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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania

27 Ranked Colleges
782 Degrees Awarded
$22,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

Across Pennsylvania, there were 2,428 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 782 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 27 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Pennsylvania” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SRU is $19,926 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WCUPA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend WCUPA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#4

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Kutztown University

#5

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lock Haven University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. LHU is a public institution located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

LHU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Lock Haven University is $20,506 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Lock Haven University

#6

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Edinboro also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Full Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#7

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Ship also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Full Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#8

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Millersville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millersville, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millersville is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read full report on Social Work at Millersville University of Pennsylvania

#9

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Mansfield University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $19,065 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Social Work at Mansfield University

#10

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. California, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Cal U has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Read more about Social Work at Cal U

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pitt Social Work Report

#12

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

Temple University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #12. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 54 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Temple has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Temple University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at Temple

#13

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University.

Read full report on Social Work at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#14

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Lancaster Bible College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Lancaster Bible College has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lancaster Bible College is $22,349 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Full Lancaster Bible College Social Work Report

#15

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Cairn University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #15. Cairn is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. It awarded 21 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cairn also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $21,859 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Cairn University.

Read full report on Social Work at Cairn University

#16

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Elizabethtown College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Etown is a small school located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania that handed out 10 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Etown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $26,937 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend Etown.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Social Work at Etown

#17

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Carlow University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Carlow University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Carlow also took the #24 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carlow University is $20,002 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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.

Read full report on Social Work at Carlow

#18

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

La Salle University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. La Salle University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at La Salle, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,763 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students per year to attend La Salle.

Read full report on Social Work at La Salle

#19

Eastern University

Saint Davids, Pennsylvania
#20 in overall quality

Eastern University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

EU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EU is $22,284 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

Full EU Social Work Report

#20

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Gannon University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gannon, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gannon is $21,431 for Pennsylvania 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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Gannon University

#21

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Gwynedd Mercy University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Gwynedd - Mercy is a small school located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania that handed out 3 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Gwynedd - Mercy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Gwynedd Mercy University is $24,124 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

Full Gwynedd Mercy University Social Work Report

#22

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Seton Hill University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Seton Hill is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 10 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Seton Hill also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Seton Hill is $23,620 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Seton Hill University Social Work Report

#23

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

Saint Francis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #23. Saint Francis is a small school located in Loretto, Pennsylvania that handed out 7 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Francis is $28,643 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at Saint Francis

#24

Alvernia University

Reading, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Alvernia University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Alvernia University is located in Reading, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students list, Alvernia has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $27,851 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students per year to attend Alvernia University.

Full Alvernia Social Work Report

#25

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Marywood University is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Marywood is $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Marywood

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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.

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