Social Work: CUNY Lehman College vs Fort Hays State University

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
19.4x
$29,640 tuition
21.4x
$22,532 tuition
Out-of-State
9.4x
$61,440 tuition
7.2x
$67,244 tuition
$575,408 10-yr earnings · Public
$482,015 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

CUNY Lehman College Fort Hays State University
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.4x 21.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.4x 7.2x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $22,532
Year 1 Earnings $42,300 $42,413
10-Year Earnings $575K $482K
Median Debt $14,000 $21,500
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 4.0 months 6.1 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 63/100 64/100
Acceptance Rate 55.4% 91.8%

Both programs have moderate AI automation risk (24% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Social Work graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Social Work graduates.

CUNY Lehman College Fort Hays State University
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $29,640 $22,532
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $61,440 $67,244
10-Year Projected Earnings $575K $482K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 19.4x 21.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 9.4x 7.2x
5-Year Salary Growth +36% +11%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Social Work (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

CUNY Lehman College Fort Hays State University
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $576K $575K $543K $482K $482K $465K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 19.4x 19.4x 18.3x 21.4x 21.4x 20.6x
DegreeWorth Score 63 63 67 64 64 68

For the full AI analysis of Social Work career paths, see the CUNY Lehman College or Fort Hays State University program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Social Work graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$7,108
Fort Hays State University saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$113/yr
Fort Hays State University grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
19.4x / 21.4x
Out-of-state: 9.4x / 7.2x

Career Paths

Social Work graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Social and community service managers $78,240 18,600 +6.4% 39%
Social work teachers, postsecondary $76,210 1,300 +2.3% 42%
Social workers, all other $69,480 7,000 +3.9% 0%
Healthcare social workers $68,090 18,400 +7.7% 34%
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists $64,520 7,900 +2.6% 39%
Marriage and family therapists $63,780 7,700 +12.6% 11%
Mental health and substance abuse social workers $60,060 13,500 +9.7% 27%
Child, family, and school social workers $58,570 35,100 +3.4% 24%
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Social Work: CUNY Lehman College or Fort Hays State University?
CUNY Lehman College scores 63/100 while Fort Hays State University scores 64/100. Fort Hays State University has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Social Work?
CUNY Lehman College has an in-state earnings multiple of 19.4x vs Fort Hays State University's 21.4x. That means Fort Hays State University grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do CUNY Lehman College and Fort Hays State University compare on Social Work earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $42,300 at CUNY Lehman College vs $42,413 at Fort Hays State University. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $575,408 vs $482,015 — a difference of $93,393.
How much does Social Work cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $29,640 at CUNY Lehman College and $22,532 at Fort Hays State University. Median debt at graduation is $14,000 vs $21,500. Both programs lead to the same Social Work career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.