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Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

21 Colleges
$23,351 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$37,486 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois

Check out the social work programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Social Work Schools

#1

Governors State University

University Park, IL
$10,108 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Governors State University the best value school in Illinois for social work students. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GSU are $10,108 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at GSU accumulate an average of around $29,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Social Work at Governors State University

$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Illinois. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-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.

Full Social Work at Western Illinois University Report

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize 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.

Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best Social Work Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Illinois. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at SIUE take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

$12,053 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIS are $12,053 a year. Social Work majors at UIS take out an average of $25,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Springfield

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $17,634 in in-state tuition and fees each 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.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our Best Social Work Schools in Illinois rankings.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

$12,064 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

Northeastern Illinois University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,064 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from Northeastern Illinois University carry an average student debtload of $15,232.

Full Social Work at Northeastern Illinois University Report

$11,204 Average Tuition & Fees

Chicago State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, CSU is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSU are $11,204 per year.

Read More…

#9

Saint Augustine College

Chicago, IL
$12,120 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Saint Augustine College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the city of Chicago, St. Augustine College is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Augustine College are $12,120 per year.

Full Social Work at Saint Augustine College Report

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, IL
$26,760 Average Tuition & Fees

Aurora University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Aurora is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Aurora are $26,760 per 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.

Full Social Work at Aurora University Report

Best Value Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Social Work Colleges 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

One of 5 majors within the area of study, social work has other similar majors worth exploring.

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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