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2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major

798 Ranked Colleges
57,401 Degrees Awarded
$34,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Social Work Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Social Work Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 57,401 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, social work is the 9th most popular major in the United States.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Social Work Major” ranking analyzed 798 colleges that offered a degree in social work. To top this list, a school must have a successful social work program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Social Work Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Social Work Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for social work students.

1
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 1,081 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Southern California

2
Fordham U crest
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fordham University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 1,058 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Fordham U Social Work Report

3

Out of the 798 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Work Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school handed out 985 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 UT Arlington Social Work Report

4
Walden University crest
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 798 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Work Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Walden University landed the #4 spot on the list. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 936 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Walden University

5
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Out of the 798 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Work Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #5 spot on the list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 784 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Rutgers New Brunswick

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 661 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Hunter

7
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 712 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Aurora

8

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 617 ’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 more about Social Work at IUPUI

9
Simmons crest
Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Simmons University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Simmons is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 574 ’s social work degrees 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%. 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.

Read more about Social Work at Simmons

10
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 555 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Social Work at NYU

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 526 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Social Work Report

12
DU crest
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

University of Denver came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 543 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at University of Denver

13

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 501 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Columbia University in the City of New York

14
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 453 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wayne State University Social Work Report

15

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 435 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Arizona State University - Tempe

16

University of Maryland - Baltimore ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. University of Maryland - Baltimore is a public institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 417 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Maryland - Baltimore Social Work Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 403 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Social Work Report

18

University of Central Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 386 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Work at UCF

19

Our Lady of the Lake University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. OLLU is a small school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 353 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Work at OLLU

20

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. 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 Louisiana State University

21

Portland State University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 341 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at Portland State University

22

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 330 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Work at UT Knoxville

23
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #23, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 326 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Utah

24
Salisbury crest
Salisbury University
Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Salisbury University is a medium-sized school located in Salisbury, Maryland that handed out 320 ’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 full report on Social Work at Salisbury

25
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 318 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Social Work at Boston U

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Social Work Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
TROY crest
Troy University
Troy, Alabama
27
28
29
30
31
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
32
33
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
34
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona
35
36
37
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The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
38
39
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Widener University
Chester, Pennsylvania
40
41
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
42
43
44
UK crest
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
45
UofL crest
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
46
Adelphi crest
Adelphi University
Garden City, New York
47
Campbellsville University crest
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, Kentucky
48
49
50
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Social Work Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Yeshiva UniversityNew York, NY
52University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
53The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX
54Eastern Michigan UniversityYpsilanti, MI
55University of HoustonHouston, TX
56Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
57University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
58University of KansasLawrence, KS
59Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
60University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
61Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
62Brandman UniversityIrvine, CA
63Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
64San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
65Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Spring Arbor UniversitySpring Arbor, MI
67University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
68Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
69San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
70University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
71Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA
72Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
73Edinboro University of PennsylvaniaEdinboro, PA
74University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
75Cleveland State UniversityCleveland, OH
76California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
76Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
78University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
79University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
80University of New EnglandBiddeford, ME
81Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
82Salem State UniversitySalem, MA
82Eastern Washington UniversityCheney, WA
82Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
85California State University - ChicoChico, CA
86University of ChicagoChicago, IL
87University of California - BerkeleyBerkeley, CA
88Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
89North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
90Western New Mexico UniversitySilver City, NM
RankCollegeLocation
91Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, OH
92Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL
93Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
93Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
93University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
96University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
97University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
98University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
98Rhode Island CollegeProvidence, RI
100University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
101California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
102Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC
102Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
102University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
105University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
106Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ
106California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
108University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
108University of Akron Main CampusAkron, OH
110Northern Kentucky UniversityHighland Heights, KY
111University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
112Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ
113West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
113Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, MI
115Jackson State UniversityJackson, MS
RankCollegeLocation
115Ramapo College of New JerseyMahwah, NJ
117University of IowaIowa City, IA
117Stephen F Austin State UniversityNacogdoches, TX
117Morgan State UniversityBaltimore, MD
117University of Washington - Seattle CampusSeattle, WA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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