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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

25 Ranked Colleges
2,654 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Illinois, there were 2,654 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,589 and $33,608 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in social work. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social work programs and cost less that 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.

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 Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 210 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Work at University of Chicago

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 #2 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 232 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Social Work at UIUC

#3

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Land College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lake Land College is a small public school situated in Mattoon, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Land College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $4,007 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Land College.

Read full report on Social Work at Lake Land College

#4

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Illinois College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. SWIC is a medium-sized school located in Belleville, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, SWIC has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $6,762 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southwestern Illinois College.

Read more about Social Work at Southwestern Illinois College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 248 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Social Work Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $8,323 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 67 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $9,938 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 642 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Aurora.

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%.

Full Aurora University Social Work Report

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 92 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,046 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at GSU

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, WIU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Work at Western Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 138 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,306 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Social Work Report

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 78 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Social Work at Illinois State

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 174 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Social Work Report

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 37 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,229 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of St Francis.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full University of Saint Francis Social Work Report

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 77 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,586 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dominican U Social Work Report

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $18,232 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Bradley University

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $15,390 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Olivet Nazarene University

#18

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Saint Augustine College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Augustine College is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

St. Augustine College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Augustine College is $12,491 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Saint Augustine College Social Work Report

#19

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Chicago State University is $11,844 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Work at Chicago State University

#20

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. National Louis University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

NLU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,403 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NLU.

Read full report on Social Work at NLU

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,692 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Millikin Social Work Report

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $15,406 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about Social Work at Concordia University, Chicago

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Palos Heights, Illinois. It awarded 7 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,918 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Trinity Christian College.

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. The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read more about Social Work at Trinity Christian

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 310 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $29,788 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Loyola University Chicago

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $25,842 for illinois social work students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at DePaul University

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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