2026 Best Value Social Work Schools in South Carolina
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value social work schools.
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2026 Best Value Social Work Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social work, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Social Work Schools
For return on investment in social work, no school beat Winthrop University this year. Set in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,678 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $28,676. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the social work program here. Early-career social work graduates make about $38,348. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
A rank of #2 makes Columbia College South Carolina one of the best values for social work. Columbia College South Carolina is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbia. In-state tuition and fees average $20,054. Students borrow a median of $28,674 to complete the social work program here. Social Work graduates of Columbia College South Carolina earn a median of $48,339 early in their careers. Set against $28,674 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia College South Carolina admits about 94% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Limestone College one of the best values for social work. Limestone College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Gaffney. Students from in state pay about $27,800 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $41,098 to complete the social work program here. Soon after graduation, social work degree recipients from Limestone College generally make around $33,741. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Limestone College admits about 97% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Carolina Columbia earned it the #4 place for social work. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $12,688 in tuition and fees, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Social Work graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career social work graduates make about $35,441. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
