by our College Data Analytics Team
[Social Work](/majors/social-services-public-administration/social-work/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where social work graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The social work program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Social Work Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose social work degrees pay off the most.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Social Work Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
If you want to know which schools send social work graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Catholic University Of America, our #1 for social work graduate salaries in the United States. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from Catholic University Of America make a median of around $69,749 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in social work will find them at Tulsa Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Tulsa, Tulsa Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,164.
San Jose State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. San Jose State University is a public school located in the city of San Jose. Early-career social work graduates from San Jose State University make a median of around $64,522 per year.
Long Island University C W Post Campus came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Long Island University C W Post Campus is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Brookville. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,188.
Marist College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in social work, landing the #5 spot this year. Marist College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,079.
1
2
3
4
5
Adelphi University earned the #6 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Garden City, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Social Work graduates of Adelphi University earn a median of about $62,708 a year early in their careers.
Molloy College earned the #7 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from Molloy College make a median of around $62,027 per year.
Saint Joseph College landed the #8 spot for social work salaries this year. Located in the city of West Hartford, Saint Joseph College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from Saint Joseph College make a median of around $60,647 per year.
Saint Martins University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Set in the city of Lacey, Saint Martins University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career social work graduates from Saint Martins University make a median of around $59,582 per year.
Syracuse University placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for social work. Syracuse University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Syracuse. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Syracuse University typically earn about $59,353 annually.
Monmouth University earned the #11 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Monmouth University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of West Long Branch. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $59,332.
Sacred Heart University landed the #12 spot for social work salaries this year. Sacred Heart University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Sacred Heart University typically earn about $59,083 annually.
Pacific Lutheran University landed the #13 spot for social work salaries this year. Pacific Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Tacoma. Early-career social work graduates from Pacific Lutheran University make a median of around $58,933 per year.
Siena College landed the #14 spot for social work salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Loudonville, Siena College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Siena College typically earn about $57,978 annually.
Brookdale Community College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,935.
Stony Brook University landed the #16 spot for social work salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a public institution. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,611.
Providence College came in at #17 for social work graduate earnings this year. Providence College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,571.
University Of Wisconsin Madison landed the #18 spot for social work salaries this year. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from University Of Wisconsin Madison make a median of around $57,400 per year.
Concordia College At Moorhead ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the suburb of Moorhead, Concordia College At Moorhead is a private not-for-profit institution. Social Work graduates of Concordia College At Moorhead earn a median of about $57,260 a year early in their careers.
West Chester University Of Pennsylvania ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying social work schools. Located in the suburb of West Chester, West Chester University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from West Chester University Of Pennsylvania typically earn about $56,840 annually.
Mcdaniel College earned the #21 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Westminster, Mcdaniel College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Mcdaniel College typically earn about $56,787 annually.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #22 spot for social work salaries this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Social Work graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of about $56,302 a year early in their careers.
Oral Roberts University landed the #23 spot for social work salaries this year. Oral Roberts University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Tulsa. Students who complete the social work program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,203.
San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot for social work salaries this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a public institution. Early-career social work graduates from San Francisco State University make a median of around $66,675 per year.
Baylor University earned the #25 position for social work graduate earnings this year. Baylor University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. After graduating, social work degree recipients from Baylor University typically earn about $55,750 annually.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid social work ranking:
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
These schools also placed among the highest-paying for social work graduates this year:
A few more high-earning social work schools worth a look:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries social work graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
