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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

27 Ranked Colleges
782 Degrees Awarded
$17,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,457 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,325 and $31,526 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 782 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in social work. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social work programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

#1

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Mansfield, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Mansfield University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University is $15,083 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Mansfield University

#2

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $14,088 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at SRU

#3

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Edinboro also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $13,169 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#4

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, WCUPA has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $16,531 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at WCUPA

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,075 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Work at Pitt

#6

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 53 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bloomsburg, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,638 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report

#7

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,315 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Temple University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Social Work at Temple University

#8

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elizabethtown College is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Etown also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elizabethtown College is $19,191 for pennsylvania 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 low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Elizabethtown College

#9

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Millersville is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Millersville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millersville is $16,878 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Millersville Social Work Report

#10

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #10, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. LHU is a small public school situated in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It awarded 24 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

LHU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,690 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend LHU.

Read full report on Social Work at Lock Haven University

#11

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ship is a public institution located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ship has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ship is $16,461 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at Ship

#12

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. California University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in California, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal U also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California University of Pennsylvania is $14,841 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Cal U

#13

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kutztown University is a medium-sized school located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania that handed out 65 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $17,384 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kutztown University.

Read full report on Social Work at Kutztown University

#14

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Carlow also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Carlow University is $16,666 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Social Work at Carlow University

#15

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania

Gannon University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Erie, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Gannon has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gannon University is $16,984 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Social Work at Gannon

#16

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,975 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Social Work at East Stroudsburg University

#17

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Bible College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Lancaster Bible College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lancaster Bible College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,669 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lancaster Bible College.

Full Lancaster Bible College Social Work Report

#18

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Cedar Crest College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,693 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cedar Crest College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Social Work at Cedar Crest

#19

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania

Saint Francis University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Saint Francis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,504 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Saint Francis.

The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 96%.

Read full report on Social Work at Saint Francis

#20

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Marywood University is $17,062 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Marywood University

#21

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania

Cairn University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Langhorne, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Cairn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Cairn University is $16,977 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Cairn University

#22

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Seton Hill University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Seton Hill University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Seton Hill, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,577 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Seton Hill.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 Seton Hill University

#23

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

La Salle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend La Salle is $22,756 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full La Salle University Social Work Report

#24

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

Gwynedd Mercy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Gwynedd - Mercy has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gwynedd Mercy University is $20,979 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Gwynedd - Mercy Social Work Report

#25

Eastern University

Saint Davids, Pennsylvania

Eastern University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

EU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend EU is $21,610 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at EU

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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