2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
22
Ranked Colleges
2,266
Degrees Awarded
$23,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,266 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,199 and $27,340 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid”.
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. 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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Social Work in Pennsylvania (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 180 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
UPenn also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,046 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at UPenn
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools 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. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 188 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Edinboro has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,363 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read full report on Social Work at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social work degrees to 246 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Work at Pitt
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 142 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, WCUPA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WCUPA is $21,484 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Work at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,927 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #6, Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 136 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
Millersville also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Millersville is $23,133 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Millersville University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 65 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Ship has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,006 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
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%.
Read full report on Social Work at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
California University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 59 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Cal U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for California University of Pennsylvania is $19,117 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Full Cal U Social Work Report
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bloomsburg is a public institution located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Bloomsburg has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,639 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Bloomsburg.
Full Bloomsburg Social Work Report
With a ranking of #10, Temple University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Temple University is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 169 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Temple is $23,888 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Work at Temple
Lock Haven University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. LHU is a public institution located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, LHU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for LHU is $21,245 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read more about Social Work at LHU
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania that handed out 90 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kutztown University, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,227 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Kutztown University.
Full Kutztown University Social Work Report
With a ranking of #13, Marywood University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Marywood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania social work students with aid list, Marywood has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,225 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid per year to attend Marywood.
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 Marywood University
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mansfield University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $11,793 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Full Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Social Work Report
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 33 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
East Stroudsburg University also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $20,141 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Read more about Social Work at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #16, Carlow University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Carlow not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,190 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Carlow.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Carlow University Social Work Report
Lancaster Bible College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lancaster Bible College is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Lancaster Bible College also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $21,430 for pennsylvania social work students with aid per year to attend Lancaster Bible College.
Read more about Social Work at Lancaster Bible College
Cairn University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cairn University is located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.
Cairn also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Cairn University is $25,765 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
Full Cairn University Social Work Report
Widener University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Widener University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 282 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Widener not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Widener is $31,792 for pennsylvania social work students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Social Work at Widener
With a ranking of #20, Alvernia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Alvernia is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Reading, Pennsylvania. It awarded 35 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Alvernia, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Alvernia is $30,641 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read more about Social Work at Alvernia University
Eastern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Eastern University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Davids, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2020-2021.
EU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for EU is $24,011 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Read full report on Social Work at Eastern University
Bryn Mawr College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 66 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2020-2021.
Bryn Mawr not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Bryn Mawr College is $34,118 for Pennsylvania Social Work students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Bryn Mawr Social Work Report
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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
- *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
