by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in the New England Region to determine which ones were the best for social work students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,643 master's degrees in social work during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The social work master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality social work program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full 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.
The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in the New England Region.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in social work.
It is difficult to beat Simmons University if you want to pursue a master's degree in social work. Located in the city of Boston, Simmons is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career earnings of $56,039.
More information about a master’s in social work from Simmons University
University of Connecticut is a great choice for individuals pursuing a master's degree in social work. UCONN is a very large public university located in the town of Storrs.
Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients typically make about $55,081 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of Connecticut
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in social work needs to take a look at Rhode Island College. RIC is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Providence.
Master's students who receive their degree from the social work program earn around $54,937 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a master’s in social work from Rhode Island College
University of New Hampshire - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. Located in the town of Durham, UNH is a public university with a large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program report average early career earnings of $53,279.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of New Hampshire - Main Campus
Located in the large suburb of Fairfield, Sacred Heart is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career income of $53,796.
More information about a master’s in social work from Sacred Heart University
Salem State is a medium-sized public university located in the suburb of Salem.
Social Work master's degree recipients from Salem State University earn a boost of about $4,329 above the typical income of social work majors.
More information about a master’s in social work from Salem State University
Westfield is a small public university located in the suburb of Westfield.
Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients usually earn around $56,882 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a master’s in social work from Westfield State University
Located in the city of New Haven, SCSU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program report average early career income of $54,551.
More information about a master’s in social work from Southern Connecticut State University
Located in the suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater State is a public university with a medium-sized student population.
Social Work master's degree recipients from Bridgewater State University earn a boost of approximately $6,685 over the average earnings of social work graduates.
More information about a master’s in social work from Bridgewater State University
Located in the city of West Hartford, USJ is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program state that they receive average early career income of $54,801.
More information about a master’s in social work from University of Saint JosephExplore the best social work colleges for a specific state in the New England Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 222 | 1,649 |
| Connecticut | 153 | 392 |
| Rhode Island | 127 | 82 |
| New Hampshire | 108 | 87 |
| Vermont | 91 | 36 |
| Maine | 90 | 265 |
One of 0 majors within the <nil> area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 2,630 |
| Child Advocacy & Policy | 13 |
