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2025 Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region

40 Colleges in the Plains States Region
4,954 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$44,119 Avg Early-Career Salary
Social Work is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #13 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 40 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of social work. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,954 degrees in social work annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Work School

Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region Your choice of social work school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for social work schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Social Work Rankings by 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

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 the Best Social Work Schools in the Plains States Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Social Work in the Plains States Region

The schools below may not offer all types of social work degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Social Work

1
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
189 Social Work Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

University of Iowa is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in social work. Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.

There were about 189 social work students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent year we have data available. Those social work students who get their degree from University of Iowa make $2,748 more than the average social work student.

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

2
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
232 Social Work Degrees Awarded
3.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Kansas is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in social work. KU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Lawrence. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means KU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 232 social work students who graduated with this degree at KU in the most recent data year. Those social work students who get their degree from University of Kansas earn $5,876 more than the typical social work student.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$50,632 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in social work has to look into University of Missouri - Columbia. Mizzou is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #131 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Mizzou is a great university overall.

There were roughly 26 social work students who graduated with this degree at Mizzou in the most recent year we have data available. Social Work degree recipients from University of Missouri - Columbia earn a boost of approximately $6,513 above the average income of social work majors.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Missouri - Columbia

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$43,471 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in social work has to look into Minnesota State University - Moorhead. MSU Moorhead is a small public university located in the suburb of Moorhead. This university ranks 30th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 56 social work students who graduated with this degree at MSU Moorhead in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social work program earn about $43,471 for their early career.

More information about a degree in social work from Minnesota State University - Moorhead

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 Social Work Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Winona State is a moderately-sized public university located in the distant town of Winona. A Best Colleges rank of #330 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Winona State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 85 social work students who graduated with this degree at Winona State 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 $44,546.

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

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Social Work Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #270 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.

There were roughly 134 social work students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, social work degree recipients typically earn about $44,610 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social work from University of Northern Iowa

7
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN

St. Olaf is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Northfield. A Best Colleges rank of #301 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means St. Olaf is a great college overall.

There were about 14 social work students who graduated with this degree at St. Olaf in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, social work degree recipients generally make around $45,146 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in social work from St Olaf College

8
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Social Work Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

SLU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #243 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SLU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 social work students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social work major at Saint Louis University make $4,151 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social work from Saint Louis University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 Social Work Degrees Awarded
$57,216 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Grand Forks, UND is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #335 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UND is a great university overall.

There were approximately 135 social work students who graduated with this degree at UND in the most recent year we have data available. Social Work degree recipients from University of North Dakota receive an earnings boost of around $13,097 above the typical income of social work graduates.

More information about a degree in social work from University of North Dakota

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
98 Social Work Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #412 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were approximately 98 social work students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent data year. Those social work students who get their degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato earn $3,943 more than the average social work student.

More information about a degree in social work from Minnesota State University - Mankato

Best Social Work Colleges by State

Explore the best social work colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 2,131
Missouri 283 920
Kansas 266 623
Iowa 264 519
Nebraska 238 256
North Dakota 210 258
South Dakota 204 20

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the <nil> area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Social Work Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 4,902
Other Social Work 50
Child Advocacy & Policy 2

View All Social Work Focus Areas >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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