2023 Best Value Social Work Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Social Work School for You
In 2020-2021, 58,326 people earned a degree or certificate in social work, making the major the #13 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Social Work Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 456 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for social work students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Social Work
Our analysis found Camden County College to be the best value school for social work students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the large suburb of Blackwood, Camden County College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Camden County College are $3,744 a year. Social Work majors at Camden County College take out an average of $10,872 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 456 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Minot State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. MSU is a small public school located in the remote town of Minot.
MSU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,163 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at MSU take out is $27,000.
MSU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Tyler Junior College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Located in the city of Tyler, Tyler Junior College is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 a year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Tyler Junior College take out is $14,250.
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The excellent programs at Bemidji State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in the United States. Bemidji State University is a small public school located in the remote town of Bemidji.
Bemidji State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,806 in tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at Bemidji State University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Bemidji State University is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools list.
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Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. BYU - I is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Rexburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU - I are $4,416 per year. On average, social work graduates from BYU - I take out $14,694 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Social Work at Brigham Young University - Idaho Report
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San Juan College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the city of Farmington, SJC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
SJC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,546 in tuition and fees each year. On average, social work graduates from SJC take out $10,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, Metropolitan State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Metro State is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Metro State are $9,394 a year. Social Work majors at Metro State take out an average of $29,113 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Metro State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools list.
Full Social Work at Metropolitan State University Report
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Southwest Minnesota State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southwest Minnesota State University are $9,482 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Southwest Minnesota State University accumulate an average of around $20,107 in student debt.
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Minneapolis Community and Technical College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Minneapolis.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Minneapolis Community and Technical College are $5,906 a year.
Full Social Work at Minneapolis Community and Technical College Report
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Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #11 on the list. BYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU are $6,120 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, BYU also did well on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Bristol Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Bristol is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Fall River.
Bristol undergraduate students pay an average of $10,152 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Bristol accumulate an average of around $7,150 in student debt.
Full Social Work at Bristol Community College Report
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With a ranking of #13, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. IWU is a large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.
IWU undergraduate students pay an average of $9,239 in tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at IWU take out an average of $40,841 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Social Work at Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Report
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With a ranking of #14, Austin Community College District did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public school with a very large student population.
Austin Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $10,590 in tuition and fees each year. On average, social work graduates from Austin Community College District take out $13,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #15, Capella University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Capella University are $14,148 per year.
Full Social Work at Capella University Report
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Winona State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Winona State is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Winona.
Winona State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,684 in tuition and fees each year. On average, social work graduates from Winona State take out $28,389 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $144.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Winona State also did well on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Westfield State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #17 on the list. Westfield is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Westfield.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Westfield are $17,219 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Westfield accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
Full Social Work at Westfield State University Report
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Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large public school located in the city of Mankato.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Minnesota State Mankato are $18,200 a year. Social Work majors at Minnesota State Mankato take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
Minnesota State Mankato excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools list.
Read full report on Social Work at Minnesota State University - Mankato
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With a ranking of #19, Passaic County Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the large suburb of Paterson, PCCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at PCCC are $9,390 a year.
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Harrisburg Area Community College landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. HACC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at HACC are $9,818 per year.
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Youngstown State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Youngstown.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Youngstown State University are $9,732 a year. Social Work majors at Youngstown State University take out an average of $39,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Social Work at Youngstown State University Report
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Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Scottsdale.
ASU - Skysong undergraduate students pay an average of $13,092 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from ASU - Skysong carry an average student debtload of $20,095. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $193.
In addition to its great value ranking, ASU - Skysong is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools list.
Read full report on Social Work at Arizona State University - Skysong
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Newman University landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the city of Wichita, Newman University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Newman University are $34,460 per year.
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University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of River Falls.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - River Falls are $15,661 per year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from UW - River Falls carry an average student debtload of $28,000.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls also is in the top 10% of our Best Social Work Schools ranking.
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Spring Arbor University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spring Arbor.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Spring Arbor are $31,080 a year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from Spring Arbor carry an average student debtload of $29,893.
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Additional Award Winners
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Value Social Work Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 456 different United States social work schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | California Baptist University | Riverside, CA |
| 52 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | Pembroke, NC |
| 53 | Thomas University | Thomasville, GA |
| 54 | University of Akron Main Campus | Akron, OH |
| 55 | Mansfield University of Pennsylvania | Mansfield, PA |
| 56 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 56 | California State University - East Bay | Hayward, CA |
| 56 | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ |
| 59 | Coppin State University | Baltimore, MD |
| 60 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater | Whitewater, WI |
| 60 | St Catherine University | Saint Paul, MN |
| 62 | California State University - Monterey Bay | Seaside, CA |
| 63 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
| 64 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC |
| 65 | Western New Mexico University | Silver City, NM |
| 66 | Union University | Jackson, TN |
| 67 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 67 | Saint Augustine College | Chicago, IL |
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Value Social Work Schools award.
Social Work by Region
View the Best Value Social Work Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Social Work Rankings
Majors Related to Social Work
Social Work is one of 5 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar 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.
- 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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