2025 Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in New York
Ranked #3 in popularity,
social work is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual reviewed 18 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of social work. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,612 master's degrees in social work during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Social Work School for Your Master's Degree
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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
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.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to social work students as compared to other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other social work students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
- Student Debt - How much debt social work students go into to obtain their master's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized social work related body.
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.
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 Best Social Work Master's Degree Schools in New York list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Social Work in New York
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for social work students seeking a a master's degree.
10 Top New York Schools for a Master's in Social Work
New York University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a master's degree in social work. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's recipients from the social work degree program at New York University get $2,661 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a master’s in social work from New York University
Fordham University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in social work. Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the social work program make around $56,761 in their early career salary.
More information about a master’s in social work from Fordham University
Hunter College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. Located in the large city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Social Work master's degree recipients from Hunter College earn a boost of around $5,536 over the average earnings of social work majors.
More information about a master’s in social work from Hunter College
Adelphi University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a master's degree in social work. Located in the suburb of Garden City, Adelphi is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.
Soon after graduation, social work master's recipients typically make about $55,681 in their early careers.
More information about a master’s in social work from Adelphi University
Located in the large suburb of Stony Brook, SUNY Stony Brook is a public university with a very large student population.
Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program report average early career income of $51,751.
More information about a master’s in social work from Stony Brook University
