2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
84
Ranked Colleges
10,408
Degrees Awarded
$8,600
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Social Work is the 13th most popular major in the country with 58,326 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 84 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social work program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools
The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.
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 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $4,777 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Chicago Social Work Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 403 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 U-M
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 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 yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Social Work at UW - Madison
Out of the 84 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 617 degrees to qualified ’s social work students 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. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $8,216 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Social Work at IUPUI
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 226 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Social Work Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. 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 took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,581 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Ohio State
Indiana University - South Bend did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Indiana University - South Bend is a small school located in South Bend, Indiana that handed out 47 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $6,544 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Indiana University - South Bend Social Work Report
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Social Work at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 251 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago Social Work Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 108 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
UW - Eau Claire also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,658 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Read more about Social Work at UW - Eau Claire
Ball State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 81 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ball State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $10,786 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 full report on Social Work at Ball State
Indiana University - East came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - East is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $6,831 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - East.
Read full report on Social Work at Indiana University - East
Indiana University - Northwest did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Indiana University - Northwest is a small public school situated in Gary, Indiana. It awarded 35 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,534 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Northwest.
Full IU Northwest Social Work Report
Oakland University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,839 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full Oakland Social Work Report
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 119 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,390 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read full report on Social Work at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Wayne State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 454 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Wayne State also made our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $11,414 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Wayne State Social Work Report
Aurora University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 712 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students 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 University is $13,273 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 #18, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,482 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at UIS
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 57 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Stevens Point also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $9,052 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Social Work at UW - Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Superior is a small public school situated in Superior, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Superior is $10,068 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full UW - Superior Social Work Report
Youngstown State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Youngstown, Ohio, and it awarded 164 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $9,972 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Social Work at Youngstown State University
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 24 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $9,478 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Social Work Report
With a ranking of #23, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 227 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Social Work at Grand Valley State University
Stark State College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stark State College is a public institution located in North Canton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Stark State College is $7,437 for Great Lakes Region Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Social Work at Stark State College
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 64 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,825 for great lakes region social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Full SIUE Social Work Report
