2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s
320
Ranked Colleges
32,079
Degrees Awarded
$35,700
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 57,401 social work students received their degree, making the major the 9th most popular in the country.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 32,079 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s” ranking looked at 320 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.
Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s”.
Top 27 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Fordham University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Fordham University is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,036 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Fordham U
Out of the 320 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern California landed the #2 spot on the list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 888 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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 full report on Social Work at USC
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Walden University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 856 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.
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 Walden University
Out of the 320 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #4 spot on the list. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 705 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Social Work Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Arlington. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 679 masters’s social work degrees 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%.
Full The University of Texas at Arlington Social Work Report
Hunter College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 622 masters’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%.
Full Hunter College Social Work Report
Simmons University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Boston, Massachusetts 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 551 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Social Work at Simmons
New York University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. New York University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 501 masters’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 NYU
University of Denver ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. DU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 500 masters’s degrees 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 full report on Social Work at University of Denver
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 487 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Social Work Report
Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Aurora, Illinois 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 478 students 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 Aurora
University of Maryland - Baltimore came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. UMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 411 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Maryland - Baltimore
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 407 masters’s 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 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read more about Social Work at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 356 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Social Work at Ohio State
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 327 diplomas to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Louisiana State University
Wayne State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 326 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Social Work at Wayne State University
Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 315 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Boston U
Our Lady of the Lake University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 309 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Full OLLU Social Work Report
Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school handed out 292 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2020-2021.
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 ASU - Skysong
With a ranking of #21, Boston College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and it awarded 264 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Boston College
Widener University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Widener University is a medium-sized school located in Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 263 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%.
Full Widener Social Work Report
With a ranking of #23, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 262 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Social Work at Washington University in St Louis
Loyola University Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 253 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read more about Social Work at Loyola University Chicago
With a ranking of #25, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 masters’s 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%.
Full Portland State University Social Work Report
Stony Brook University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s ranking. SUNY Stony Brook is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Social Work at Stony Brook University
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 248 masters’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Social Work Report
Rest of the Best 47 in Most Well Attended Social Work Major for a Master’s
Not only did these schools make the top 47 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking: