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Social Work Degree

338 schools compared · Average earnings $36,555/yr

Students study clinical social work practice, case management, human behavior, social welfare policy, and advocacy methods for helping vulnerable populations including children, families, and communities in crisis. Graduates typically pursue careers as social workers in hospitals, schools, child protective services, mental health agencies, and community organizations, typically after earning a master's degree (MSW). Social work offers deeply meaningful career opportunities, and licensed clinical social workers can build private therapy practices.

What Social Work Graduates Do

Your career in social work places you directly on the front lines of community support. As a child or family social worker, you might spend your morning investigating a report of neglect, your afternoon connecting parents with housing resources, and your evening testifying in court. In a hospital setting, you’ll act as a patient's advocate, arranging post-discharge care and helping families navigate complex, emotional medical decisions.

Many graduates begin in these direct-service roles before earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) to advance. With an advanced degree, you can move into management as a community service manager, overseeing budgets and programs, or become a licensed therapist. The fastest-growing paths are in healthcare and mental health, driven by increasing demand for clinical services.

The human element is central to this work, which is why AI's impact is low. While AI may help with administrative tasks like scheduling or data entry, it can’t build trust with a vulnerable client or counsel a family through a crisis. This reliance on empathy and complex interpersonal judgment makes social work a uniquely durable career path.

Schools Offering

338

Avg Grad Earnings

$36,555/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

42/100

AI Automation Risk

Moderate

37% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Social Work graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 116,900 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Social and community service managers	$78,240 $62K$101K	18,600	+6.4%	39%
Social work teachers, postsecondary	$76,210 $57K$99K	1,300	+2.3%	42%
Social workers, all other	$69,480 $52K$95K	7,000	+3.9%	0%
Healthcare social workers	$68,090 $55K$83K	18,400	+7.7%	34%
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	$64,520 $53K$84K	7,900	+2.6%	39%
Marriage and family therapists	$63,780 $49K$85K	7,700	+12.6%	11%
Mental health and substance abuse social workers	$60,060 $47K$79K	13,500	+9.7%	27%
Child, family, and school social workers	$58,570 $47K$74K	35,100	+3.4%	24%
Counselors, all other	$49,830 $43K$67K	7,400	+12.6%	0%

Social and community service managers

$78,240

$62K $101K

18,600 openings/yr +6.4% growth 39% AI risk

Social work teachers, postsecondary

$76,210

$57K $99K

1,300 openings/yr +2.3% growth 42% AI risk

Social workers, all other

$69,480

$52K $95K

7,000 openings/yr +3.9% growth 0% AI risk

Healthcare social workers

$68,090

$55K $83K

18,400 openings/yr +7.7% growth 34% AI risk

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists

$64,520

$53K $84K

7,900 openings/yr +2.6% growth 39% AI risk

Marriage and family therapists

$63,780

$49K $85K

7,700 openings/yr +12.6% growth 11% AI risk

Mental health and substance abuse social workers

$60,060

$47K $79K

13,500 openings/yr +9.7% growth 27% AI risk

Child, family, and school social workers

$58,570

$47K $74K

35,100 openings/yr +3.4% growth 24% AI risk

Counselors, all other

$49,830

$43K $67K

7,400 openings/yr +12.6% growth 0% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Social Work

