Field of study · CIP 44.07
Social Work
Offered at 1,277 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 50 | — | $43,315 | $21,612 |
| Associate | 148 | $34,287 | $43,256 | $14,054 |
| Bachelor's | 595 | $41,465 | $53,160 | $24,986 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 3 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 342 | $56,086 | $64,872 | — |
| Doctoral | 79 | $93,790 | $102,964 | — |
| Professional | 13 | $69,209 | $74,803 | — |
| Graduate certificate | 47 | $54,697 | $66,174 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical associate program in this field reports median earnings of $34,287, versus $41,465 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montclair State University | NJ | — | $61,618 | — |
| 2 | Passaic County Community College | NJ | — | $44,755 | — |
| 3 | Pima Community College | AZ | — | $44,130 | — |
| 4 | Clackamas Community College | OR | — | $42,501 | — |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky University | KY | — | $40,919 | — |
| 6 | University of Iowa | IA | $40,053 | — | $21,612 |
| 7 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | IN | $39,909 | — | $15,380 |
| 8 | Sinclair Community College | OH | — | $21,173 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookdale Community College | NJ | — | $52,383 | — |
| 2 | Connecticut State Community College | CT | $40,963 | $51,107 | $9,239 |
| 3 | Salt Lake Community College | UT | — | $50,496 | $7,312 |
| 4 | Rogue Community College | OR | — | $50,028 | — |
| 5 | Texas Southmost College | TX | $30,716 | $49,491 | $8,619 |
| 6 | Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus | NJ | — | $48,592 | $10,494 |
| 7 | Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus | NJ | — | $48,592 | $10,494 |
| 8 | Austin Community College District | TX | $36,252 | $47,864 | $21,725 |
| 9 | San Antonio College | TX | — | $46,930 | — |
| 10 | Lake Land College | IL | — | $46,599 | — |
| 11 | Owens Community College | OH | — | $46,502 | — |
| 12 | Community College of Allegheny County | PA | — | $45,556 | — |
| 13 | North Idaho College | ID | — | $45,501 | — |
| 14 | Sinclair Community College | OH | — | $45,474 | $13,000 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania Western University | PA | — | $45,390 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco State University | CA | $44,889 | $81,926 | $22,725 |
| 2 | San Jose State University | CA | — | $76,060 | $12,623 |
| 3 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $45,614 | $73,611 | $12,062 |
| 4 | Sacred Heart University | CT | — | $72,495 | $26,000 |
| 5 | California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $59,991 | $70,857 | $13,062 |
| 6 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $51,615 | $70,493 | $9,543 |
| 7 | Molloy University | NY | — | $69,505 | — |
| 8 | Seton Hall University | NJ | — | $69,249 | — |
| 9 | Simmons University | MA | — | $69,027 | $25,633 |
| 10 | George Fox University | OR | $48,756 | $67,990 | $20,246 |
| 11 | La Sierra University | CA | — | $67,529 | — |
| 12 | New York University | NY | $42,874 | $67,059 | $20,551 |
| 13 | Whittier College | CA | — | $66,940 | — |
| 14 | Iona University | NY | — | $66,806 | — |
| 15 | University of Nevada-Reno | NV | $43,794 | $66,603 | $19,875 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | IN | $71,306 | — | $25,238 |
| 2 | Florida State University | FL | — | $67,793 | — |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | — | $59,869 | $25,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose State University | CA | — | $108,099 | — |
| 2 | San Francisco State University | CA | $87,992 | $101,664 | — |
| 3 | California State University-East Bay | CA | $77,471 | $97,539 | — |
| 4 | California State University-Monterey Bay | CA | $78,255 | $95,958 | — |
| 5 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $73,337 | $89,988 | — |
| 6 | California State University-Stanislaus | CA | $72,437 | $89,761 | — |
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $76,257 | $89,321 | — |
| 8 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $72,541 | $88,968 | — |
| 9 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $73,982 | $86,783 | — |
| 10 | California State University-San Bernardino | CA | $69,509 | $85,516 | — |
| 11 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $76,529 | $85,035 | — |
| 12 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | $73,466 | $84,599 | — |
| 13 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $75,708 | $83,261 | — |
| 14 | California State University-Bakersfield | CA | $75,184 | $81,648 | — |
| 15 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $73,879 | $81,590 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Connecticut State University | CT | $111,490 | — | — |
| 2 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $81,955 | $107,179 | — |
| 3 | New York University | NY | $111,147 | $103,640 | — |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $104,472 | $102,964 | — |
| 5 | Capella University | MN | $87,147 | $101,380 | — |
| 6 | University of Southern California | CA | $97,658 | — | — |
| 7 | University of St Thomas | MN | $93,790 | $88,130 | — |
| 8 | Walden University | MN | $82,655 | — | — |
| 9 | Aurora University | IL | $74,621 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kentucky | KY | $90,517 | — | — |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $75,613 | $89,165 | — |
| 3 | The Catholic University of America | DC | $62,805 | $74,803 | — |
| 4 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $53,435 | $60,639 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montclair State University | NJ | — | $84,676 | — |
| 2 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | — | $67,608 | — |
| 3 | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $54,691 | $64,740 | — |
| 4 | Aurora University | IL | $57,402 | — | — |
| 5 | Madonna University | MI | $55,683 | — | — |
| 6 | Western New Mexico University | NM | $54,704 | — | — |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic University | FL | $53,769 | — | — |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | TN | — | $51,461 | — |
| 9 | University of Kentucky | KY | $47,729 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Public AdministrationBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $65,826Public Administration and Social Service Professions, OtherBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $65,378Public Policy AnalysisBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $72,658Human Services, GeneralBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $51,471Community Organization and AdvocacyBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $54,127
Quick answers
- How much do social work graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in social work reports median earnings of $41,465. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
