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2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

25 Ranked Colleges
2,650 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 56,762 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social work is the 8th most popular major in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 2,650 social work graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social work program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Work (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 210 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $7,934 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UChicago Social Work Report

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 232 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $13,351 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Social Work Report

#3

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Land College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lake Land College is a small school located in Mattoon, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Land College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Land College is $6,770 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Lake Land College

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 248 diplomas to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,683 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Read more about Social Work at UIC

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,857 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield

#6

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 642 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $15,881 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Work at Aurora

#7

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Southwestern Illinois College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Belleville, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SWIC also took the #22 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SWIC is $8,720 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at SWIC

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 67 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Social Work Report

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Governors State University is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 92 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $11,872 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at Governors State University

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $15,912 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at WIU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 138 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,985 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Work at SIUC

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 174 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s social work degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Illinois State

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 37 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,220 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of St Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Francis Social Work Report

#15

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $17,841 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Social Work Report

#16

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Saint Augustine College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Augustine College is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Augustine College has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,013 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Augustine College.

Full Saint Augustine College Social Work Report

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 77 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Dominican U has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,582 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican U.

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 Dominican University

#18

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin is a small school located in Decatur, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $20,390 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Millikin

#19

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 24 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,023 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSU.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Work at Chicago State University

#20

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s social work students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k list, Bradley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $22,865 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Bradley

#21

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,295 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.

Read more about Social Work at Concordia University, Chicago

#22

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

NLU also made our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $16,888 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Work at National Louis University

#23

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 7 ’s social work degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,888 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Trinity Christian.

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. The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Full Trinity Christian Social Work Report

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 306 students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $32,259 for Illinois Social Work students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Work at Loyola University Chicago

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social work degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Work Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $28,075 for illinois social work students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 DePaul University

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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