College Rankings

Best Social Work Schools

The top 25 of 338 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Social Work degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.

Is Social Work worth it?

A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) is a highly reliable path to employment, but it is not a path to wealth—making your choice of undergraduate institution a strict math problem. The financial payoff exists almost exclusively at heavily subsidized, commuter-friendly public universities. If you take on massive private student loans for a BSW, the math falls apart immediately. The catch is that social work is fundamentally a graduate-driven profession. The elite, marquee programs in this field—think Columbia, the University of Michigan, or WashU—are almost entirely at the master's level (MSW). An undergraduate BSW from a regional public school is incredibly valuable because it qualifies you for "advanced standing" in those elite MSW programs, effectively cutting your graduate school time and tuition in half. This ranking highlights the best-value undergraduate stepping stones, keeping your debt rock-bottom so you can afford the graduate degree that actually unlocks clinical licensure and higher pay ceilings.

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#	School	State	Score	Median earnings	Net price / yr	10-yr net ROI
1	San Francisco State University	CA	67	$48,750	$12,278†	+$438K
2	CUNY York College	NY	66	$44,742	$4,456†	+$430K
3	University of California-Berkeley	CA	64	$44,906	$13,481†	+$395K
4	CUNY Medgar Evers College	NY	64	$44,311	$5,718†	+$420K
5	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	NV	63	$44,427	$10,359†	+$403K
6	California State University-Long Beach	CA	62	$42,925	$10,440†	+$387K
7	CUNY Lehman College	NY	62	$42,300	$3,148†	+$410K
8	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus	WA	60	$40,969	$10,163†	+$369K
9	California State University-San Bernardino	CA	59	$39,145	$4,564†	+$373K
10	Portland State University	OR	58	$41,594	$9,552†	+$378K
11	Metropolitan State University	MN	57	$47,637	$16,863†	+$409K
12	University of Wisconsin-River Falls	WI	57	$45,870	$14,054†	+$402K
13	Weber State University	UT	57	$42,754	$10,258†	+$387K
14	CUNY Hunter College	NY	57	$42,227	$2,984†	+$410K
15	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	57	$40,969	$14,091†	+$353K
16	Saint Cloud State University	MN	56	$43,726	$13,529†	+$383K
17	University of Nevada-Reno	NV	56	$40,530	$15,927†	+$342K
18	University of Michigan-Flint	MI	56	$40,371	$7,007†	+$376K
19	California State University-Los Angeles	CA	56	$37,477	$3,967†	+$359K
20	University of North Dakota	ND	55	$49,695	$18,551†	+$423K
21	Bemidji State University	MN	55	$47,192	$15,261†	+$411K
22	St Catherine University	MN	55	$44,257	$19,764	+$364K
23	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh	WI	55	$43,948	$14,305†	+$382K
24	University of Alaska Fairbanks	AK	54	$48,151	$10,892†	+$438K
25	Salem State University	MA	54	$45,450	$15,996†	+$391K
26	Minot State University	ND	54	$44,731	$12,703†	+$396K
27	Western New Mexico University	NM	54	$42,250	$8,522†	+$388K
28	Governors State University	IL	53	$44,133	$12,329†	+$392K
29	Metropolitan State University of Denver	CO	53	$44,015	$15,327†	+$379K
30	University of Wisconsin-Superior	WI	53	$42,487	$12,220†	+$376K
31	Texas Woman's University	TX	53	$40,340	$11,963†	+$356K
32	Florida Atlantic University	FL	53	$39,912	$8,752†	+$364K
33	Ohio University-Eastern Campus	OH	53	$37,990	$3,925†	+$364K
34	Utah Valley University	UT	53	$37,937	$6,376†	+$354K
35	University of Houston-Downtown	TX	53	$37,365	$10,542†	+$331K
36	University of the District of Columbia	DC	52	$45,973	$10,648†	+$417K
37	University of Massachusetts-Boston	MA	52	$45,227	$17,707†	+$381K
38	Winona State University	MN	52	$44,546	$17,503†	+$375K
39	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay	WI	52	$44,135	$13,369†	+$388K
40	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	MD	52	$40,316	$16,467†	+$337K
41	Indiana University-Northwest	IN	52	$38,652	$5,130†	+$366K
42	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus	OH	52	$37,990	$5,755†	+$357K
43	Ohio University-Southern Campus	OH	52	$37,990	$5,993†	+$356K
44	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus	OH	52	$37,990	$5,650†	+$357K
45	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus	OH	52	$37,990	$5,746†	+$357K
46	California State University-Sacramento	CA	52	$37,290	$9,338†	+$336K
47	Southwest Minnesota State University	MN	51	$46,368	$15,291†	+$403K
48	University of Alaska Anchorage	AK	51	$45,565	$15,301†	+$394K
49	Indiana University-Indianapolis	IN	51	$41,657	$11,668†	+$370K
50	Mercy University	NY	51	$39,373	$14,072	+$337K
51	Saginaw Valley State University	MI	51	$38,503	$10,775†	+$342K
52	Oakland University	MI	51	$38,446	$9,120†	+$348K
53	Brescia University	KY	51	$37,841	$8,709	+$344K
54	Indiana University-South Bend	IN	51	$37,812	$8,653†	+$344K
55	Texas A&M University-Central Texas	TX	51	$35,345	$1,300†	+$348K
56	Viterbo University	WI	50	$46,384	$21,260	+$379K
57	Fort Hays State University	KS	50	$42,413	$12,569†	+$374K
58	Texas Southern University	TX	50	$42,333	$16,590†	+$357K
59	University of Southern Maine	ME	50	$40,692	$13,596†	+$353K
60	Colorado State University Pueblo	CO	50	$39,742	$10,051†	+$357K
61	SUNY Buffalo State University	NY	50	$39,695	$11,346†	+$352K
62	Ferris State University	MI	50	$38,870	$8,624†	+$354K
63	Coppin State University	MD	50	$37,612	$9,977†	+$336K
64	California State University-Northridge	CA	50	$34,447	$7,021†	+$316K
65	Minnesota State University Moorhead	MN	49	$43,471	$17,997†	+$363K
66	Florida International University	FL	49	$41,626	$9,288†	+$379K
67	Prairie View A & M University	TX	49	$40,667	$13,570†	+$352K
68	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	WI	49	$40,562	$16,550†	+$339K
69	Wayne State University	MI	49	$39,774	$12,766†	+$347K
70	Eastern Washington University	WA	49	$39,102	$13,886†	+$335K
71	University of Illinois Springfield	IL	49	$38,707	$9,833†	+$348K
72	George Mason University	VA	49	$38,559	$17,915†	+$314K
73	Purdue University Global	IN	49	$38,324	$7,770†	+$352K
74	The University of Texas at El Paso	TX	49	$37,865	$9,403†	+$341K
75	Lamar University	TX	49	$37,593	$9,366†	+$338K
76	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	49	$36,815	$14,355†	+$311K
77	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point	WI	48	$41,582	$14,559†	+$358K
78	Morgan State University	MD	48	$39,059	$14,985†	+$331K
79	College of Staten Island CUNY	NY	48	$31,021	$5,579†	+$288K
80	Minnesota State University-Mankato	MN	47	$42,915	$19,139†	+$353K
81	Colorado Mesa University	CO	47	$42,254	$15,103†	+$362K
82	College of Our Lady of the Elms	MA	47	$40,161	$17,545	+$331K
83	Western Illinois University	IL	47	$39,641	$12,937†	+$345K
84	Westfield State University	MA	47	$38,596	$16,721†	+$319K
85	University of Utah	UT	47	$38,338	$16,200†	+$319K
86	Northeastern State University	OK	47	$38,168	$12,710†	+$331K
87	Central Connecticut State University	CT	47	$37,519	$16,857†	+$308K
88	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt	CA	47	$35,693	$13,171†	+$304K
89	St Olaf College	MN	46	$45,146	$23,874	+$356K
90	University of Minnesota-Duluth	MN	46	$43,198	$18,743†	+$357K
91	Bridgewater State University	MA	46	$41,187	$16,383†	+$346K
92	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee	WI	46	$40,188	$15,014†	+$342K
93	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	46	$39,695	$16,264†	+$332K
94	Northeastern Illinois University	IL	46	$39,178	$14,109†	+$335K
95	University of South Florida	FL	46	$37,458	$9,812†	+$335K
96	California State University-Chico	CA	46	$36,840	$14,480†	+$310K
97	Florida Gulf Coast University	FL	46	$36,407	$12,568†	+$314K
98	Fresno Pacific University	CA	45	$40,458	$13,630	+$350K
99	Rutgers University-Camden	NJ	45	$39,936	$18,745†	+$324K
100	Wright State University-Main Campus	OH	45	$39,926	$15,415†	+$338K
101	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	45	$39,842	$14,967†	+$339K
102	Midwestern State University	TX	45	$39,215	$11,656†	+$346K
103	Angelo State University	TX	45	$38,771	$15,091†	+$327K
104	Ohio State University-Marion Campus	OH	45	$38,739	$11,488†	+$341K
105	Western Michigan University	MI	45	$37,205	$15,273†	+$311K
106	Northern Kentucky University	KY	45	$37,037	$8,191†	+$338K
107	California State University-Fresno	CA	45	$31,986	$7,000†	+$292K
108	Seton Hall University	NJ	44	$47,734	$31,446	+$352K
109	The College of Saint Scholastica	MN	44	$45,371	$27,846	+$342K
110	Millikin University	IL	44	$41,543	$21,989	+$327K
111	Rutgers University-Newark	NJ	44	$39,936	$19,703†	+$321K
112	Eastern Michigan University	MI	44	$38,517	$15,407†	+$324K
113	Radford University	VA	44	$38,272	$14,578†	+$324K
114	Our Lady of the Lake University	TX	44	$38,209	$16,442	+$316K
115	The University of Texas at Arlington	TX	44	$38,174	$13,951†	+$326K
116	Mary Baldwin University	VA	44	$37,537	$12,756	+$324K
117	Heritage University	WA	44	$37,164	$14,598	+$313K
118	San Diego State University	CA	44	$36,916	$15,364†	+$308K
119	Indiana State University	IN	44	$36,294	$10,873†	+$319K
120	University of North Texas	TX	44	$36,167	$15,649†	+$299K
121	University of Central Florida	FL	44	$35,358	$10,411†	+$312K
122	Rhode Island College	RI	44	$33,561	$9,478†	+$298K
123	Shepherd University	WV	44	$32,965	$11,363†	+$284K
124	Bethel University	MN	43	$45,259	$28,556	+$338K
125	Capital University	OH	43	$44,344	$22,576	+$353K
126	Briar Cliff University	IA	43	$42,935	$23,907	+$334K
127	Kansas State University	KS	43	$41,833	$19,406†	+$341K
128	Nebraska Wesleyan University	NE	43	$40,080	$18,327	+$327K
129	Ohio State University-Lima Campus	OH	43	$38,739	$12,940†	+$336K
130	Georgian Court University	NJ	43	$38,530	$19,285	+$308K
131	Wichita State University	KS	43	$38,256	$13,194†	+$330K
132	Lewis-Clark State College	ID	43	$35,456	$15,635†	+$292K
133	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	TX	43	$30,436	$4,831†	+$285K
134	Plymouth State University	NH	42	$41,451	$19,216†	+$338K
135	Longwood University	VA	42	$41,160	$19,066†	+$335K
136	Boise State University	ID	42	$40,126	$21,610†	+$315K
137	Northern Arizona University	AZ	42	$38,247	$14,158†	+$326K
138	University of Nebraska at Omaha	NE	42	$37,404	$13,441†	+$320K
139	Northern Michigan University	MI	42	$36,513	$14,085†	+$309K
140	Concord University	WV	42	$35,930	$9,966†	+$319K
141	College of the Ozarks	MO	42	$32,701	$6,100	+$303K
142	Florida State University	FL	42	$32,604	$11,297†	+$281K
143	Augsburg University	MN	41	$43,303	$23,873	+$338K
144	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus	OH	41	$40,959	$24,022†	+$314K
145	Grand View University	IA	41	$40,736	$21,774	+$320K
146	Keuka College	NY	41	$40,642	$24,338	+$309K
147	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	41	$39,936	$24,406†	+$302K
148	University of Toledo	OH	41	$39,254	$17,249†	+$324K
149	Ball State University	IN	41	$39,094	$14,940†	+$331K
150	Illinois State University	IL	41	$39,041	$19,398†	+$313K
151	Ohio State University-Newark Campus	OH	41	$38,739	$14,767†	+$328K
152	Aurora University	IL	41	$38,382	$18,838	+$308K
153	Washburn University	KS	41	$37,908	$15,280†	+$318K
154	Grand Valley State University	MI	41	$37,233	$16,317†	+$307K
155	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	IL	41	$36,974	$14,889†	+$310K
156	Western Carolina University	NC	41	$36,727	$13,315†	+$314K
157	University of Memphis	TN	41	$36,220	$12,397†	+$313K
158	Salisbury University	MD	41	$34,917	$17,743†	+$278K
159	Delaware State University	DE	41	$33,413	$13,910†	+$278K
160	Marshall University	WV	41	$33,344	$7,502†	+$303K
