Best Social Work Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

4

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$6,686

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$41,361

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Capella University MN +$352,984 $64,055 $22,029 N/A Full ROI →
2 University of Illinois Chicago

Grad rate: 60.9%

IL +$4,768 $47,638 $26,998 N/A Full ROI →
3 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Grad rate: 73.0%

TN -$185,972 $39,233 $32,658 N/A Full ROI →
4 Tulane University of Louisiana

Grad rate: 88.2%

LA -$198,524 $48,826 $83,761 N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Social Work Degrees by State

Browse Social Work programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.