Best Social Work Degrees in Illinois by ROI

Colleges in Illinois ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment — calculated from median graduate earnings, total attendance cost, and average student debt. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Illinois

13

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$36,929

Across Illinois programs

Average Annual Cost

$41,477

Cost of attendance

# College 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Chicago State University

Grad rate: 21.1%

 +$111,072 $50,599 $30,454 N/A Full ROI →
2 Illinois State University

Grad rate: 66.7%

 +$86,864 $49,589 $32,458 N/A Full ROI →
3 University of Illinois Chicago

Grad rate: 60.9%

 +$73,944 $48,397 $26,998 N/A Full ROI →
4 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Grad rate: 84.8%

 +$60,992 $48,263 $32,134 N/A Full ROI →
5 University of Chicago

Grad rate: 95.2%

 +$60,108 $53,691 $86,856 N/A Full ROI →
6 DePaul University

Grad rate: 69.7%

 +$59,186 $50,906 $59,467 N/A Full ROI →
7 Aurora University

Grad rate: 59.0%

 +$58,616 $48,854 $39,232 N/A Full ROI →
8 Loyola University Chicago

Grad rate: 73.9%

 +$23,046 $49,569 $64,167 N/A Full ROI →
9 Governors State University

Grad rate: 20.2%

 +$13,268 $44,971 $23,076 N/A Full ROI →
10 Dominican University

Grad rate: 60.4%

 +$5,152 $46,699 $44,414 N/A Full ROI →
11 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Grad rate: 52.5%

 -$12,096 $44,322 $29,268 N/A Full ROI →
12 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Grad rate: 54.2%

 -$24,244 $43,318 $25,302 N/A Full ROI →
13 University of St Francis

Grad rate: 64.8%

 -$35,830 $44,746 $45,375 N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost (annual cost × programme years) − Debt Payoff (avg debt × 1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20 = $840,000)

A positive ROI means a degree in this field pays off relative to entering the workforce without one. 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.

Alabama Best Social Work → Alaska Best Social Work → Arizona Best Social Work → Arkansas Best Social Work → California Best Social Work → Colorado Best Social Work → Connecticut Best Social Work → Delaware Best Social Work → Florida Best Social Work → Georgia Best Social Work → Hawaii Best Social Work → Idaho Best Social Work → Illinois Current state Indiana Best Social Work → Iowa Best Social Work → Kansas Best Social Work → Kentucky Best Social Work → Louisiana Best Social Work → Maine Best Social Work → Maryland Best Social Work → Massachusetts Best Social Work → Michigan Best Social Work → Minnesota Best Social Work → Mississippi Best Social Work → Missouri Best Social Work → Montana Best Social Work → Nebraska Best Social Work → Nevada Best Social Work → New Hampshire Best Social Work → New Jersey Best Social Work → New Mexico Best Social Work → New York Best Social Work → North Carolina Best Social Work → North Dakota Best Social Work → Ohio Best Social Work → Oklahoma Best Social Work → Oregon Best Social Work → Pennsylvania Best Social Work → Rhode Island Best Social Work → South Carolina Best Social Work → South Dakota Best Social Work → Tennessee Best Social Work → Texas Best Social Work → Utah Best Social Work → Vermont Best Social Work → Virginia Best Social Work → Washington Best Social Work → West Virginia Best Social Work → Wisconsin Best Social Work → Wyoming Best Social Work →