Top 20 of 338 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	69 71–69	$48,750/yr	21.5x
2	CUNY York College Jamaica, NY	65 69–65	$44,742/yr	20.6x
3	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	64 69–64	$42,925/yr	22.0x
4	Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN	62 64–62	$47,637/yr	13.6x
5	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	62 66–62	$44,427/yr	15.6x
6	CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY	62 67–62	$44,311/yr	18.7x
7	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND	60 62–59	$49,695/yr	11.4x
8	University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI	60 64–60	$45,870/yr	14.9x
9	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	60 64–60	$44,906/yr	10.6x
10	CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY	60 66–60	$42,300/yr	18.4x
11	University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI	59 63–59	$43,948/yr	15.4x
12	Weber State University Ogden, UT	59 64–59	$42,754/yr	19.4x
13	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	59 67–60	$40,530/yr	17.2x
14	Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN	57 60–57	$47,192/yr	11.7x
15	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN	57 62–57	$43,726/yr	12.7x
16	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA	57 66–58	$39,145/yr	19.1x
17	University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage, AK	56 60–56	$45,565/yr	14.1x
18	Minot State University Minot, ND	56 60–56	$44,731/yr	13.1x
19	Winona State University Winona, MN	56 61–57	$44,546/yr	11.9x
20	Fort Hays State University Hays, KS	56 62–57	$42,413/yr	19.9x
21	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL	56 64–56	$39,912/yr	24.6x
22	University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC	55 59–55	$45,973/yr	15.5x
23	Salem State University Salem, MA	55 59–55	$45,450/yr	10.1x
24	University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI	55 60–55	$44,135/yr	13.4x
25	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	55 60–55	$44,015/yr	11.4x
26	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN	55 60–55	$42,915/yr	12.7x
27	University of Wisconsin-Superior Superior, WI	55 60–55	$42,487/yr	13.8x
28	Texas Southern University Houston, TX	55 61–55	$42,333/yr	13.4x
29	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	55 62–56	$40,969/yr	11.7x
30	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA	55 62–56	$40,969/yr	11.5x
31	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	55 65–56	$37,477/yr	21.0x
32	University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK	54 57–54	$48,151/yr	11.4x
33	Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN	54 57–54	$46,368/yr	10.6x
34	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN	54 59–54	$43,471/yr	11.6x
35	Portland State University Portland, OR	54 60–54	$41,594/yr	11.5x
36	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	54 61–55	$40,562/yr	13.8x
37	Texas Woman's University Denton, TX	54 61–54	$40,340/yr	14.5x
38	Morgan State University Baltimore, MD	53 61–53	$39,059/yr	15.5x
39	University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX	53 64–54	$37,365/yr	18.0x
40	University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA	52 56–52	$45,227/yr	7.7x
41	Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM	52 57–52	$42,250/yr	12.4x
42	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY	52 58–53	$42,227/yr	13.3x
43	University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI	52 58–52	$41,582/yr	12.8x
44	University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	52 60–53	$40,316/yr	10.5x
45	Boise State University Boise, ID	52 60–53	$40,126/yr	13.9x
46	Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA	52 61–53	$39,102/yr	15.1x
47	Utah Valley University Orem, UT	52 62–53	$37,937/yr	19.4x
48	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	52 63–53	$37,290/yr	17.7x
49	Governors State University University Park, IL	51 55–51	$44,133/yr	9.5x
50	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	51 61–52	$38,338/yr	13.8x
51	Coppin State University Baltimore, MD	51 61–52	$37,612/yr	17.6x
52	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL	51 62–52	$36,407/yr	20.4x
53	Florida International University Miami, FL	50 57–51	$41,626/yr	14.6x
54	University of Southern Maine Portland, ME	50 57–50	$40,692/yr	10.7x
55	SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY	50 59–51	$39,695/yr	13.6x
56	Angelo State University San Angelo, TX	50 59–51	$38,771/yr	14.3x
57	Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK	50 60–51	$38,168/yr	15.7x
58	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	50 60–51	$37,990/yr	18.5x
59	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	50 60–51	$37,990/yr	18.5x
60	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	50 60–51	$37,990/yr	18.5x
61	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	50 60–51	$37,990/yr	18.5x
62	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	50 60–51	$37,990/yr	18.5x
63	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	50 61–51	$36,840/yr	16.1x
64	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	50 62–51	$35,693/yr	17.1x
65	Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction, CO	49 55–50	$42,254/yr	9.9x
66	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	49 55–49	$41,833/yr	9.8x
