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Best Social Work Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Social Work Schools in Illinois

21 Colleges
$37,486 Avg Salary
$25,281 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

With 2,711 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, social work is the #11 most popular major in Illinois.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Social Work Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Social Work Schools in Illinois

Check out the social work programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Social Work Schools

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Our analysis found University of Chicago to be the best school for social work students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

Full Social Work at University of Chicago Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

Social Work majors at UIUC take out an average of $19,050 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $418.

Read More…

#3

Erikson Institute

Chicago, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Erikson Institute. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list. The Erikson Institute is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Read full report on Social Work at Erikson Institute

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Social Work majors at WIU take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $228.

Full Social Work at Western Illinois University Report

#5

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.

On average, social work graduates from Aurora take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $135.

Read full report on Social Work at Aurora University

Illinois State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social work students. It came in at #6 on the list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Illinois State take out is $25,000. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

Read full report on Social Work at Illinois State University

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for social work students. UIC is a very large public school located in the large city of Chicago.

Full Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#8

Dominican University

River Forest, IL

Dominican University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Work Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large suburb of River Forest, Dominican U is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Social Work at Dominican University Report

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social work programs. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.

Social Work majors at UIS take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social work students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Social Work majors at Loyola Chicago take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $685, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Work at Loyola University Chicago Report

Best Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,413
Ohio 2,332
Indiana 1,545
Wisconsin 1,041

One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Public Administration 16,905
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 21 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Army Medicine.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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