# Social Work

> Social Work is a field of study in the Public Administration and Social Service Professions area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-work
- CIP code: 44.07 (Public Administration and Social Service Professions)
- Colleges offering it: 591 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 88 | $40,053 | $29,292 | $20,750 |
| Associate's | 191 | $34,287 | $40,502 | $13,165 |
| Bachelor's | 591 | $41,498 | $51,859 | $21,500 |
| Master's | 346 | $56,050 | $62,597 | $38,036 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 14 | $71,306 | $59,055 | $24,828 |
| Doctoral | 86 | $97,658 | $105,646 | $72,593 |
| First professional | 16 | $69,209 | $68,031 | $50,287 |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 77 | $54,697 | $82,838 | $36,406 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Providence College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/providence-college-2158) | Providence, RI | $70,356 | not reported |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | New York, NY | $70,273 | $11,000 |
| [California State University-San Bernardino](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-san-bernardino-376) | San Bernardino, CA | $69,201 | $11,000 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | San Francisco, CA | $68,524 | $21,763 |
| [California State University-Long Beach](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-long-beach-371) | Long Beach, CA | $68,448 | $11,000 |
| [Pacific Lutheran University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-lutheran-university-2059) | Tacoma, WA | $67,458 | $18,862 |
| [University of California-Berkeley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Berkeley, CA | $67,393 | $8,893 |
| [Iona College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/iona-college-1302) | New Rochelle, NY | $66,417 | not reported |
| [Adelphi University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/adelphi-university-8) | Garden City, NY | $66,162 | $25,000 |
| [University of the District of Columbia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-the-district-of-columbia-3058) | Washington, DC | $65,986 | $33,183 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Social and Community Service Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-and-community-service-managers): $80,390 median pay
- [Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-work-teachers-postsecondary): $77,570 median pay
- [Social Workers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-workers-all-other): $71,900 median pay
- [Healthcare Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/healthcare-social-workers): $67,880 median pay
- [Marriage and Family Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marriage-and-family-therapists): $66,940 median pay
- [Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/probation-officers-and-correctional-treatment-specialists): $66,270 median pay
- [Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers): $60,280 median pay
- [Child, Family, and School Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers): $59,550 median pay
- [Counselors, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/counselors-all-other): $50,860 median pay

## More in Public Administration and Social Service Professions

- [Public Administration](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/public-administration): 360 colleges
- [Human Services, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/human-services-general): 277 colleges
- [Public Policy Analysis](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/public-policy-analysis): 124 colleges
- [Community Organization and Advocacy](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/community-organization-and-advocacy): 79 colleges
- [Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/public-administration-and-social-service-professions-other): 28 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/