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Academic Field / Public Administration

Social Work

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.

Compare Schools

Schools

338

Programs analyzed

Earnings

$36,555

Avg 1-yr grad earnings

Range $6,869–$49,695

Outlook

42/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

AI Risk

Moderate

37% task exposure

Field Overview

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.

Related majors worth comparing: Human Services, Community Organization, and Cognitive Science.

Career Trajectories

Where Social Work graduates work

Common career paths for Social Work graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 116,900 combined openings per year across these roles.

Role	Median Pay	Annual Openings	10-yr Growth	AI Exposure
Social and community service managers	$78,240 $62K–$101K	18,600	+6.4%	Moderate · 39%
Social work teachers, postsecondary	$76,210 $57K–$99K	1,300	+2.3%	Moderate · 42%
Social workers, all other	$69,480 $52K–$95K	7,000	+3.9%	Low · 0%
Healthcare social workers	$68,090 $55K–$83K	18,400	+7.7%	Moderate · 34%
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	$64,520 $53K–$84K	7,900	+2.6%	Moderate · 39%
Marriage and family therapists	$63,780 $49K–$85K	7,700	+12.6%	Low · 11%
Mental health and substance abuse social workers	$60,060 $47K–$79K	13,500	+9.7%	Low · 27%
Child, family, and school social workers	$58,570 $47K–$74K	35,100	+3.4%	Low · 24%
Counselors, all other	$49,830 $43K–$67K	7,400	+12.6%	Low · 0%

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

Top Institutions

Best schools for Social Work

Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 338.

Rank #1 · DegreeOutlook Score 69

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$48,750 1-yr earnings

$44,742/yr · 20.6x ROI

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · #3

$42,925/yr · 22.0x ROI

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN · #4

$47,637/yr · 13.6x ROI

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

Find the top Social Work schools — ranked by actual earnings data from 338 programs →

Highest Earnings Top 5

University of North Dakota ND	$49,695
San Francisco State University CA	$48,750
University of Alaska Fairbanks AK	$48,151
Seton Hall University NJ	$47,734
Metropolitan State University MN	$47,637

Best ROI Top 5

University of North Carolina at Pembroke NC	34.1x
Fayetteville State University NC	28.1x
Florida Atlantic University FL	24.6x
Western Carolina University NC	24.5x
Florida State University FL	22.0x

Related majors

Similar fields of study often offered alongside Social Work.

Public Policy Human Services Public Policy Analysis Community Organization and Advocacy Business Administration Psychology Biology Nursing Accounting Teacher Education Communication and Media Studies Criminal Justice

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.

Compare Social Work trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

FAQ

Frequently asked about Social Work

What do Social Work graduates make in their first year?

The median first-year salary across 338 Social Work programs is $36,555. School selection matters — the gap between the lowest ($6,869) and highest ($49,695) earning programs is significant.

Will AI affect Social Work careers?

Social Work is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with 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?

San Francisco State University leads all 338 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 69/100. Graduates earn $48,750/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

Is a Social Work degree worth the investment?

Typical graduates earn 9.8 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.