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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

27 Ranked Colleges
782 Degrees Awarded
$22,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,457 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,325 and $31,526 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 782 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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered 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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

#1

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Mansfield University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University is $19,065 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#2

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, Edinboro has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Social Work at Edinboro

#3

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 60 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Social Work at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#4

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Bloomsburg is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bloomsburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#5

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a public institution located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend SRU.

Read full report on Social Work at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#6

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. LHU is located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

LHU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lock Haven University is $20,506 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at LHU

#7

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Kutztown University also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Kutztown University

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

#9

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Ship also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,054 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Ship.

Full Ship Social Work Report

#10

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millersville is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Millersville also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,350 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Full Millersville Social Work Report

#11

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Temple University is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 54 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,521 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid per year to attend Temple.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Temple Social Work Report

#12

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $19,855 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#13

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Cal U is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

Cal U also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $18,154 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Cal U

#14

Lancaster Bible College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Bible College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lancaster Bible College is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lancaster Bible College, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lancaster Bible College is $22,349 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

Read more about Social Work at Lancaster Bible College

#15

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #15, Carlow University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social work students in 2019-2020.

Carlow not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Carlow is $20,002 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Carlow University

#16

Gannon University

Erie, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Gannon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Gannon is a small school located in Erie, Pennsylvania that handed out 3 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Gannon also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gannon University is $21,431 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Gannon University Social Work Report

#17

Cairn University

Langhorne, Pennsylvania

Cairn University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Cairn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Cairn University is $21,859 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

Read full report on Social Work at Cairn University

#18

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elizabethtown College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Etown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Elizabethtown College is $26,937 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Social Work at Etown

#19

Cedar Crest College

Allentown, Pennsylvania

Cedar Crest College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cedar Crest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cedar Crest also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cedar Crest College is $21,520 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Work at Cedar Crest College

#20

Seton Hill University

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Seton Hill University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Seton Hill is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Seton Hill also made our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Seton Hill is $23,620 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Seton Hill

#21

La Salle University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #21, La Salle University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

La Salle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,763 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend La Salle.

Read more about Social Work at La Salle University

#22

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Marywood University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marywood University is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s social work degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Marywood University is $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid.

The 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 Marywood University

#23

Eastern University

Saint Davids, Pennsylvania

Eastern University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social work students with aid list, EU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,284 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend EU.

Read full report on Social Work at EU

#24

Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Gwynedd Mercy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Gwynedd - Mercy is a small school located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania that handed out 3 bachelors’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Gwynedd - Mercy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,124 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid per year to attend Gwynedd Mercy University.

Read more about Social Work at Gwynedd Mercy University

#25

Saint Francis University

Loretto, Pennsylvania

Saint Francis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Loretto, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social work degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Francis is $28,643 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Work students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Saint Francis

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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