Social Work: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Social Work graduates earn a median $51,790 four years after finishing — $3,430/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 19.7 years. Federal data pools 524 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 20,379 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence College | RI | $70,356 |
| 2 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $70,273 |
| 3 | La Sierra University | CA | $69,244 |
| 4 | California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $69,201 |
| 5 | San Francisco State University | CA | $68,524 |
| 6 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $68,448 |
| 7 | Pacific Lutheran University | WA | $67,458 |
| 8 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $67,393 |
| 9 | Iona University | NY | $66,417 |
| 10 | Fordham University | NY | $66,349 |
| 11 | Adelphi University | NY | $66,162 |
| 12 | University of the District of Columbia | DC | $65,986 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.