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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Plains States Region

30 Ranked Colleges
2,571 Degrees Awarded
$29,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States 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 Plains States region, there were 4,748 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,571 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,401 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in social work. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in social work.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region”.

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.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region master’s degree social work students.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in the Plains States Region

1
Clarke crest
Clarke University
Dubuque, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clarke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Clarke University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Dubuque, Iowa. It awarded 23 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Clarke University Social Work Report

2
Augsburg crest
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Augsburg University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 79 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Work at Augsburg

3
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #3 spot on the list. Walden University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 856 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Walden University

4
Newman University crest
Newman University
Wichita, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Newman University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Newman University

5
St. Ambrose University crest
Saint Ambrose University
Davenport, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Ambrose University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Davenport, Iowa, and it awarded 47 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at St. Ambrose University

6
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri 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 262 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at WUSTL

7
UST MN crest
University of St Thomas Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #7, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 115 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Work at UST MN

8

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school handed out 100 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Nebraska at Omaha

9
Washburn University crest
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas

With a ranking of #9, Washburn University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 39 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Work at Washburn University

10

With a ranking of #10, The College of Saint Scholastica did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 The College of Saint Scholastica Social Work Report

11
St. Kate's crest
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota

With a ranking of #11, St Catherine University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at St Catherine University

12
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #12. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 164 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full KU Social Work Report

13
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #13, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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 more about Social Work at University of North Dakota

14
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #14. Saint Louis University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 70 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Louis University

15
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at UMSL

16
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 69 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wichita State University Social Work Report

17

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 36 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Social Work at University of Minnesota - Duluth

18
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 36 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Cloud State University Social Work Report

19
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region list. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Social Work at UNI

20

Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 64 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Missouri State University - Springfield

21

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Social Work Report

22
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Park University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 28 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Work at Park University

23

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

24
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Work at Iowa

25

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Social Work Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 114 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

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