Earning one of the 15 Best Master's Degrees in Social Work is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to make a difference in their community and ensure their spot in a flourishing job market.
Social work is one of the most dependable fields in the United States. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts 16-20% job growth in the field over the next seven years, more than twice the average pace. Social workers can also choose from a variety of specialties and work environments. These include child, family, and school social work, working in a hospital as a caseworker, coordinating with crisis response teams, and a range of opportunities at international aid organizations, non-profits, substance abuse treatment centers, and counseling offices.
According to Data USA, which summarizes government statistics, social workers made on average about $46,000 in 2017. Highest paying jobs are in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, insurance, and schools, though most social workers work for individual and family service agencies, human resources, and direct patient care within hospitals or outpatient services. Within Master's programs students often have the opportunity to earn certificates in specialized fields such as child welfare, gerontology, and addiction treatment.
Though most social work jobs require a Master's degree, the field is unique in that supervised jobs are available to grads at the Associate's and Bachelor's levels by way of undergraduate certificates. This is an excellent way for students to build experience in the field prior to applying for a competitive Master's program, and also allows students to work in the field if they are part-time or online-only Master's students. Indeed, according to a 2017 nation-wide survey from the Council on Social Work Education, about 12% of Master's in Social Work students attended part-time, and a few schools across the nation offer affordable Master's programs completely online.
With that in mind, opportunities abound for students rearing to get into a competitive program and join a rich job market. Most of the programs on our list offer in-state tuition, which can be a great relief for students worried about student debt and who would rather focus on the social impact of their work than how much they need to earn in order to pay back their loans.
Selection Criteria
Best Value Schools publishes college degree rankings with the belief of how one's higher education should be, both, affordable and an investment of continued value for the students who pursue them. The staff of BVS collects data from reputable sources in order to calculate Net Price and the short and long-term value of every ranked degree. Collected data is simplified into weighted categories before scoring and then scaled through a BVS Score up to 100. The weighted categories are:
Degree Investment Return (25%)
Student & Alumni Evaluation (25%)
Cost Value (25%)
Matriculation (10%)
Academic Success (15%)
No matter what degree you decide on, we hope our research and support has made the selection process easier. There are numerous resources BVS utilizes to collect information on degrees, and we encourage you to check them out for yourself!
Here are The 15 Best Master's Degrees in Social Work!
Featured Online Programs
Figuring out where to apply? These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online degrees. Consider one of these accredited programs, and discover their value today.
