2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
84
Ranked Colleges
10,408
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 58,326 people earned their degree in social work, making the major the 13th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, social work graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $37,651 and had an average of $26,679 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 10,408 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,459 and $27,818 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 84 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 175 students in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Chicago Social Work Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 403 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at U-M
Out of the 84 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 208 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW - Madison Social Work Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at UIUC
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 617 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IUPUI.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at IUPUI
With a ranking of #6, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 526 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Full Ohio State Social Work Report
Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 76 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for Great Lakes Region 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 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Michigan State
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Ball State University Social Work Report
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read more about Social Work at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 251 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,549 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago
Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Indiana University - South Bend is located in South Bend, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $5,504 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.
Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - South Bend
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 108 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,547 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Social Work Report
Indiana University - East came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - East is $5,516 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - East
Ferris State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 102 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Ferris State University is $6,577 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Work at Ferris
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 35 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for IU Northwest is $2,714 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at IU Northwest
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 119 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Whitewater also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $8,143 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Work at UW - Whitewater
With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Social Work Report
Wayne State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 454 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Wayne State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,060 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wayne State University.
Read full report on Social Work at Wayne State University
Oakland University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Oakland
Aurora University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 712 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Aurora also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $13,571 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Aurora Social Work Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Superior did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Superior is a small public school situated in Superior, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,360 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Superior.
Full University of Wisconsin - Superior Social Work Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,047 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Social Work Report
Grand Valley State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 227 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,259 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GVSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Grand Valley State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 254 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $11,973 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
With a ranking of #25, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,424 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Saginaw Valley State University Social Work Report
