Best colleges for social work
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in social work, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for social work605 schools
605 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in social work, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 2
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 3
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 32%
- 4
New York University
New York, NY · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
- 5
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · PublicHonor Roll#2 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A- · Top 12%
- 6
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Florida
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 7
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
- 8
University of Georgia
Athens, GA · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Georgia
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 9
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Wisconsin
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 7%
- 10
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 11
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A- · Top 11%
- 12
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Washington
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 13
Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A- · Top 13%
- 14
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH · PublicHonor Roll#5 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 15
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 16
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#3 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 17
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 28%
- 18
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#5 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 19
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Alabama
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B · Top 39%
- 20
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade A · Top 6%
- 21
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · PublicHonor RollTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B+ · Top 31%
- 22
Providence College
Providence, RI · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 23
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade C+
- 24
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in social work
- Value grade B-
- 25
College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Missouri
- Bachelor’s program in social work
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | $14,860 | $15,000 | $91,885 | 96% |
| University of California-Berkeley | $13,481 | $13,000 | $92,446 | 93% |
| Boston University | $24,402 | $23,250 | $83,238 | 89% |
| New York University | $37,050 | $20,500 | $82,509 | 88% |
| The University of Texas at Austin | $19,857 | $20,500 | $75,121 | 89% |
| Florida State University | $11,297 | $18,000 | $61,675 | 86% |
| Skidmore College | $32,297 | $19,500 | $69,363 | 83% |
| University of Georgia | $13,936 | $18,500 | $68,726 | 90% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | $17,354 | $20,484 | $73,792 | 90% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $14,355 | $19,500 | $81,054 | 85% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $17,303 | $20,121 | $68,758 | 85% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $14,091 | $14,615 | $78,466 | 85% |
| Binghamton University | $21,620 | $18,500 | $80,596 | 82% |
| Ohio State University | $17,339 | $19,976 | $60,409 | 88% |
| Fairfield University | $48,095 | $26,000 | $88,794 | 84% |
| St. Olaf College | $23,874 | $26,000 | $65,543 | 84% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $24,406 | $21,500 | $74,479 | 84% |
| Texas Christian University | $36,660 | $21,500 | $68,424 | 86% |
| Auburn University | $24,323 | $21,000 | $65,337 | 82% |
| Stony Brook University | $18,784 | $18,228 | $74,502 | 76% |
| University of Connecticut | $25,097 | $21,500 | $73,997 | 83% |
| Providence College | $48,523 | $27,000 | $87,054 | 86% |
| Syracuse University | $38,793 | $26,000 | $79,164 | 84% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $30,434 | $24,250 | $66,125 | 86% |
| College of the Ozarks | $6,100 | — | $41,592 | 64% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Alabama 16
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 10
- California 26
- Colorado 5
- Connecticut 13
- District of Columbia 3
- Florida 14
- Georgia 12
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 5
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 21
- Iowa 14
- Kansas 10
- Kentucky 14
- Louisiana 9
- Maine 5
- Maryland 10
- Massachusetts 12
- Michigan 22
- Minnesota 16
- Mississippi 11
- Missouri 18
- Nebraska 6
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 13
- New York 29
- North Carolina 24
- North Dakota 3
- Ohio 42
- Oklahoma 6
- Oregon 5
- Pennsylvania 34
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 3
- South Carolina 6
- Tennessee 19
- Texas 34
- Utah 4
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 15
- Washington 8
- West Virginia 7
- Wisconsin 16