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.
Featured schools near , edit
2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for social work majors pursuing a .
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Social Work
Our 2023 rankings named Camden County College the best value school in the United States for social work students. Located in the suburb of Blackwood, Camden County College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Camden County College are $3,744 per year. Social Work majors at Camden County College take out an average of $10,872 in student loans while working on their egree.
The excellent programs at Minot State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in the United States. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MSU also is in the top 20% of our Best Social Work Schools ranking.
The excellent programs at Tyler Junior College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in the United States. Located in the city of Tyler, Tyler Junior College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Tyler Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,440 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Tyler Junior College take out is $14,250.
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 town of Bemidji.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Bemidji State University are $9,806 a year. Social Work majors at Bemidji State University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Bemidji State University also did well on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #6 on the 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.
Read full report on Social Work at Brigham Young University - Idaho
San Juan College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Farmington, SJC is a public college with a moderately-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.
Metropolitan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Metro State is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
Metro State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,394 in tuition and fees each 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.
Read full report on Social Work at Metropolitan State University
Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the remote town of Marshall, Southwest Minnesota State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Southwest Minnesota State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,482 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Southwest Minnesota State University accumulate an average of around $20,107 in student debt.
Read full report on Social Work at Southwest Minnesota State University
Minneapolis Community and Technical College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Minneapolis Community and Technical College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,906 in tuition and fees each year.
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 very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at BYU are $6,120 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 20% of our Best Social Work Schools ranking.
Read full report on Social Work at Brigham Young University - Provo
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 large suburb of Fall River.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bristol are $10,152 per year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Bristol accumulate an average of around $7,150 in student debt.
Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. IWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at IWU are $9,239 a year. Social Work majors at IWU take out an average of $40,841 in student loans while working on their egree.
Austin Community College District did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #14 on the list. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Austin Community College District are $10,590 per year. On average, social work graduates from Austin Community College District take out $13,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
Full Social Work at Austin Community College District Report
Capella University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the large city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Capella University are $14,148 a year.
With a ranking of #16, Winona State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Winona State is a moderately-sized public school located in the 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Winona State also is in the top 10% of our Best Social Work Schools ranking.
Westfield State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. Westfield is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Westfield.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Westfield are $17,219 per year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Westfield accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #18 on the list. 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 also claimed a spot on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Passaic County Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Paterson, PCCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at PCCC are $9,390 a year.
Read full report on Social Work at Passaic County Community College
With a ranking of #20, Harrisburg Area Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. HACC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Harrisburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at HACC are $9,818 a year.
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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Youngstown State University are $9,732 per year. Social Work majors at Youngstown State University take out an average of $39,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools list. ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public school located in the city of Scottsdale.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ASU - Skysong are $13,092 per 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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, ASU - Skysong also did well on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Social Work at Arizona State University - Skysong
With a ranking of #23, Newman University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the large 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.
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.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW - River Falls also did well on our Best Social Work Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Spring Arbor University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools ranking. Spring Arbor is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small suburb of Spring Arbor.
Spring Arbor undergraduate students pay an average of $31,080 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from Spring Arbor carry an average student debtload of $29,893.
Rest of the Top Best Value Social Work Schools
Additional Award Winners
This section represents the rest of the colleges 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 | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ |
| 56 | California State University - East Bay | Hayward, CA |
| 56 | Salisbury University | Salisbury, MD |
| 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.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.