2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Social Work is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 8th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 56,762 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 276 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree social work students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 544 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Hunter excels when it comes to social work quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 174 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 99 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Social Work Report
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehman College landed the #4 spot on the list. Lehman College is a fairly large public school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 81 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman College are $21,000, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 276 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Seattle also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Social Work Report
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid 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.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.
California State University - Fresno ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Fresno State is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 89 students 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 - Stanislaus are $18,540.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 in the top 20% 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 California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.
Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Long Beach
California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid 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.
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 184 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full California State University - Northridge Social Work Report
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #16 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 California - Los Angeles are $28,131.
York College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Jamaica, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at York are $20,948, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936, but some majors have different tuition rates.
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 70 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
College of Staten Island CUNY landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. College of Staten Island CUNY is a fairly large public school situated in Staten Island, New York. It awarded 43 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 College of Staten Island CUNY are $21,080.
Read more about Social Work at College of Staten Island CUNY
Western New Mexico University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Western New Mexico University is located in Silver City, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Western New Mexico University are $10,348, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Social Work at Western New Mexico University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 128 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Social Work at University of South Florida - Main Campus
With a ranking of #22, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 379 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 91 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #24, Rhode Island College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. RIC is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 88 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at RIC are $16,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 248 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UIC is in the top on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid
Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.
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