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Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

22 Colleges
$31,612 Avg Salary
$27,410 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Social Work program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for social work majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

#1

Aurora University

Aurora, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Aurora University the most popular school in Illinois for social work students working on their bachelor’s degree. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora.

About 86% of the students majoring in social work at the school are women while 14% are male.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, social work majors at Aurora accumulate an average of around $29,349 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $135.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.

Women make up 89% of the social work majors at the school.

Social Work majors at Northeastern Illinois University take out an average of $19,913 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

Women make up 82% of the social work majors at the school.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, social work graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $18,860. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $418.

Full Social Work at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

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The in-demand bachelor’s degree programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular social work schools in Illinois. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.

Women make up 93% of the social work majors at the school.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Illinois State take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $23,005. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $160.

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

Women make up 75% of the social work majors at the school.

Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $149.

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Loyola University Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Women make up 91% of the social work majors at the school.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, social work graduates from Loyola Chicago carry an average student debt load of $24,151. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $685, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Work at Loyola University Chicago Report

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Western Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for social work students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

About 96% of the students majoring in social work at the school are women while 4% are male.

For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $228.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Social Work Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at SIUE take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $24,439.

Full Social Work at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

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#9

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular bachelor’s degree social work programs. Located in the suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Of the 35 students majoring in social work at Olivet Nazarene, 6% are male and 94% are female.

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#10

Governors State University

University Park, IL

Governors State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for social work students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at GSU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $33,702.

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Best Social Work Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular 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 22 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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