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Best Value Social Work Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Social Work Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

9 Colleges
$14,814 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$36,341 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

Social Work is the #34 most popular major in Virginia with 1,010 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

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.

The Best Value Social Work Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 9 schools in Virginia 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.

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 Virginia

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

Best Virginia Schools for Affordable Quality in Social Work

#1

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named James Madison University the best value school in Virginia for social work students. JMU is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. On average, social work graduates from JMU take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $215.

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

Full Social Work at James Madison University Report

#2

Virginia State University

Petersburg, VA
$9,154 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 9 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia State University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Petersburg, Virginia State is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia State are $9,154 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at Virginia State accumulate an average of around $31,000 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $143.

Full Social Work at Virginia State University Report

#3

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Radford University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Virginia. Radford is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Radford.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Radford are $11,542 a year. On average, social work graduates from Radford take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#4

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA
$14,924 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Christopher Newport University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Virginia. Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $26,247 in student debt.

CNU also claimed a spot on our Best Social Work Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Social Work at Christopher Newport University

#5

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Social Work Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at GMU are $13,119 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at GMU accumulate an average of around $23,000 in student debt.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Social Work Schools in Virginia ranking.

Full Social Work at George Mason University Report

$9,622 Average Tuition & Fees

Norfolk State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Norfolk State is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Norfolk.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Norfolk State are $9,622 per year. Social Work majors at Norfolk State take out an average of $44,560 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $144, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Work at Norfolk State University

$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at VCU are $15,028 a year. While working on their degree, social work majors at VCU accumulate an average of around $24,497 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $125.

Read More…

#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA
$16,160 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Liberty University are $16,160 a year. On average, social work graduates from Liberty University take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $369, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Work at Liberty University Report

#9

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA
$31,140 Average Tuition & Fees

Mary Baldwin University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social work programs. Located in the city of Staunton, Mary Baldwin is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mary Baldwin are $31,140 per year. The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Mary Baldwin take out is $34,911.

Read full report on Social Work at Mary Baldwin 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
North Carolina 1,757
Florida 1,569
Tennessee 1,237
Kentucky 1,510
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 9 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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