by our College Data Analytics Team
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong social work education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for social work students.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in social work, balancing cost against outcomes.
Cankdeska Cikana Community College earned the #1 spot for value among social work schools in North Dakota. Located in the rural area of Fort Totten, Cankdeska Cikana Community College is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,950. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $17,008.
Students looking for strong value in social work will find it at Minot State University, which ranked #2. Minot State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Minot. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,702. Typical student debt for social work graduates is $27,000. Early-career social work graduates make about $44,731. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in social work will find it at University Of North Dakota, which ranked #3. University Of North Dakota is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. In-state tuition and fees average $10,951, compared with $15,570 for out-of-state students. Social Work graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career social work graduates make about $55,614. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
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The ranking above is published 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.