Which College Social Work Programs Make Graduates the Most Money?

Updated on July 25, 2023

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Social work bachelor’s and associate degrees from New York and California institutions lead to higher median earnings post-graduation.

Credit: Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images

A degree in social work is necessary for many jobs in the field.
Where students earn their degrees can impact the salary they can expect post-graduation.
Data shows that a bachelor’s degree in social work typically nets higher salaries than an associate degree.

The vast majority of social work jobs require a degree, making college a necessity for most looking to enter the field.

Social work, often described as a field of passion, isn’t known for leading to extraordinarily high incomes post-graduation. However, students may get a leg up depending on what university they study at and which state they ultimately work in after earning their degree.

BestColleges used HEA Group data, compiled from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard database, to understand which associate and bachelor’s programs produce graduates who go on to earn the highest incomes post-graduation.

Associate Degree in Social Work Earnings

It can take as little as two years to break into the social work field.

While aspiring social workers go on to earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees in social work, there are a handful of jobs in the industry that can be achieved with an associate degree. Those potential positions include student aide, patient advocate, and social services assistant.

Unlicensed social workers may even be case managers in some circumstances.

Here are some social work programs that lead to higher salaries four years after earning an associate degree from each institution:

Public Colleges and Universities
Institution	State	Median earnings four years after graduation	Number of students in the cohort
Austin Community College District	Texas	$46,281	24
Rowan College of South Jersey — Gloucester Campus	New Jersey	$41,408	37
Brookdale Community College	New Jersey	$39,650	32
Jefferson Community College	New York	$39,139	19
San Antonio College	Texas	$38,540	20

SOURCE: HEA Group

It’s worth noting that these earnings are calculated four years after earning the associate degree. That means many students potentially went on to earn a bachelor’s degree before entering the workforce, so the figures do not report what a student may make with just an associate degree.

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work Earnings

A bachelor’s degree in social work opens graduates to more opportunities in the field.

Most notably, a bachelor’s degree is what’s required at many agencies to become a caseworker or case manager. It may also qualify graduates for work as family social workers.

Some graduates with a bachelor’s degree may opt to continue their education to earn a master’s in social work (MSW) so that they can provide clinical services. But even with a four-year degree, graduates often earn incomes higher than or equal to the median income of all U.S. workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Data from HEA Group shows that higher salaries tend to be earned by graduates from schools in California and New York:

Public Colleges and Universities
Institution	State	Median earnings four years after graduation	Number of students in the cohort
University of Nevada — Reno	Nevada	$63,320	79
University of California — Berkeley	California	$60,405	63
California State University — Long Beach	California	$59,826	86
City University of New York (CUNY) — York College	New York	$58,778	27
San Jose State University	California	$58,152	30
Stony Brook University	New York	$57,000	54
CUNY — College of Staten Island	New York	$56,620	44
San Francisco State University	California	$56,474	25
University of Nevada — Las Vegas	Nevada	$55,652	47
California State University — San Bernardino	California	$54,364	44

Private, Nonprofit Colleges and Universities
Institution	State	Median earnings four years after graduation	Number of students in the cohort
Molloy College	New York	$65,182	23
New York University	New York	$64,289	32
La Sierra University	California	$60,961	16
Simmons University	Massachusetts	$58,336	20
Texas Christian University	Texas	$57,255	21
Davenport University	Michigan	$56,867	22
Adelphi University	New York	$55,710	55
St. Catherine University	Minnesota	$55,686	43
Monmouth University	New Jersey	$55,265	67
Long Island University	New York	$54,857	46