2025 Best Social Work Schools in Illinois
17
Colleges in Illinois
2,749
Social Work Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in
social work, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #9 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for social work students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,749 degrees in social work to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Social Work School

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. For our Best Overall Social Work School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
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
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Social Work in Illinois
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the social work degree levels they offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Social Work
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
200
Social Work Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in social work. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were about 200 social work students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in social work from University of Chicago
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IL
346
Social Work Degrees Awarded
Loyola University Chicago is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in social work. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 346 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
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Human Services - Child & Family Services
Program Name
Gain the fundamental tools required to improve the lives of children and families in crisis with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Human Services - Child & Family Services from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IL
251
Social Work Degrees Awarded
It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in social work. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.
There were approximately 251 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
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
766
Social Work Degrees Awarded
Any student pursuing a degree in social work needs to take a look at Aurora University. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Aurora. A Best Colleges rank of #348 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.
There were about 766 social work students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in social work from Aurora University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
229
Social Work Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 229 social work students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in social work from University of Illinois at Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In IL
78
Social Work Degrees Awarded
Illinois State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were about 78 social work students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in social work from Illinois State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In IL
Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 22 social work students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in social work from Western Illinois University
Bachelors
Degree Type
BA in Human Services
Program Name
Improve the lives of individuals, families and communities with the human service tools gained from this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BA in Human Services from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In IL
159
Social Work Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 59th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 159 social work students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern Illinois University in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in social work from Northeastern Illinois University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
17th
Most Popular In IL
Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Peoria. This university ranks 19th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 22 social work students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in social work from Bradley University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
69
Social Work Degrees Awarded
SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 69 social work students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in social work from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville