2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best value experiences for social work students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Social Work Schools
Our analysis found Governors State University to be the best value school for social work students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.
GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,108 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social work majors at GSU accumulate an average of around $29,000 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year. 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.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great value for social work students. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year. 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.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list.
Full Social Work at Illinois State University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year. Social Work majors at SIUE take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the # 4 spot on the list. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $12,053 per year. Social Work majors at UIS take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield Report
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIUC are $17,634 a year. 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.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UIUC is ranked #3 for overall quality for social work in Illinois.
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Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #7 on the list. Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 a year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from Northeastern Illinois University carry an average student debtload of $15,232.
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Chicago State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social work students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large city of Chicago, CSU is a public college with a small student population.
CSU undergraduate students pay an average of $11,204 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
Full Social Work at Chicago State University Report
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Saint Augustine College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, St. Augustine College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
St. Augustine College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,120 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #10, Aurora University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.
Aurora undergraduate students pay an average of $26,760 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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.
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Request InformationBest Value Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Social Work Rankings in Illinois
Social Work Related Majors for Social Work
One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.
- 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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