2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
22
Ranked Colleges
2,242
Degrees Awarded
$23,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 57,401 social work students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,242 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 180 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $25,046 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Social Work at UPenn
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 188 students in 2020-2021.
Edinboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,363 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Edinboro.
Read more about Social Work at Edinboro
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 246 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Pitt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 142 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
WCUPA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $21,484 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 41 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,927 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend SRU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SRU Social Work Report
With a ranking of #6, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Millersville, Pennsylvania that handed out 134 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millersville, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,133 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Millersville Social Work Report
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
Ship also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $23,006 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Ship Social Work Report
California University of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. California University of Pennsylvania is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Cal U also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal U is $19,117 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read full report on Social Work at Cal U
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
Bloomsburg also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg is $20,639 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Read more about Social Work at Bloomsburg
Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.
Temple also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $23,888 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 full report on Social Work at Temple
Lock Haven University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. LHU is a small school located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania that handed out 24 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
LHU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lock Haven University is $21,245 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Read more about Social Work at LHU
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kutztown University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,227 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Kutztown University.
Read full report on Social Work at Kutztown University
Marywood University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marywood University is a small school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 82 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Marywood not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $20,225 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Marywood University.
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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Marywood University
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Mansfield University is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mansfield University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $11,793 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Full Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 33 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
East Stroudsburg University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University is $20,141 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read full report on Social Work at East Stroudsburg University
With a ranking of #16, Carlow University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Carlow has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,190 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Carlow University.
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 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%. The impressive undergraduate 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 full report on Social Work at Carlow University
Lancaster Bible College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 15 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lancaster Bible College, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lancaster Bible College is $21,430 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read full report on Social Work at Lancaster Bible College
Cairn University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cairn, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cairn is $25,765 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Full Cairn University Social Work Report
Widener University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 282 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Widener has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $31,792 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Widener University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Widener
With a ranking of #20, Alvernia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Alvernia University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Reading, Pennsylvania. It awarded 35 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Alvernia also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $30,641 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Alvernia University.
Full Alvernia University Social Work Report
Eastern University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, EU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,011 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Eastern University.
Full Eastern University Social Work Report
Bryn Mawr College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bryn Mawr is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Bryn Mawr has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $34,118 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Bryn Mawr College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Social Work at Bryn Mawr College
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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
- *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
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