2026 Most Popular Social Work Schools
There are 864 colleges that offer a degree in Social Work. Ranked by yearly graduations, here are the most popular below:
Finding the Best Social Work School for You
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for Social Work students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendance, there are many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 864 schools in the United States offering Social Work programs. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school’s program.
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2026 Most Popular Social Work Schools in the United States
Check out the Social Work programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in the United States.
Top 25 Most Popular Social Work Schools
The most popular school in the United States for Social Work students is Walden University. Located in Minneapolis, MN, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 1,611 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $76,759. Full Social Work at Walden University Report
University of Kentucky landed the #2 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Lexington, KY, this is a public institution. This school awarded 1,196 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $45,496. Full Social Work at University of Kentucky Report
The University of Texas at Arlington landed the #3 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. The University of Texas at Arlington is a public school located in Arlington, TX. This school awarded 915 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $64,801. Read full report on Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington
Rutgers University-New Brunswick comes in at #4 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Rutgers University-New Brunswick is a public school located in New Brunswick, NJ. During the most recent year for which we have data, 775 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $52,303. Read More…
Aurora University comes in at #5 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Aurora University is a private nonprofit school located in Aurora, IL. During the most recent year for which we have data, 749 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,840. Read More…
Fordham University landed the #6 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Bronx, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 729 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $51,779. Full Social Work at Fordham University Report
Simmons University comes in at #7 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Located in Boston, MA, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 632 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $56,491. Read full report on Social Work at Simmons University
CUNY Hunter College landed the #8 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 630 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $46,228. Full Social Work at CUNY Hunter College Report
University of Southern California landed the #9 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. University of Southern California is a private nonprofit school located in Los Angeles, CA. During the most recent year for which we have data, 623 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,275. Read full report on Social Work at University of Southern California
University of Denver landed the #10 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Denver, CO, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 590 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,181. Full Social Work at University of Denver Report
Indiana University-Indianapolis comes in at #11 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Indiana University-Indianapolis is a public school located in Indianapolis, IN. This school awarded 588 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $49,273. Read More…
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #12 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private nonprofit school located in New York, NY. This school awarded 562 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $75,228. Read More…
Loyola University Chicago comes in at #13 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Loyola University Chicago is a private nonprofit school located in Chicago, IL. This school awarded 529 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $50,621. Full Social Work at Loyola University Chicago Report
Yeshiva University comes in at #14 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. This school awarded 524 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $63,441. Read More…
Ohio State University-Main Campus comes in at #15 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public school located in Columbus, OH. During the most recent year for which we have data, 502 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $49,087. Full Social Work at Ohio State University-Main Campus Report
New York University landed the #16 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in New York, NY, this is a private nonprofit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 501 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $59,956. Read More…
Virginia Commonwealth University comes in at #17 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. Located in Richmond, VA, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 455 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $41,934. Full Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University Report
Grand Canyon University landed the #18 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Phoenix, AZ, this is a private for-profit institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 452 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $62,543. Full Social Work at Grand Canyon University Report
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville landed the #19 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Knoxville, TN, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 429 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $44,937. Read More…
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor landed the #20 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public school located in Ann Arbor, MI. This school awarded 417 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $64,597. Full Social Work at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Report
University of Massachusetts Global comes in at #21 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. University of Massachusetts Global is a public school located in Aliso Viejo, CA. This school awarded 384 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $55,944. Read full report on Social Work at University of Massachusetts Global
California State University-Los Angeles comes in at #22 on our 2026 list of the most popular colleges for Social Work majors. California State University-Los Angeles is a public school located in Los Angeles, CA. This school awarded 377 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $37,248. Read full report on Social Work at California State University-Los Angeles
Arizona State University Digital Immersion landed the #23 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Scottsdale, AZ, this is a public institution. During the most recent year for which we have data, 373 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $48,210. Read full report on Social Work at Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #24 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Located in Baton Rouge, LA, this is a public institution. This school awarded 372 degrees in Social Work in the most recent reporting year. Graduates of this program go on to a median salary of $42,361. Read full report on Social Work at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Portland State University landed the #25 spot in the 2026 edition of our Most Popular Social Work Schools ranking. Portland State University is a public school located in Portland, OR. During the most recent year for which we have data, 366 people earned their degree in Social Work from this school. Graduates who hold this degree go on to make a median salary of $41,313. Read More…
Rest of the Top Most Popular Social Work Schools
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for this major that just missed the list above.
Social Work by Region
See the most popular Social Work schools in a specific region of the United States.
| Region |
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| New England |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Great Lakes |
| Plains States |
| Southeast |
| Southwest |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Far Western US |
More Social Work Rankings
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this Most Popular Social Work Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Majors Related to Social Work
Social Work Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Social Work | 57,279 |
| Other Social Work | 622 |
| Child Advocacy & Policy | 267 |
| Forensic Social Work | 8 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 13,993 |
| Human Services | 11,674 |
| Public Policy | 6,183 |
| Community Organization & Advocacy | 2,651 |
| Other Public Administration | 518 |
References
*The average salary above is for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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