2023 Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Social Work School for You
Social Work is the #13 most popular major in the country with 58,326 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 112 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Social Work Colleges.
Top 15% Best Social Work Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the best school in the Southeast Region for social work students. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Social Work at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report
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The excellent programs at Augusta University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Augusta, Augusta University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Social Work majors at Augusta University take out an average of $33,365 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at JMU take out is $19,500. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $215.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Auburn University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. Auburn is a very large public school located in the small city of Auburn.
Social Work majors at Auburn take out an average of $28,423 in student loans while working on their egree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Christopher Newport University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. CNU is a small public school located in the midsize city of Newport News.
Social Work majors at CNU take out an average of $26,247 in student loans while working on their egree.
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George Mason 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. GMU is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
Social Work majors at GMU take out an average of $23,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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University of Georgia came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. UGA is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Athens.
After completing their degree, social work graduates from UGA carry an average student debtload of $19,158. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $212, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Barton College did quite well on this year’s best schools for social work students. Located in the town of Wilson, Barton College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
While working on their degree, social work majors at Barton College accumulate an average of around $36,408 in student debt.
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Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Fort Myers, FGCU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, social work graduates from FGCU carry an average student debtload of $22,500.
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Mars Hill University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Mars Hill, Mars Hill is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
After completing their degree, social work graduates from Mars Hill carry an average student debtload of $30,626.
Full Social Work at Mars Hill University Report
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North Carolina State University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social work programs. Located in the city of Raleigh, NC State is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at NC State take out is $24,193.
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Appalachian State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Appalachian State is a very large public school located in the distant town of Boone.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Appalachian State take out is $22,101. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Richmond.
Social Work majors at VCU take out an average of $24,497 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $125.
Full Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University Report
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University of North Carolina at Greensboro ranked #14 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the large city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public school with a large student population.
After completing their degree, social work graduates from UNC Greensboro carry an average student debtload of $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $94, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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East Carolina University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social work students. It came in at #15 on the list. ECU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Greenville.
The average amount in student loans that social work majors at ECU take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $319, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Florida State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social work programs. Florida State is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Tallahassee.
After completing their degree, social work graduates from Florida State carry an average student debtload of $18,000.
Full Social Work at Florida State University Report
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These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Social Work Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR |
| 18 | Radford University | Radford, VA |
| 19 | University of Montevallo | Montevallo, AL |
| 20 | Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, KY |
| 21 | Harding University | Searcy, AR |
| 22 | Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, KY |
Best Social Work Colleges by State
Explore the best social work colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 753 |
| Virginia | 1,010 |
| North Carolina | 1,757 |
| Florida | 1,569 |
| Tennessee | 1,237 |
| Kentucky | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | 383 |
| Louisiana | 859 |
| Arkansas | 405 |
| Alabama | 1,173 |
| Mississippi | 595 |
| West Virginia | 316 |
More Social Work Rankings in the Southeast Region
Social Work Related Rankings by Major
One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Social Work
| 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 25 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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