67	Indiana University-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	49 55–50	$41,657/yr	10.4x
68	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	49 56–49	$40,188/yr	11.2x
69	Westfield State University Westfield, MA	49 58–50	$38,596/yr	10.9x
70	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	49 59–50	$38,559/yr	10.0x
71	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	49 59–50	$38,380/yr	15.5x
72	Indiana University-South Bend South Bend, IN	49 59–50	$37,812/yr	14.5x
73	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	49 60–50	$36,916/yr	15.2x
74	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	49 61–50	$36,727/yr	24.5x
75	Lewis-Clark State College Lewiston, ID	49 62–50	$35,456/yr	17.6x
76	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	49 63–50	$34,447/yr	19.2x
77	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	48 53–48	$43,198/yr	6.5x
78	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	48 55–49	$41,187/yr	9.8x
79	Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX	48 55–48	$40,667/yr	9.9x
80	Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo, CO	48 56–49	$39,742/yr	11.7x
81	Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN	48 56–49	$39,695/yr	10.1x
82	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	48 57–49	$39,285/yr	10.9x
83	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT	48 59–49	$37,519/yr	10.8x
84	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	48 58–49	$37,458/yr	17.0x
85	Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen, TX	48 61–49	$35,345/yr	18.6x
86	Viterbo University La Crosse, WI	47 50–47	$46,384/yr	3.1x
87	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH	47 54–48	$40,959/yr	8.1x
88	University of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI	47 54–47	$40,371/yr	8.3x
89	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH	47 54–47	$39,926/yr	9.8x
90	Indiana University-Northwest Gary, IN	47 56–47	$38,652/yr	12.9x
91	Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI	47 56–47	$38,503/yr	9.9x
92	Lamar University Beaumont, TX	47 58–48	$37,593/yr	13.4x
93	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	47 59–48	$35,745/yr	16.1x
94	College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY	47 62–48	$31,021/yr	19.0x
95	University of Massachusetts Global Irvine, CA	46 52–46	$41,327/yr	8.2x
96	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	46 54–46	$39,842/yr	9.1x
97	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX	46 56–47	$38,506/yr	13.1x
98	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX	46 56–46	$37,865/yr	11.5x
99	University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE	46 56–46	$37,404/yr	13.0x
100	University of North Texas Denton, TX	46 58–47	$36,167/yr	11.6x
101	University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR	46 58–47	$35,408/yr	14.3x
102	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	46 59–47	$35,358/yr	17.8x
103	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	46 61–47	$32,604/yr	22.0x
104	University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC	46 61–47	$31,695/yr	34.1x
105	Plymouth State University Plymouth, NH	45 51–45	$41,451/yr	7.0x
106	Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ	45 53–46	$39,936/yr	6.8x
107	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	45 53–46	$39,936/yr	6.7x
108	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ	45 53–46	$39,936/yr	7.1x
109	University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE	45 54–46	$39,218/yr	11.6x
110	Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL	45 54–46	$39,178/yr	9.0x
111	Ohio State University-Lima Campus Lima, OH	45 54–45	$38,739/yr	11.1x
112	Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus Mansfield, OH	45 54–45	$38,739/yr	11.1x
113	Ohio State University-Marion Campus Marion, OH	45 54–45	$38,739/yr	11.1x
114	Ohio State University-Newark Campus Newark, OH	45 54–45	$38,739/yr	11.1x
115	Washburn University Topeka, KS	45 55–46	$37,908/yr	11.5x
116	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	45 56–46	$37,437/yr	10.4x
117	Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Marion, IN	45 56–46	$36,722/yr	13.2x
118	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD	45 58–46	$34,917/yr	12.3x
119	Bowie State University Bowie, MD	45 59–46	$32,989/yr	14.6x
120	St Olaf College Northfield, MN	44 47–44	$45,146/yr	1.0x
121	St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN	44 48–44	$44,257/yr	2.1x
122	La Sierra University Riverside, CA	44 50–45	$42,213/yr	3.1x
123	Longwood University Farmville, VA	44 51–45	$41,160/yr	6.7x
124	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	44 52–45	$40,032/yr	8.7x
125	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	44 53–45	$39,774/yr	7.7x
126	Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY	44 52–44	$39,373/yr	5.4x
127	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	44 52–45	$39,254/yr	8.6x
128	Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TX	44 52–44	$39,215/yr	9.7x
129	Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS	44 54–45	$38,288/yr	12.2x
130	Wichita State University Wichita, KS	44 54–45	$38,256/yr	11.2x
131	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	44 54–45	$38,134/yr	9.0x
132	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	44 54–45	$37,952/yr	10.5x
133	SUNY Brockport Brockport, NY	44 55–45	$37,054/yr	12.2x
134	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	44 56–45	$36,815/yr	8.3x
135	Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV	44 59–45	$32,965/yr	14.7x
136	University at Albany Albany, NY	44 58–45	$32,913/yr	12.8x
137	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	44 59–45	$31,986/yr	17.8x
138	Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA	43 48–43	$42,935/yr	2.0x
139	Millikin University Decatur, IL	43 50–44	$41,543/yr	3.9x
140	University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO	43 52–44	$39,295/yr	9.9x
141	Ball State University Muncie, IN	43 52–44	$39,094/yr	9.5x
142	Illinois State University Normal, IL	43 52–44	$39,041/yr	6.9x
143	University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL	43 53–44	$38,707/yr	8.9x
144	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	43 52–44	$38,660/yr	9.2x
145	Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI	43 52–43	$38,446/yr	7.6x
146	Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN	43 52–43	$38,324/yr	8.5x
147	Radford University Radford, VA	43 53–44	$38,272/yr	9.0x
148	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	43 53–44	$38,174/yr	9.3x
149	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	43 54–44	$37,257/yr	10.9x
150	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	43 56–44	$35,485/yr	12.6x
151	Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC	43 58–43	$29,726/yr	28.1x
152	Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ	42 45–42	$47,734/yr	1.5x
153	The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN	42 46–42	$45,371/yr	2.2x
154	Western Illinois University Macomb, IL	42 51–43	$39,641/yr	6.9x
155	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	42 51–43	$39,292/yr	7.5x
156	Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI	42 51–43	$38,870/yr	7.6x
157	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	42 51–43	$38,517/yr	7.0x
158	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	42 52–43	$38,236/yr	7.8x
159	Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD	42 52–43	$37,836/yr	8.5x
160	Stockton University Galloway, NJ	42 52–43	$37,749/yr	7.4x
161	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA	42 52–43	$37,206/yr	8.4x
162	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	42 53–43	$37,205/yr	7.8x
163	University of West Florida Pensacola, FL	42 53–43	$36,573/yr	13.8x
164	Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN	42 53–43	$36,294/yr	10.8x
165	Delaware State University Dover, DE	42 56–43	$33,413/yr	11.9x
166	Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR	42 57–44	$33,140/yr	15.0x
167	Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, GA	42 56–42	$26,299/yr	21.3x
168	Bethel University Saint Paul, MN	41 45–41	$45,259/yr	1.9x
169	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	41 48–42	$40,836/yr	4.4x
170	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	41 50–42	$38,739/yr	7.7x
171	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	41 51–42	$38,247/yr	8.2x
172	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	41 51–42	$37,990/yr	7.8x
173	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	41 51–41	$37,233/yr	7.5x
174	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	41 52–42	$36,974/yr	8.4x
175	Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX	41 52–42	$36,628/yr	9.8x
176	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL	41 54–42	$35,750/yr	11.8x
177	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	41 53–42	$35,424/yr	11.1x
178	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	41 55–42	$34,344/yr	11.8x
179	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	41 55–42	$33,921/yr	10.5x
180	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven, CT	41 56–43	$33,862/yr	10.1x
181	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	41 56–43	$32,725/yr	15.0x
182	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	41 56–41	$28,425/yr	16.3x
183	SUNY College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY	41 53–41	$24,676/yr	14.3x
184	Capital University Columbus, OH	40 44–40	$44,344/yr	1.8x
185	Harding University Searcy, AR	40 46–40	$41,835/yr	3.3x
186	Grand View University Des Moines, IA	40 47–41	$40,736/yr	2.0x
187	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	40 49–41	$39,055/yr	4.7x
188	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA	40 49–40	$38,828/yr	3.6x
189	University of Maine Orono, ME	40 50–41	$38,824/yr	7.6x
190	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	40 51–41	$37,730/yr	7.7x
191	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	40 51–41	$37,135/yr	9.0x
192	Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI	40 52–41	$36,513/yr	8.3x
193	Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH	40 51–41	$36,445/yr	9.5x
194	University of Memphis Memphis, TN	40 52–41	$36,220/yr	10.1x
195	Concord University Athens, WV	40 52–41	$35,930/yr	10.4x
196	West Texas A & M University Canyon, TX	40 54–41	$34,664/yr	11.8x
197	Western Connecticut State University Danbury, CT	40 55–41	$33,033/yr	10.0x
198	North Carolina Central University Durham, NC	40 55–40	$30,615/yr	16.3x
199	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	40 55–40	$30,509/yr	14.8x
