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2025 Best Social Work Schools in Ohio

22 Colleges in Ohio
2,512 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$44,119 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #13 in popularity, social work is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 22 schools in Ohio to determine which ones were the best for social work students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,512 degrees in social work to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Work School

Best Social Work Schools in Ohio The social work program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Social Work rankings. We derive our Best Overall Social Work School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Social Work Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Work
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Work
Master's Degrees in Social Work
Doctor's Degrees in Social Work

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Work Schools in Ohio list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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. 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Social Work in Ohio

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social work degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Ohio Schools in Social Work

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
593 Social Work Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in social work. Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 593 social work students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Those social work students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus make $2,001 more than the standard social work graduate.

More information about a degree in social work from Ohio State University - Main Campus

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 Social Work Degrees Awarded
22.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in social work. Located in the city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 158 social work students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program state that they receive average early career earnings of $46,093.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$40,959 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Bowling Green State University - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in social work. Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #547 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means BGSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 73 social work students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, social work degree recipients typically make around $40,959 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social work from Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$42,412 Median Starting Salary

Miami University - Oxford is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in social work. Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 59 social work students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social work program make about $42,412 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in social work from Miami University - Oxford

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
167 Social Work Degrees Awarded
17.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Athens, OHIO Athens is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 167 social work students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program report average early career earnings of $42,417.

More information about a degree in social work from Ohio University - Athens Campus

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$44,043 Median Starting Salary

University of Toledo is a large public university located in the city of Toledo. A Best Colleges rank of #510 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Toledo is a great university overall.

There were about 86 social work students who graduated with this degree at University of Toledo in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients typically make an average of $44,043 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Toledo

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$42,357 Median Starting Salary

Youngstown State University is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Youngstown. This university ranks 39th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 147 social work students who graduated with this degree at Youngstown State University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program report average early career wages of $42,357.

More information about a degree in social work from Youngstown State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$43,122 Median Starting Salary

Cleveland State University is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cleveland. This university ranks 54th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 165 social work students who graduated with this degree at Cleveland State University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social work program state that they receive average early career income of $43,122.

More information about a degree in social work from Cleveland State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In OH
122 Social Work Degrees Awarded

Sinclair Community College is a large public college located in the midsize city of Dayton. A Best Colleges rank of #552 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sinclair Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 122 social work students who graduated with this degree at Sinclair Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in social work from Sinclair Community College

10
Cedarville crest
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH

Cedarville is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Cedarville. A Best Colleges rank of #974 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cedarville is a great university overall.

There were about 18 social work students who graduated with this degree at Cedarville in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients usually earn about $35,967 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social work from Cedarville University

Best Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 2,369
Illinois 304 2,638
Indiana 294 1,544
Wisconsin 273 1,039

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Social Work Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 2,512

View All Social Work Concentrations >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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