161	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	NC	41	$31,695	$10,260†	+$276K
162	Mars Hill University	NC	40	$41,643	$19,910	+$337K
163	University of Kansas	KS	40	$40,032	$18,059†	+$328K
164	University of Central Missouri	MO	40	$39,295	$14,462†	+$335K
165	University of Iowa	IA	40	$39,285	$22,531†	+$303K
166	Pennsylvania Western University	PA	40	$39,192	$18,256†	+$319K
167	Spring Arbor University	MI	40	$39,071	$19,353	+$313K
168	Texas State University	TX	40	$38,660	$16,805†	+$319K
169	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	WI	40	$37,952	$14,158†	+$323K
170	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	40	$37,437	$19,857†	+$295K
171	National Louis University	IL	40	$37,205	$12,641	+$321K
172	University of North Alabama	AL	40	$36,948	$12,170†	+$321K
173	University of West Florida	FL	40	$36,573	$9,364†	+$328K
174	Youngstown State University	OH	40	$36,445	$12,767†	+$313K
175	East Carolina University	NC	40	$35,745	$15,739†	+$294K
176	The University of Tennessee-Martin	TN	40	$34,240	$10,701†	+$300K
177	New Mexico State University-Main Campus	NM	40	$33,510	$8,889†	+$300K
178	Arkansas State University	AR	40	$33,140	$12,366†	+$282K
179	University at Albany	NY	40	$32,913	$17,167†	+$260K
180	Fayetteville State University	NC	40	$29,726	$7,892†	+$266K
181	La Sierra University	CA	39	$42,213	$45,566	+$240K
182	Harding University	AR	39	$41,835	$22,130	+$330K
183	Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus	OH	39	$38,739	$16,197†	+$323K
184	University of Missouri-Columbia	MO	39	$38,236	$20,268†	+$301K
185	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	39	$38,134	$21,279†	+$296K
186	Stockton University	NJ	39	$37,749	$20,670†	+$295K
187	University of Northern Iowa	IA	39	$37,257	$15,901†	+$309K
188	Stephen F Austin State University	TX	39	$36,628	$14,260†	+$309K
189	University of Southern Indiana	IN	39	$36,126	$12,923†	+$310K
190	Morehead State University	KY	39	$35,300	$9,793†	+$314K
191	Azusa Pacific University	CA	39	$33,089	$22,212	+$242K
192	Indiana University-East	IN	39	$32,748	$8,134†	+$295K
193	University of Hawaii at Manoa	HI	39	$27,080	$15,664†	+$208K
194	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne	IN	38	$40,532	$18,196	+$333K
195	University of Nebraska at Kearney	NE	38	$39,218	$16,242†	+$327K
196	University of Maine	ME	38	$38,824	$17,510†	+$318K
197	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	38	$38,739	$17,339†	+$318K
198	University of North Carolina Wilmington	NC	38	$38,380	$20,109†	+$303K
199	Pittsburg State University	KS	38	$38,288	$15,784†	+$320K
200	Frostburg State University	MD	38	$37,836	$16,715†	+$312K
201	University of Akron Main Campus	OH	38	$37,541	$13,946†	+$320K
202	SUNY Brockport	NY	38	$37,054	$16,353†	+$305K
203	Central Michigan University	MI	38	$35,800	$17,597†	+$288K
204	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	AR	38	$35,408	$17,248†	+$285K
205	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale	IL	38	$34,664	$13,297†	+$293K
206	Austin Peay State University	TN	38	$34,384	$9,735†	+$305K
207	Eastern Kentucky University	KY	38	$33,575	$11,040†	+$292K
208	Western Connecticut State University	CT	38	$33,033	$17,604†	+$260K
209	Ramapo College of New Jersey	NJ	38	$31,210	$18,173†	+$239K
210	University of North Carolina at Greensboro	NC	38	$30,509	$10,965†	+$261K
211	Fort Valley State University	GA	38	$26,299	$10,338†	+$222K
212	Mount Saint Mary's University	CA	37	$38,512	$21,413	+$299K
213	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	TN	37	$37,730	$18,976†	+$301K
214	Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global	IN	37	$36,722	$16,898	+$300K
215	Middle Tennessee State University	TN	37	$35,574	$13,359†	+$302K
216	Winthrop University	SC	37	$35,070	$15,343†	+$289K
217	Western Kentucky University	KY	37	$34,748	$10,990†	+$304K
218	West Virginia University	WV	37	$34,344	$15,634†	+$281K
219	Michigan State University	MI	37	$34,089	$19,680†	+$262K
220	Texas Tech University	TX	37	$33,921	$19,070†	+$263K
221	Southern Connecticut State University	CT	37	$33,862	$20,857†	+$255K
222	Bowie State University	MD	37	$32,989	$19,298†	+$253K
223	University of Georgia	GA	37	$32,534	$13,936†	+$270K
224	University of Massachusetts Global	CA	36	$41,327	$32,654†	+$283K
225	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	PA	36	$40,836	$30,434†	+$287K
226	Temple University	PA	36	$39,055	$28,198†	+$278K
227	Liberty University	VA	36	$38,828	$29,357	+$271K
228	Nazareth University	NY	36	$38,126	$29,357	+$264K
229	Ohio University-Main Campus	OH	36	$37,990	$21,637†	+$293K
230	La Salle University	PA	36	$37,453	$19,409	+$297K
231	University of Indianapolis	IN	36	$36,399	$21,602	+$278K
232	Bradley University	IL	36	$36,017	$22,719	+$269K
233	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	36	$35,485	$17,303†	+$286K
234	Simmons University	MA	36	$34,496	$25,265	+$244K
235	Murray State University	KY	36	$31,692	$9,096†	+$281K
236	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	36	$29,355	$8,221	+$261K
237	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus	OH	35	$39,292	$25,648†	+$290K
238	Grand Canyon University	AZ	35	$39,017	$22,472	+$300K
239	Tarleton State University	TX	35	$38,506	$20,783†	+$302K
240	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus	NH	35	$37,395	$23,805†	+$279K
241	Hope College	MI	35	$37,270	$27,182	+$264K
242	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	35	$37,206	$23,726†	+$277K
243	Cleveland State University	OH	35	$35,869	$14,764†	+$300K
244	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	LA	35	$33,596	$13,606†	+$282K
245	Missouri Western State University	MO	35	$33,532	$13,251†	+$282K
246	Idaho State University	ID	35	$33,181	$12,193†	+$283K
247	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	AR	35	$32,532	$10,574†	+$283K
248	Gallaudet University	DC	35	$31,903	$15,845	+$256K
249	North Carolina A & T State University	NC	35	$27,508	$10,846†	+$232K
250	State University of New York at Plattsburgh	NY	35	$24,676	$17,156†	+$178K
251	Barton College	NC	34	$38,312	$23,626	+$289K
252	Mount Vernon Nazarene University	OH	34	$37,979	$22,421	+$290K
253	Roberts Wesleyan University	NY	34	$37,100	$23,130	+$278K
254	Franciscan University of Steubenville	OH	34	$36,697	$23,589	+$273K
255	University of Arkansas	AR	34	$35,424	$18,209†	+$281K
256	University of Louisville	KY	34	$35,257	$17,988†	+$281K
257	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	PA	34	$33,958	$15,699†	+$277K
258	East Texas A&M University	TX	34	$33,149	$11,841†	+$284K
259	University of Vermont	VT	34	$32,335	$19,343†	+$246K
260	West Virginia State University	WV	34	$30,060	$11,139†	+$256K
261	Eastern Connecticut State University	CT	34	$29,471	$21,067†	+$210K
262	Virginia State University	VA	34	$28,527	$15,840†	+$222K
263	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	NC	34	$28,425	$15,435†	+$223K
264	Marquette University	WI	33	$37,494	$31,487	+$249K
265	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	PA	33	$37,135	$21,331†	+$286K
266	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion	IN	33	$36,722	$22,866	+$276K
267	University of Kentucky	KY	33	$36,312	$18,851†	+$288K
268	Cedarville University	OH	33	$35,967	$24,468	+$262K
269	University of Missouri-St Louis	MO	33	$35,862	$15,071†	+$298K
270	University of Alabama at Birmingham	AL	33	$35,750	$18,749†	+$283K
271	Appalachian State University	NC	33	$32,725	$16,836†	+$260K
272	Shaw University	NC	33	$31,138	$16,512	+$245K
273	Winston-Salem State University	NC	33	$29,617	$13,479†	+$242K
274	Georgia State University	GA	33	$29,609	$15,931†	+$232K
275	SUNY at Fredonia	NY	33	$28,723	$15,897†	+$224K
276	Southeastern Louisiana University	LA	33	$26,388	$13,154†	+$211K
277	Missouri State University-Springfield	MO	32	$35,544	$17,613†	+$285K
