Social Work at Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $34,089/yr (-7% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (24% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (116,900 openings/yr)

ROI 9.2x earnings multiple (3.4x out-of-state)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Social Work graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$586K	$586K	$552K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	9.2x	9.2x	8.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	3.4x	3.4x	3.2x
Probability of Field Employment	70%	69%	58%
DegreeOutlook Score	40	38	52

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$63,952

Out-of-state: $173,488 (3.4x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$83,004

-30% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$24,432

8.6 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$55,523

63% growth from Year 1

With 84% of applicants admitted, Michigan State University prioritizes broad access, serving a student body of 40,243 in East Lansing, MI.

Social and community service managers $78,240/yr

Social work teachers, postsecondary $76,210/yr

Social workers, all other $69,480/yr

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

How does Michigan State University's Social Work program score?

This program scores 38/100 — on the lower end for Social Work. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

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