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Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa

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2023 Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa

17 Colleges
$34,608 Avg Salary
$36,729 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Work School for You

In 2020-2021, 553 degrees and certificates were awarded to social work students who went to a Iowa college or university. This makes it the #18 most popular major 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. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa ranking. This report analyzed 17 schools in Iowa to see which ones were the most popular programs 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 following schools top our list of the Most Popular Social Work Colleges.

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

Our 2023 rankings named University of Iowa the most popular school in Iowa for social work students. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public school with a very large student population.

On average, social work graduates from Iowa take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Social Work at University of Iowa Report

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Northern Iowa is a great place for social work students. Located in the small city of Cedar Falls, UNI is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at UNI take out is $23,525. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $147, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Work at University of Northern Iowa

#3

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA

The excellent programs at Saint Ambrose University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best social work schools in Iowa. Located in the midsize city of Davenport, St. Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Social Work at Saint Ambrose University Report

#4

Clarke University

Dubuque, IA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clarke University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa list. Located in the small city of Dubuque, Clarke is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read More…

#5

Briar Cliff University

Sioux City, IA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Briar Cliff University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa list. Briar Cliff is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Sioux City.

Social Work majors at Briar Cliff take out an average of $39,196 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Social Work at Briar Cliff University Report

#6

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA

Grand View University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for social work students. It came in at #6 on the list. Grand View University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines.

While working on their degree, social work majors at Grand View University accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Read full report on Social Work at Grand View University

#7

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA

Mount Mercy University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Social Work Schools in Iowa ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids, Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, social work majors at Mount Mercy accumulate an average of around $26,234 in student debt.

Read full report on Social Work at Mount Mercy University

#8

Luther College

Decorah, IA

Luther College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for social work students. It came in at #8 on the list. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Decorah.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Luther take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Social Work at Luther College

#9

Loras College

Dubuque, IA

With a ranking of #9, Loras College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for social work students. Located in the city of Dubuque, Loras is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Loras take out is $27,000.

Read full report on Social Work at Loras College

Iowa Central Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for social work students. It came in at #10 on the list. Iowa Central Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Fort Dodge.

The average amount in student loans that social work majors at Iowa Central Community College take out is $29,826.

Read More…

Best Social Work Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Most Popular Social Work Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 924
Minnesota 2,131
Kansas 623
Nebraska 262
North Dakota 258
South Dakota 20

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 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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