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2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois

17 Colleges in Illinois
1,729 Master's Degrees
$39,973 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, social work is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 17 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the most popular for master's degree seekers in the field of social work. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,729 master's degrees in social work during the 2019-2020 academic year.

What's on this page: * Other Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Work School for Your Master's Degree

Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois Your choice of school for getting your master's degree in social work matters. As an aid in helping you pick the right school for you, we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Social Work in Illinois ranking.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for social work, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

More Ways to Rank Social Work Schools

Associate Degrees in Social Work
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Work
Doctor's Degrees in Social Work
Overall Popularity in Social Work

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. Plus, you can view our other rankings for social work.


 

Explore the most popular colleges and universities for social work students seeking a a master's degree.

10 Most Well Attended Schools for Social Work Students Working on Their Master's

1
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
460 Annual Master's Degrees
#4 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

Aurora University is one of the most popular schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social work. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Aurora. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #4 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were approximately 460 social work students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent year we have data available.

Students who graduate with their master's from the social work program report average early career wages of $41,300.

More information about a master’s in social work from Aurora University

2
249 Annual Master's Degrees
#5 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at Loyola University Chicago if you want to pursue a master's degree in social work. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #5 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were about 249 social work individuals who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available.

Social Work master's degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago get an earnings boost of about $2,627 over the average income of social work graduates.

More information about a master’s in social work from Loyola University Chicago

3
248 Annual Master's Degrees
#6 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

University of Illinois at Chicago is one of the most popular schools in the country for getting a master's degree in social work. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #6 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were roughly 248 social work students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the social work program earn an average of $40,600 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in social work from University of Illinois at Chicago

4
199 Annual Master's Degrees
#1 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

You'll be surrounded by many like-minded peers at University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in social work. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. You also may be intersted to know that the school ranks #1 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were approximately 199 social work individuals who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

Social Work master's degree recipients from University of Chicago receive an earnings boost of about $3,727 over the average earnings of social work graduates.

More information about a master’s in social work from University of Chicago

5
151 Annual Master's Degrees
#2 Best Quality In IL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #2 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were about 151 social work students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available.

Soon after graduating, social work master's recipients usually make about $40,700 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in social work from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6
91 Annual Master's Degrees
#10 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

SIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Carbondale.

There were approximately 91 social work individuals who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the social work program earn an average of $36,400 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a master’s in social work from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

7
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
77 Annual Master's Degrees
#8 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #8 in quality for master's degrees in social work in Illinois.

There were about 77 social work individuals who graduated with this degree at Dominican U in the most recent year we have data available.

Master's graduates who receive their degree from the social work program make an average of $40,500 for their early career.

More information about a master’s in social work from Dominican University

8
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, IL
48 Annual Master's Degrees
#13 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 48 social work individuals who graduated with this degree at GSU in the most recent data year.

Master's students who receive their degree from the social work program make about $39,100 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a master’s in social work from Governors State University

9
42 Annual Master's Degrees
#14 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Located in the large city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

There were roughly 42 social work students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern Illinois University in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in social work from Northeastern Illinois University

10
29 Annual Master's Degrees
#11 Best Quality In IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

There were about 29 social work students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year.

After graduation, social work master's recipients typically earn about $36,500 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a master’s in social work from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Best Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Social Work Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 203 1,297
Ohio 195 1,020
Indiana 181 502
Wisconsin 166 396

View All Rankings >

One of 5 majors within the Public Administration & Social Service area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Social Work Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 1,729

Majors Similar to Social Work

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 426
Public Policy 382
Community Organization & Advocacy 54
Human Services 51
Other Public Administration 7

Notes and References

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