278	West Texas A & M University	TX	32	$34,664	$19,487†	+$269K
279	Jacksonville State University	AL	32	$34,485	$14,279†	+$288K
280	Virginia Commonwealth University	VA	32	$34,088	$23,433†	+$247K
281	Southeast Missouri State University	MO	32	$32,224	$15,882†	+$259K
282	Utah State University	UT	32	$31,746	$14,936†	+$258K
283	Union University	TN	31	$38,056	$27,171	+$272K
284	Mount Mercy University	IA	31	$37,303	$20,168	+$292K
285	Eastern University	PA	31	$36,308	$26,662	+$256K
286	Lancaster Bible College	PA	31	$35,235	$25,480	+$250K
287	Texas Christian University	TX	31	$33,819	$36,660	+$192K
288	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	PA	31	$32,208	$18,134†	+$250K
289	James Madison University	VA	31	$31,687	$23,322†	+$224K
290	University of Mississippi	MS	31	$31,190	$13,314†	+$259K
291	North Carolina Central University	NC	31	$30,615	$15,359†	+$245K
292	University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	AR	31	$28,094	$12,653†	+$230K
293	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	TN	31	$27,923	$14,265†	+$222K
294	New York University	NY	31	$26,837	$37,050	+$120K
295	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus	PR	31	$13,506	$7,051	+$107K
296	Campbellsville University	KY	30	$34,852	$19,341	+$271K
297	Messiah University	PA	30	$34,818	$26,502	+$242K
298	King University	TN	30	$34,380	$22,347	+$254K
299	University of South Alabama	AL	30	$33,771	$17,648†	+$267K
300	Lubbock Christian University	TX	30	$32,952	$24,456	+$232K
301	Hood College	MD	30	$32,805	$20,873	+$245K
302	East Tennessee State University	TN	30	$32,514	$15,983†	+$261K
303	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	FL	30	$31,401	$13,739†	+$259K
304	Missouri Southern State University	MO	30	$27,936	$12,007†	+$231K
305	Cairn University-Langhorne	PA	29	$36,289	$27,642	+$252K
306	Alabama State University	AL	29	$34,792	$20,435†	+$266K
307	Miami University-Oxford	OH	29	$34,583	$28,384†	+$232K
308	Saint Leo University	FL	29	$34,463	$21,293	+$259K
309	Saint Edward's University	TX	29	$34,200	$25,578	+$240K
310	The University of Montana	MT	29	$33,726	$16,784†	+$270K
311	Millersville University of Pennsylvania	PA	29	$33,119	$20,787†	+$248K
312	Montclair State University	NJ	29	$33,095	$15,566†	+$269K
313	Lincoln University	MO	29	$32,951	$19,092†	+$253K
314	Olivet Nazarene University	IL	29	$31,720	$20,729	+$234K
315	Calvin University	MI	29	$31,584	$22,992	+$224K
316	The University of Alabama	AL	29	$31,462	$22,420†	+$225K
317	Troy University	AL	29	$31,190	$16,527†	+$246K
318	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	PA	28	$32,316	$19,608†	+$245K
319	University of Montevallo	AL	28	$32,262	$17,683†	+$252K
320	Trevecca Nazarene University	TN	28	$30,204	$16,813	+$235K
321	University of Louisiana at Monroe	LA	28	$26,423	$13,466†	+$210K
322	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus	PR	28	$17,692	$7,646	+$146K
323	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus	PR	28	$15,258	$7,761	+$122K
324	Gordon College	MA	27	$30,381	$24,883	+$204K
325	Benedict College	SC	27	$30,295	$18,250	+$230K
326	Tennessee State University	TN	27	$29,449	$15,796†	+$231K
327	Luther College	IA	26	$30,372	$23,097	+$211K
328	Southern University and A & M College	LA	26	$29,703	$20,077†	+$217K
329	Texas College	TX	26	$17,759	$10,958	+$134K
330	Mississippi State University	MS	25	$29,242	$17,595†	+$222K
331	University of South Carolina-Columbia	SC	25	$28,032	$22,811†	+$189K
332	Henderson State University	AR	25	$22,458	$23,405†	+$131K
333	University of Southern Mississippi	MS	24	$28,262	$21,708†	+$196K
334	George Fox University	OR	24	$27,755	$31,679	+$151K
335	Clark Atlanta University	GA	23	$27,016	$37,702	+$119K
336	Grambling State University	LA	23	$26,980	$19,809†	+$191K
337	Jackson State University	MS	22	$26,873	$23,836†	+$173K
338	University of Puerto Rico-Humacao	PR	22	$6,869	$12,675†	+$18K

Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI

How to read this: Median earnings = typical pay one year after graduation. Net price = average annual cost after grant aid, incl. living costs — not sticker tuition. 10-yr net ROI = ten years of earnings minus four years of net price. Score = the CollegeRanked Score (0–100) that sets the order — it blends ROI with longer-run earnings, job demand and automation resilience, so a school can outrank one with a slightly higher 10-yr ROI. † = public university — net price shown is the in-state cost; out-of-state students pay more. See the full methodology.

Why these schools rank where they do

Geography and local government budgets dictate this entire board. States with strong public sector unions and high costs of living pay social workers significantly more, which is why California and New York completely dominate the top tier. San Francisco State University takes the #1 spot because it operates as a direct pipeline into the Bay Area’s sprawling, well-funded county health departments, school districts, and massive non-profit sector. SF State grads step into some of the highest-paying entry-level social work roles in the country, and they do it with a fraction of the debt of a private college grad.

The most striking trend, however, is the absolute dominance of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, with York, Medgar Evers, Lehman, and Hunter all crowding the top 15. New York City is arguably the largest single employer of social workers on earth. CUNY schools offer an unusually cheap route into that massive hiring apparatus, allowing grads to secure unionized city and state jobs with virtually zero debt. Meanwhile, UC Berkeley sitting at #3 is the rare exception to the "regional public" rule: it is one of the few elite flagship universities to offer a dedicated undergraduate social welfare major, giving its students a premium academic pedigree while still funneling them into those lucrative Northern California government and clinical roles.

What is Social Work?

Social work is the front line of the social safety net, focused on helping vulnerable populations navigate crises, systemic barriers, and mental health challenges. Day-to-day, social workers manage complex caseloads in hospitals, schools, and government agencies, connecting clients with vital resources, conducting clinical assessments, and advocating for policy changes.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Master's degree (MSW) to be a social worker?

You can get entry-level case management jobs with a BSW, but to do clinical therapy as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or move into administration, an MSW is mandatory. A BSW's superpower is getting you "advanced standing" to finish that MSW in one year instead of two, saving you tens of thousands of dollars in graduate tuition.

Why are there no Ivy League or elite private schools on this list?

They generally do not offer undergraduate social work degrees. Elite universities teach broader disciplines like sociology, psychology, or public policy at the undergraduate level, reserving dedicated social work training for their graduate schools. If your goal is an Ivy League social work credential, you will need to apply for an MSW program after finishing your bachelor's.

Should I study psychology instead of social work?

If your ultimate goal is to become a working therapist, a BSW is often a faster, more practical route than a BA in Psychology. A psychology degree is broad and usually requires a PhD or PsyD for top-tier clinical practice, whereas the MSW is the terminal degree for most working therapists and opens doors to a wider variety of government and healthcare roles.