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2024 Best Social Work Schools

435 Colleges in the United States
57,401 Social Work Degrees Awarded
Ranked #9 in popularity, social work is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 435 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Social Work Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 57,401 degrees in social work to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Work School

Best Social Work Schools The social work program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Social Work rankings. We derive our Best Overall Social Work School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Social Work Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Work
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Work
Master's Degrees in Social Work
Doctor's Degrees in Social Work

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Social Work Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Social Work in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social work degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Social Work

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
1,081 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in social work needs to look into University of Southern California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1081 social work students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Southern California

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In CA
197 Social Work Degrees Awarded

University of California - Berkeley is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in social work. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 197 social work students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
175 Social Work Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in social work. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 175 social work students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Chicago

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NY
501 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Columbia University in the City of New York is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in social work. Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 501 social work students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In NY
555 Social Work Degrees Awarded

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 555 social work students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from New York University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MD
417 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UMB is a moderately-sized public university located in the large city of Baltimore.

There were about 417 social work students who graduated with this degree at UMB in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Maryland - Baltimore

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
267 Social Work Degrees Awarded

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were roughly 267 social work students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from Washington University in St Louis

8
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In PA
180 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 180 social work students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Pennsylvania

9
Yeshiva crest
Yeshiva University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In NY
242 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of New York, Yeshiva is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 17th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 242 social work students who graduated with this degree at Yeshiva in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Yeshiva University

10
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MA
318 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 318 social work students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Boston University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In CA
92 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 92 social work students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of California - Los Angeles

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
403 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 403 social work students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WA
140 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 140 social work students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CO
543 Social Work Degrees Awarded

DU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Denver. This university ranks 3rd out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were about 543 social work students who graduated with this degree at DU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Denver

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
784 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of New Brunswick, Rutgers New Brunswick is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 44 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were approximately 784 social work students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TX
237 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 237 social work students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from The University of Texas at Austin

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In WI
208 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 208 social work students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Wisconsin - Madison

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AZ
435 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 435 social work students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Arizona State University - Tempe

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
526 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 526 social work students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Ohio State University - Main Campus

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL
226 Social Work Degrees Awarded

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 226 social work students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MA
574 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 13th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 574 social work students who graduated with this degree at Simmons in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Simmons University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NY
1,058 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Fordham U is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Bronx. This university ranks 10th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 1058 social work students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Fordham University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL
317 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. This university ranks 4th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 317 social work students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago

24
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In UT
326 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City, U of U is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were approximately 326 social work students who graduated with this degree at U of U in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Utah

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In CA
201 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 201 social work students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in social work from San Diego State University

Rest of the Top Best Social Work Schools

26
27
28
29
30
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, NY
31
32

33

34
35
36
37
38
39
40
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
41
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA

42
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA

43
44
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
45
46
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, PA
47
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
48
49
50

 

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Social Work Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 435 different United States social work schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Georgia Athens, GA
52 University of Maryland - Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
53 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
54 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
55 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
56 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
57 Capella University Minneapolis, MN
58 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
59 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
60 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
61 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
62 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
62 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
63 St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN
64 Florida International University Miami, FL
65 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Social Work students that almost earned our Best Social Work Schools award.

Rank College Location
66 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
67 Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA
68 Baylor University Waco, TX
69 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
70 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
71 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
72 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
73 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
74 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
75 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
76 Smith College Northampton, MA
77 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
78 Seattle University Seattle, WA
79 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
80 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
81 California Baptist University Riverside, CA
82 Anna Maria College Paxton, MA
83 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
84 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
85 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
86 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
87 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ

Social Work by Region

View the Best Social Work Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 3 majors within the Social Work area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Social Work

Related Major Annual Graduates
Child Advocacy & Policy 485
Other Social Work 440

View All Social Work Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
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Degree Guides by Major
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