ProgramsPublic Administration and Social Service Professions

    Social Work

    CIP44.07

    591 colleges offer Social Work. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Colleges offering it
    591
    at its most common level
    Bachelor's earnings
    $51,859
    median, 4 years after
    Bachelor's debt
    $21,500
    median federal loans
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    Colleges offering it, by degree level

    Certificate
    88
    Associate's
    191
    Bachelor's
    591
    Master's
    346
    Post-baccalaureate certificate
    14
    Doctoral
    86
    First professional
    16
    Graduate/professional certificate
    77
    Published colleges reporting the program. College Scorecard field of study, 2025.

    What it covers

    About Social Work

    Social Work is part of Public Administration and Social Service Professions: instructional programs that prepare individuals to analyze, manage, and deliver public programs and services.

    Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 44.07.

    Programs in this field

    Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 44.07.

    • Social Work
    • Youth Services/Administration
    • Forensic Social Work

    By degree level

    Earnings and debt by degree level

    Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.

    Colleges offering Social Work and median graduate earnings and debt at each degree level
    Degree levelCollegesMedian earningsMedian debt
    Certificate88$29,2924 yrs after · 2 colleges$20,7503 colleges
    Associate's191$40,5024 yrs after · 36 colleges$13,16519 colleges
    Bachelor's591$51,8594 yrs after · 415 colleges$21,500360 colleges
    Master's346$62,5974 yrs after · 264 colleges$38,036290 colleges
    Post-baccalaureate certificate14$59,0554 yrs after · 2 colleges$24,8282 colleges
    Doctoral86$105,6464 yrs after · 5 colleges$72,5938 colleges
    First professional16$68,0314 yrs after · 3 colleges$50,2874 colleges
    Graduate/professional certificate77$82,8384 yrs after · 1 college$36,4066 colleges

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.

    Bachelor's programs

    Where Social Work graduates earn the most

    Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.

    1. 1Providence College logo

      Providence College

      Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · 11 graduates

      $70,356

      debt not reported

    2. 2

      CUNY Hunter College

      New York, NY · Public · 43 graduates

      $70,273

      debt $11,000

    3. 3California State University-San Bernardino logo

      California State University-San Bernardino

      San Bernardino, CA · Public · 73 graduates

      $69,201

      debt $11,000

    4. 4

      San Francisco State University

      San Francisco, CA · Public · 21 graduates

      $68,524

      debt $21,763

    5. 5

      California State University-Long Beach

      Long Beach, CA · Public · 60 graduates

      $68,448

      debt $11,000

    6. 6Pacific Lutheran University logo

      Pacific Lutheran University

      Tacoma, WA · Private nonprofit · 19 graduates

      $67,458

      debt $18,862

    7. 7University of California-Berkeley logo

      University of California-Berkeley

      Berkeley, CA · Public · 68 graduates

      $67,393

      debt $8,893

    8. 8Iona College logo

      Iona College

      New Rochelle, NY · Private nonprofit · 10 graduates

      $66,417

      debt not reported

    9. 9Adelphi University logo

      Adelphi University

      Garden City, NY · Private nonprofit · 35 graduates

      $66,162

      debt $25,000

    10. 10

      University of the District of Columbia

      Washington, DC · Public · 16 graduates

      $65,986

      debt $33,183

    Careers

    Careers this program leads to

    Occupations linked to Social Work by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.

    All 9 in the career explorer

    Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.

    Every program in this area

    Questions about Social Work

    How many colleges offer Social Work?

    Published colleges on CollegesRef report Social Work at these degree levels: certificate (88 colleges), associate's (191 colleges), bachelor's (591 colleges), master's (346 colleges), post-baccalaureate certificate (14 colleges), doctoral (86 colleges), first professional (16 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (77 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).

    What do Social Work graduates earn?

    At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Social Work earn $51,859 a year four years after finishing, across 415 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.

    Where do Social Work graduates earn the most?

    Providence College reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Social Work: $70,356 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.