2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in North Carolina
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Social Work School for You
Social Work is the #16 most popular major in North Carolina with 1,757 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
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 North Carolina ranking. Our analysis looked at 17 schools in North Carolina 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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Social Work Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of North Carolina at Pembroke the best value school in North Carolina for social work students. UNC Pembroke is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Pembroke.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNC Pembroke are $3,495 a year. On average, social work graduates from UNC Pembroke take out $27,394 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 17 schools in North Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Carolina University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WCU are $4,367 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at WCU accumulate an average of around $24,618 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $127, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Social Work at Western Carolina University Report
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The excellent programs at Appalachian State University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in North Carolina. Appalachian State is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Boone.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Appalachian State are $7,410 a year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Appalachian State take out is $22,101. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $202, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Appalachian State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools in North Carolina list.
Full Social Work at Appalachian State University Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend East Carolina University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in North Carolina list. ECU is a very large public school located in the city of Greenville.
ECU undergraduate students pay an average of $7,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at ECU take out is $27,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $319, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
ECU also claimed a spot on our Best Social Work Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Greensboro is a great value for social work students. Located in the city of Greensboro, UNC Greensboro is a public school with a fairly large student population.
UNC Greensboro undergraduate students pay an average of $7,468 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from UNC Greensboro carry an average student debtload of $26,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $94, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
In addition to its great value ranking, UNC Greensboro is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools in North Carolina list.
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte 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. Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UNC Charlotte undergraduate students pay an average of $7,188 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Work majors at UNC Charlotte take out an average of $24,405 in student loans while working on their egree.
UNC Charlotte also claimed a spot on our Best Social Work Schools in North Carolina list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Social Work at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report
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Fayetteville State University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Fayetteville State University are $5,379 a year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from Fayetteville State University carry an average student debtload of $31,000.
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With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social work students. UNCW is a large public school located in the city of Wilmington.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UNCW are $7,238 a year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from UNCW carry an average student debtload of $23,000.
UNCW excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Social Work Schools in North Carolina list.
Full Social Work at University of North Carolina at Wilmington Report
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Winston - Salem 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. WSSU is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Winston-Salem.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WSSU are $6,247 a year. After completing their degree, social work graduates from WSSU carry an average student debtload of $28,000.
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North Carolina A & T State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the city of Greensboro, NC A&T is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NC A&T are $6,733 per year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at NC A&T take out is $35,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $149, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Social Work at North Carolina A & T State University Report
Request InformationBest 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 |
| Florida | 1,569 |
| Tennessee | 1,237 |
| Kentucky | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | 383 |
| Louisiana | 859 |
| Arkansas | 405 |
| Alabama | 1,173 |
| Mississippi | 595 |
| West Virginia | 316 |
More Social Work Rankings in North Carolina
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 Majors Related 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 17 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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