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Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky

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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

12 Colleges
$16,760 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$34,155 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

In 2020-2021, social work students earned 1,510 degrees and certificates from a Kentucky school, making the subject the 7th 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. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

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 Kentucky ranking. Our analysis looked at 12 schools in Kentucky 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.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky

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

Top 10 Best Social Work Schools

$9,252 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Murray State University to be the best value school for social work students who want to pursue a degree in Kentucky. Located in the town of Murray, Murray State is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Murray State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,252 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Murray State accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt.

Read More…

$9,752 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Eastern Kentucky University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky list. Eastern is a fairly large public school located in the town of Richmond.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Eastern are $9,752 a year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Eastern take out is $28,898.

Full Social Work at Eastern Kentucky University Report

#3

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY
$10,992 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 12 schools in Kentucky that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Kentucky University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Bowling Green, WKU is a public college with a large student population.

WKU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,992 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from WKU carry an average student debtload of $26,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $220, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Work at Western Kentucky University

#4

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, KY
$10,392 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Northern Kentucky University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Kentucky. Located in the suburb of Highland Heights, NKU is a public school with a large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NKU are $10,392 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at NKU accumulate an average of around $28,112 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $169, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Work at Northern Kentucky University Report

#5

Kentucky State University

Frankfort, KY
$9,020 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kentucky State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky list. Located in the town of Frankfort, KY State is a public college with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at KY State are $9,020 per year.

Read full report on Social Work at Kentucky State University

#6

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY
$12,610 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, University of Kentucky did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the city of Lexington, UK is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UK are $12,610 a year. On average, social work graduates from UK take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $309.

Full Social Work at University of Kentucky Report

#7

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY
$12,370 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Louisville landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the large city of Louisville, UofL is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UofL are $12,370 a year. Social Work majors at UofL take out an average of $25,267 in student loans while working on their egree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, UofL also did well on our Best Social Work Schools in Kentucky list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Social Work at University of Louisville Report

$9,462 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Morehead State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Located in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Morehead State University undergraduate students pay an average of $9,462 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at Morehead State University take out an average of $35,160 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#9

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY
$25,400 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Campbellsville University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. Campbellsville University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Campbellsville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Campbellsville University are $25,400 per year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Campbellsville University accumulate an average of around $27,664 in student debt.

Read More…

#10

Spalding University

Louisville, KY
$26,500 Average Tuition & Fees

Spalding University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Work Schools in Kentucky ranking. Located in the large city of Louisville, Spalding is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Spalding are $26,500 a year. On average, social work graduates from Spalding take out $32,200 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Social Work at Spalding University

Best Value Social Work Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Social Work Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 753
Virginia 1,010
North Carolina 1,757
Florida 1,569
Tennessee 1,237
South Carolina 383
Louisiana 859
Arkansas 405
Alabama 1,173
Mississippi 595
West Virginia 316

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 12 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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