2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region
51
Ranked Colleges
5,031
Degrees Awarded
$29,000
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 57,401 social work students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,126 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 5,031 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,892 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 51 colleges that offered a degree in social work. That schools that top this list have a program in social work in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree social work students.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 51 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Erikson Institute landed the #1 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Social Work at Erikson Institute
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Aurora University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 478 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Aurora
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Spring Arbor University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Spring Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 126 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Spring Arbor University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dominican University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Dominican U
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Case Western Reserve University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 197 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Social Work at Case Western
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 407 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read more about Social Work at IUPUI
With a ranking of #7, Madonna University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Livonia, Michigan, and it awarded 52 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Madonna University Social Work Report
Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 253 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at Loyola University Chicago
With a ranking of #9, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 326 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Social Work at Wayne State
Chicago State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Chicago State University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Chicago State University Social Work Report
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Marion, Indiana, and it awarded 156 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Social Work at IWU
Governors State University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Full Governors State University Social Work Report
Andrews University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Berrien Springs, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Andrews
With a ranking of #14, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 61 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Social Work Report
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 59 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Saginaw Valley State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Saginaw Valley State University
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 248 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 174 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Social Work Report
University of Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 166 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UChicago Social Work Report
With a ranking of #20, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Youngstown, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Social Work at Youngstown State University
With a ranking of #21, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 384 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full U-M Social Work Report
Cleveland State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 100 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Cleveland State University Social Work Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 356 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Social Work at Ohio State
University of St Francis ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 22 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Saint Francis
Grand Valley State University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Great Lakes Region list. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 115 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Grand Valley State University Social Work Report
college factual
