Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

277 Ranked Colleges
32,385 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 32,385 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 277 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k)

Out of the 277 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 502 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at Columbia

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 277 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 199 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Chicago

#3

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Out of the 277 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 247 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, WUSTL has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562.

Read more about Social Work at Washington University in St Louis

#4

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Hunter is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 544 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Hunter also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at Hunter

#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 193 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at University of Pennsylvania

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 248 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Full UW Seattle Social Work Report

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 379 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 174 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cal State LA Social Work Report

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Full UCLA Social Work Report

#10

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 91 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UC Berkeley Social Work Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Read more about Social Work at UT Rio Grande Valley

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 99 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CSUDH Social Work Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 167 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW - Madison Social Work Report

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581.

Full California State University - Fresno Social Work Report

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Stanislaus

California State University - Long Beach landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 230 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.

Full CSULB Social Work Report

#17

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

With a ranking of #17, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Social Work Report

California State University - Fullerton landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 93 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - Fullerton

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 151 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Work at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#20

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 81 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman are $21,000, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Work at Lehman

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 124 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UMN Twin Cities also did well on our “Best Social Work Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845.

Read more about Social Work at UMN Twin Cities

California State University - Northridge landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school awarded 184 degrees to qualified masters’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955.

Full CSUN Social Work Report

#23

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 194 masters’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Florida are $28,657.

Read more about Social Work at University of Central Florida

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 103 masters’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CSUSB are $17,936.

Read more about Social Work at California State University - San Bernardino

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social work degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Social Work Report

Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Social Work Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#29

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#31

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#32

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#33

Western New Mexico University

Silver City, New Mexico
#35

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#37

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#38

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#40

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, New York
#41

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

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.

Credits

Featured Social Work Schools

Find Schools Near You