with aid.

Full Governors State University Social Work Report

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIS also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield

#7

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Augustine College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Saint Augustine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Augustine College also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Augustine College is $12,193 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Augustine College

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Western Illinois University

#9

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 642 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students with aid list, Aurora has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for illinois 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at Aurora

#10

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,733 for Illinois Social Work students with aid per year to attend CSU.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Chicago State University Social Work Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 67 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,423 for illinois social work students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUE

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 174 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 138 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUC

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $17,538 for Illinois Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Social Work Report

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 77 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Social Work students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Dominican University

#16

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. NLU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NLU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for National Louis University is $14,957 for illinois social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at NLU

#17

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois 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

#18

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Social Work students with aid per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Social Work Report

#19

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Social Work students with aid.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Social Work Report

#20

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $21,331 for Illinois 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 full report on Social Work at Millikin University

#21

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Social Work students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Social Work Report

#22

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 210 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois social work students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at UChicago

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Trinity Christian is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Trinity Christian also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian College is $21,904 for Illinois 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Work at Trinity Christian College

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 15 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students with aid list, DePaul has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois social work students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at DePaul University

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 306 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $35,407 for illinois social work students with aid per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Loyola University Chicago

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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