by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 28 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,258 master's degrees in social work during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of social work for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for social work students working on their master's degree.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in social work.
University of Southern California is a great option for individuals interested in a master's degree in social work. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
Soon after graduation, social work master's recipients generally earn an average of $61,298 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of Southern California
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in social work has to look into University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in social work from University of California - Berkeley
University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a good choice for students pursuing a master's degree in social work. Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Soon after graduation, social work master's recipients usually make an average of $61,696 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
San Diego State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the large city of San Diego.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career wages of $61,978.
More information about a master’s in social work from San Diego State University
CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach.
Those social work students who get their master's degree from California State University - Long Beach receive $3,623 more than the standard social work student.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the medium-sized city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population.
Those social work students who get their master's degree from California State University - San Bernardino receive $4,229 more than the typical social work graduate.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - San Bernardino
Portland State University is a very large public university located in the large city of Portland.
Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients typically earn an average of $57,241 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from Portland State University
Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.
Those social work students who get their master's degree from California State University - Sacramento earn $2,717 more than the average social work student.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Sacramento
Cal State LA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career wages of $64,869.
More information about a master’s in social work from California State University - Los Angeles
Located in the fringe town of Cheney, EWU is a public university with a fairly large student population.
After graduating, social work master's recipients usually earn around $57,493 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from Eastern Washington UniversityExplore the best social work colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 253 | 3,075 |
| Washington | 183 | 398 |
| Oregon | 158 | 304 |
| Nevada | 105 | 235 |
| Hawaii | 85 | 95 |
| Alaska | 52 | 27 |
Social Work is one of 0 different types of <nil> programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 4,209 |
| Other Social Work | 49 |
