2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois
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” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree 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.
Featured schools near , edit
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 Illinois”.
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
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.
Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 51 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
WIU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
Read full report on Social Work at Western Illinois University
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Augustine College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
St. Augustine College also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend St. Augustine College is $12,193 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
Read more about Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 132 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read full report on Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University
Governors State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
GSU also took the #13 spot 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.
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social work students list, UIS has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.
With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 47 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend SIUC.
Read more about Social Work at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Aurora University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students 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%.
With a ranking of #11, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
NLU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NLU is $14,957 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
Bradley University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.
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%.
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students 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. It costs about $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Olivet Nazarene.
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%.
University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work 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 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%.
Trinity Christian College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Trinity Christian College is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,904 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Trinity Christian.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Trinity Christian College
Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
Read more about Social Work at Concordia University, Chicago
Millikin University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Millikin University is located in Decatur, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree social work students.
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.
With a ranking of #18, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.
Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Social Work students in the state of Illinois
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois
Social Work students in Illinois
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Social Work Schools
Social Work students in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
Social Work students with family income less than $30k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois
Social Work students with family income $48-$75k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income Over $110k) in Illinois
Social Work students with family income exceeding $110k in Illinois
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Social Work Graduates in Illinois
Social Work students in Illinois
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois
Social Work students in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois (With Aid)
Social Work students getting aid in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois
Social Work students with family income $30-$48k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois
Social Work students with family income $75-$110k in Illinois
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois
Social Work students in Illinois
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.
Featured Social Work Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |