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Best Social Work Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Social Work Schools in Iowa

9 Colleges
$34,608 Avg Salary
$36,729 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

In 2020-2021, 553 degrees and certificates were awarded to social work students who went to a Iowa college or university. This makes it the #18 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Social Work Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 9 schools in Iowa to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Social Work Schools in Iowa

The following schools top our list of the Best Social Work Colleges.

Top Iowa Schools in Social Work

#1

Loras College

Dubuque, IA

Our analysis found Loras College to be the best school for social work students who want to pursue a degree in Iowa. Located in the city of Dubuque, Loras is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

After completing their degree, social work graduates from Loras carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Full Social Work at Loras College Report

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Social Work Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, social work majors at UNI accumulate an average of around $23,525 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $147, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Northern Iowa

#3

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA

The excellent programs at Mount Mercy University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Iowa. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, social work graduates from Mount Mercy take out $26,234 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Social Work at Mount Mercy University

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Out of the 9 schools in Iowa that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Iowa take out is $26,000.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Iowa

#5

Luther College

Decorah, IA

The excellent programs at Luther College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Iowa. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Decorah.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Luther take out is $27,000.

Full Social Work at Luther College Report

#6

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA

Saint Ambrose University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Social Work Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Social Work at Saint Ambrose University Report

#7

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA

Grand View University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social work programs. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Grand View University take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Social Work at Grand View University

#8

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, IA

Briar Cliff University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social work students. It came in at #8 on the list. Briar Cliff is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Sioux City.

While working on their degree, social work majors at Briar Cliff accumulate an average of around $39,196 in student debt.

Full Social Work at Briar Cliff University Report

#9

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA

With a ranking of #9, Clarke University did quite well on this year’s best schools for social work students. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Clarke is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Social Work at Clarke University

Best Social Work Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Social Work Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 924
Minnesota 2,131
Kansas 623
Nebraska 262
North Dakota 258
South Dakota 20

Social Work is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.

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 9 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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