200	Fresno Pacific University Fresno, CA	39 47–40	$40,458/yr	1.8x
201	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ	39 48–40	$39,017/yr	5.3x
202	National Louis University Chicago, IL	39 50–40	$37,205/yr	6.5x
203	Heritage University Toppenish, WA	39 50–40	$37,164/yr	5.5x
204	Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY	39 50–40	$37,037/yr	8.8x
205	University of Southern Indiana Evansville, IN	39 51–40	$36,126/yr	9.9x
206	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	39 52–40	$35,800/yr	8.0x
207	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	39 51–40	$35,544/yr	10.7x
208	Rhode Island College Providence, RI	39 54–41	$33,561/yr	10.6x
209	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL	39 54–39	$31,401/yr	16.7x
210	Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem, NC	39 54–39	$29,617/yr	15.8x
211	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	39 54–39	$29,609/yr	13.4x
212	Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID	39 54–39	$29,355/yr	20.3x
213	University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI	39 53–39	$27,080/yr	10.9x
214	Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN	38 43–38	$43,303/yr	1.7x
215	Keuka College Keuka Park, NY	38 45–39	$40,642/yr	2.4x
216	Aurora University Aurora, IL	38 47–38	$38,382/yr	3.6x
217	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	38 48–39	$37,541/yr	7.3x
218	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	38 49–39	$37,395/yr	5.5x
219	University of North Alabama Florence, AL	38 49–39	$36,948/yr	7.9x
220	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	38 51–40	$35,574/yr	10.3x
221	The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN	38 51–39	$34,240/yr	10.2x
222	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	38 52–40	$34,089/yr	7.7x
223	Northwestern State University of Louisiana Natchitoches, LA	38 52–39	$33,596/yr	11.5x
224	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM	38 53–40	$33,510/yr	12.5x
225	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT	38 53–38	$29,471/yr	9.7x
226	SUNY at Fredonia Fredonia, NY	38 53–39	$28,723/yr	13.0x
227	Virginia State University Petersburg, VA	38 52–38	$28,527/yr	11.9x
228	Mars Hill University Mars Hill, NC	37 43–37	$41,643/yr	1.9x
229	College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee, MA	37 45–38	$40,161/yr	2.2x
230	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	37 49–38	$36,312/yr	7.4x
231	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	37 50–38	$35,257/yr	8.2x
232	Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN	37 50–38	$34,384/yr	10.8x
233	Idaho State University Pocatello, ID	37 52–38	$33,181/yr	11.9x
234	University of Georgia Athens, GA	37 52–38	$32,534/yr	10.0x
235	University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR	37 52–38	$32,532/yr	10.8x
236	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	37 52–38	$31,687/yr	9.0x
237	Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ	37 52–38	$31,210/yr	8.1x
238	North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC	37 52–38	$27,508/yr	15.1x
239	Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE	36 43–36	$40,080/yr	2.0x
240	Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor, MI	36 45–37	$39,071/yr	2.8x
241	Georgian Court University Lakewood, NJ	36 45–37	$38,530/yr	2.6x
242	Our Lady of the Lake University San Antonio, TX	36 46–37	$38,209/yr	3.1x
243	Brescia University Owensboro, KY	36 46–37	$37,841/yr	3.2x
244	Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH	36 48–37	$35,869/yr	7.4x
245	Morehead State University Morehead, KY	36 49–37	$35,300/yr	9.3x
246	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL	36 49–37	$34,664/yr	7.8x
247	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	36 50–37	$34,088/yr	6.9x
248	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL	36 51–38	$33,771/yr	10.3x
249	The University of Montana Missoula, MT	36 51–38	$33,726/yr	11.4x
250	Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY	36 50–37	$33,575/yr	10.0x
251	Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO	36 51–37	$33,532/yr	10.3x
252	Marshall University Huntington, WV	36 50–37	$33,344/yr	8.3x
253	Indiana University-East Richmond, IN	36 51–38	$32,748/yr	11.9x
254	Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO	36 52–37	$32,224/yr	11.0x
255	East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA	36 51–37	$32,208/yr	9.7x
256	Utah State University Logan, UT	36 51–36	$31,746/yr	11.0x
257	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	36 51–37	$31,462/yr	9.6x
258	Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, LA	36 50–36	$26,388/yr	12.5x
259	University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	35 42–36	$40,532/yr	1.9x
260	Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, CA	35 45–36	$38,512/yr	1.0x
261	Nazareth University Rochester, NY	35 44–35	$38,126/yr	2.3x
262	La Salle University Philadelphia, PA	35 45–36	$37,453/yr	1.6x
263	Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC	35 48–36	$35,070/yr	6.4x
264	Alabama State University Montgomery, AL	35 48–36	$34,792/yr	8.4x
265	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	35 48–36	$34,583/yr	5.9x
266	Lincoln University Jefferson City, MO	35 50–36	$32,951/yr	7.9x
267	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX	35 50–36	$30,436/yr	10.7x
