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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

35 Ranked Colleges
2,174 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 57,618 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 12th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,459 and had an average of $30,084 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 7,074 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,332 and $30,809 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,174 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in social work. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social work programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 224 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Los Angeles

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UC Berkeley

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Social Work Report

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 119 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at California State University - Fresno

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Long Beach

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 106 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at SDSU

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $5,077 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at CSUSB

#8

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington

With a ranking of #8, Heritage University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Heritage University is a small school located in Toppenish, Washington that handed out 59 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Heritage University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Heritage University is $9,633 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Work at Heritage University

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,378 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNLV.

Read more about Social Work at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#10

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

EWU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $8,473 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at EWU

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 244 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Sac State

#12

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Fairbanks, Alaska

With a ranking of #12, University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAF is a medium-sized public school situated in Fairbanks, Alaska. It awarded 17 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Alaska Fairbanks is $7,133 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Alaska Fairbanks Social Work Report

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school awarded 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $11,587 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Nevada - Reno

#14

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #14, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $11,123 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at SFSU

#15

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State University is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $10,940 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at San Jose State University

#16

University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska

University of Alaska Anchorage landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Anchorage, Alaska, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,986 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UAA.

Read full report on Social Work at UAA

#17

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 118 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Portland State University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $11,198 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Portland State University.

Full Portland State University Social Work Report

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $10,260 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Chico

California State University - East Bay came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,036 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Social Work Report

#20

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, Washington

Pacific Lutheran University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Tacoma, Washington, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

PLU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for PLU is $17,344 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Pacific Lutheran University

#21

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,986 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH Manoa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Hawaii at Manoa

#22

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 52 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,263 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Social Work at Humboldt State University

#23

Saint Martin's University

Lacey, Washington

With a ranking of #23, Saint Martin’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saint Martin’s University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lacey, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Saint Martin’s has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Martin’s University is $17,804 for far western us region bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Martin’s University

#24

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno Pacific is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 79 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno Pacific is $11,410 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Fresno Pacific University

With a ranking of #25, University of Washington - Tacoma Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Tacoma Campus is a public institution located in Tacoma, Washington. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Tacoma is $6,545 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at UW Tacoma

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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