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

13 Ranked Colleges
598 Degrees Awarded
$17,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Virginia, there were 951 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,492 and $31,406 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 598 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 Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

JMU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $14,196 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend JMU.

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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at JMU

#2

Radford University

Radford, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Radford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Radford is located in Radford, Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Radford, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,071 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Radford University.

Read full report on Social Work at Radford

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $16,768 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at VCU

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, GMU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GMU is $16,204 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Work at GMU

#5

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Christopher Newport University landed the #5 spot on the list. CNU is a small school located in Newport News, Virginia that handed out 17 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, CNU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CNU is $16,529 for Virginia 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at CNU

#6

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Norfolk State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Norfolk State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 56 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Norfolk State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Norfolk State is $11,277 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Norfolk State

#7

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Eastern Mennonite University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Mennonite also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Mennonite University is $22,935 for Virginia 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.

Read more about Social Work at Eastern Mennonite University

#8

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, Virginia

With a ranking of #8, Mary Baldwin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mary Baldwin University is a small school located in Staunton, Virginia that handed out 22 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Mary Baldwin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mary Baldwin is $15,218 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Mary Baldwin University Social Work Report

#9

Ferrum College

Ferrum, Virginia

Ferrum College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ferrum College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ferrum, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferrum College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $19,806 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ferrum College.

Read more about Social Work at Ferrum College

#10

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #10, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Petersburg, Virginia, this small public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Virginia State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State is $15,586 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Work at Virginia State University

#11

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

VUU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $20,636 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend VUU.

Read more about Social Work at VUU

#12

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Beach, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VWU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Wesleyan University is $20,816 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Work at VWU

#13

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Liberty University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 154 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, Liberty University has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Liberty University is $27,896 for virginia bachelor’s degree social work students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Liberty University Social Work Report

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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