268	Roberts Wesleyan University Rochester, NY	34 45–35	$37,100/yr	1.5x
269	Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH	34 45–35	$36,697/yr	1.8x
270	University of Missouri-St Louis Saint Louis, MO	34 47–35	$35,862/yr	6.5x
271	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	34 47–35	$34,748/yr	7.9x
272	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	34 49–36	$33,119/yr	8.4x
273	East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN	34 49–35	$32,514/yr	9.6x
274	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	34 49–35	$32,335/yr	6.0x
275	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA	34 49–35	$32,316/yr	9.5x
276	Troy University Troy, AL	34 49–35	$31,190/yr	10.2x
277	Southern University and A & M College Baton Rouge, LA	34 49–34	$29,703/yr	10.2x
278	Barton College Wilson, NC	33 42–33	$38,312/yr	2.1x
279	Mary Baldwin University Staunton, VA	33 44–34	$37,537/yr	2.6x
280	Hope College Holland, MI	33 44–34	$37,270/yr	2.3x
281	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL	33 46–34	$34,485/yr	7.1x
282	Texas A & M University-Commerce Commerce, TX	33 48–34	$33,149/yr	9.1x
283	University of Mississippi University, MS	33 49–34	$31,190/yr	10.1x
284	West Virginia State University Institute, WV	33 49–34	$30,060/yr	10.7x
285	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	33 47–33	$27,923/yr	9.9x
286	Mount Vernon Nazarene University Mount Vernon, OH	32 42–33	$37,979/yr	2.1x
287	Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Marion, IN	32 44–33	$36,722/yr	2.8x
288	University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	32 44–33	$36,399/yr	2.5x
289	Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA	32 45–33	$35,235/yr	1.9x
290	Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA	32 46–33	$33,089/yr	2.6x
291	Gallaudet University Washington, DC	32 47–33	$31,903/yr	5.8x
292	Murray State University Murray, KY	32 47–33	$31,692/yr	9.1x
293	Tennessee State University Nashville, TN	32 47–33	$29,449/yr	10.4x
294	University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS	32 47–32	$28,262/yr	9.8x
295	University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff, AR	32 47–33	$28,094/yr	10.4x
296	Missouri Southern State University Joplin, MO	32 46–32	$27,936/yr	7.3x
297	Grambling State University Grambling, LA	32 46–32	$26,980/yr	11.0x
298	Union University Jackson, TN	31 41–32	$38,056/yr	1.8x
299	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	31 41–32	$37,494/yr	1.7x
300	Bradley University Peoria, IL	31 44–33	$36,017/yr	2.4x
301	Cedarville University Cedarville, OH	31 43–32	$35,967/yr	2.5x
302	Simmons University Boston, MA	31 44–32	$34,496/yr	2.3x
303	Lubbock Christian University Lubbock, TX	31 45–32	$32,952/yr	3.7x
304	College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO	31 45–32	$32,701/yr	2.8x
305	University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL	31 46–32	$32,262/yr	6.7x
306	Shaw University Raleigh, NC	31 47–32	$31,138/yr	6.1x
307	Southern University Law Center Baton Rouge, LA	31 46–31	$29,703/yr	—
308	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	31 46–31	$29,242/yr	9.1x
309	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	31 46–31	$28,032/yr	7.9x
310	University of Louisiana at Monroe Monroe, LA	31 45–31	$26,423/yr	6.2x
311	Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR	31 41–31	$22,458/yr	6.1x
312	Eastern University Saint Davids, PA	30 42–31	$36,308/yr	2.2x
313	Cairn University-Langhorne Langhorne, PA	30 42–31	$36,289/yr	2.4x
314	Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA	30 44–31	$34,818/yr	1.1x
315	King University Bristol, TN	30 44–31	$34,380/yr	1.5x
316	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	30 44–31	$33,095/yr	5.6x
317	Jackson State University Jackson, MS	30 44–31	$26,873/yr	9.4x
318	Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA	29 40–30	$37,303/yr	1.4x
319	Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY	29 43–31	$34,852/yr	3.0x
320	Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL	29 42–30	$34,463/yr	2.9x
321	Benedict College Columbia, SC	29 45–30	$30,295/yr	3.2x
322	Texas College Tyler, TX	29 34–29	$17,759/yr	3.4x
323	University of Puerto Rico-Humacao Humacao, PR	29 28–29	$6,869/yr	10.6x
324	Gordon College Wenham, MA	28 43–28	$30,381/yr	3.4x
325	Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, GA	28 42–29	$27,016/yr	3.9x
326	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR	28 28–28	$13,506/yr	8.6x
327	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	27 41–28	$33,819/yr	1.7x
328	Limestone University Gaffney, SC	27 41–28	$33,741/yr	2.5x
329	Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN	27 42–27	$30,204/yr	1.5x
330	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR	27 32–27	$17,692/yr	7.8x
331	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina, PR	27 29–27	$15,258/yr	7.6x
332	Luther College Decorah, IA	26 41–26	$30,372/yr	0.5x
333	New York University New York, NY	26 40–26	$26,837/yr	1.8x
334	Saint Edward's University Austin, TX	25 39–26	$34,200/yr	1.3x
335	Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL	25 40–26	$31,720/yr	2.2x
336	Calvin University Grand Rapids, MI	25 41–26	$31,584/yr	2.2x
337	Hood College Frederick, MD	24 39–25	$32,805/yr	1.7x
338	George Fox University Newberg, OR	24 38–24	$27,755/yr	2.1x

Highest Earning Social Work Programs

Schools where Social Work graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
University of North Dakota	$49,695/yr	60
San Francisco State University	$48,750/yr	69
University of Alaska Fairbanks	$48,151/yr	54
Seton Hall University	$47,734/yr	42
Metropolitan State University	$47,637/yr	62
Bemidji State University	$47,192/yr	57
Viterbo University	$46,384/yr	47
Southwest Minnesota State University	$46,368/yr	54
University of the District of Columbia	$45,973/yr	55
University of Wisconsin-River Falls	$45,870/yr	60

Best ROI for Social Work

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Social Work.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
University of North Carolina at Pembroke	34.1x	$31,695/yr	46
Fayetteville State University	28.1x	$29,726/yr	43
Florida Atlantic University	24.6x	$39,912/yr	56
Western Carolina University	24.5x	$36,727/yr	49
Florida State University	22.0x	$32,604/yr	46
California State University-Long Beach	22.0x	$42,925/yr	64
San Francisco State University	21.5x	$48,750/yr	69
Fort Valley State University	21.3x	$26,299/yr	42
California State University-Los Angeles	21.0x	$37,477/yr	55
CUNY York College	20.6x	$44,742/yr	65

Want to compare two Social Work programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Social Work offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Social Work graduates earn?

Across 338 schools, Social Work graduates earn an average of $36,555 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $6,869 to $49,695 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Social Work?

Social Work is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with an average of 37% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Social Work program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), San Francisco State University ranks #1 for Social Work with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $48,750/yr.

What's the outlook for a Social Work degree?

On average, Social Work graduates earn 9.8x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →