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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2025 Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia

9 Colleges in Virginia
663 Bachelor's Degrees
$36,082 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #24 in popularity, social work is one of the most sought-after bachelor's degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 9 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 663 bachelor's degrees in social work during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

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Choosing a Great Social Work School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia The social work bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for social work students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Social Work Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The social work school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Social Work Bachelor's Degree Schools in Virginia.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Social Work in Virginia

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work.

Top Virginia Schools for a Bachelor's in Social Work

1
98 Annual Graduates
$34,088 Median Starting Salary
$17,316 Median Student Debt

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in social work needs to look into Virginia Commonwealth University. Located in the city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population.

Soon after graduating, social work bachelor's recipients typically make around $34,088 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University

2

George Mason University is a wonderful choice for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in social work. GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax.

Social Work bachelor's degree recipients from George Mason University receive an earnings boost of around $2,477 over the typical earnings of social work graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from George Mason University

3
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in social work. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the social work major at Liberty University get $2,746 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Liberty University

4
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
44 Annual Graduates
$31,687 Median Starting Salary
$20,288 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in social work needs to check out James Madison University. JMU is a very large public university located in the small city of Harrisonburg.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the social work program make about $31,687 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from James Madison University

5
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA

Radford is a medium-sized public university located in the fringe town of Radford.

Social Work bachelor's degree recipients from Radford University get an earnings boost of about $2,190 above the typical earnings of social work graduates.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Radford University

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Mary Baldwin is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Staunton.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the social work program make around $37,537 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Mary Baldwin University

7
17 Annual Graduates

CNU is a small public university located in the medium-sized city of Newport News.More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Christopher Newport University

8
20 Annual Graduates
$28,527 Median Starting Salary
$20,720 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Petersburg, Virginia State is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

Soon after graduating, social work bachelor's recipients typically earn about $28,527 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Virginia State University

9
Longwood crest
Longwood University
Farmville, VA
18 Annual Graduates
$41,160 Median Starting Salary
$39,744 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Farmville, Longwood is a public university with a small student population.

Social Work bachelor's degree recipients from Longwood University get an earnings boost of about $5,078 above the typical earnings of social work majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in social work from Longwood University

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Best Social Work Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Social Work Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Florida 225 839
Georgia 224 240
Tennessee 220 574
North Carolina 213 912
South Carolina 195 165
Kentucky 187 651
Alabama 184 543
Louisiana 171 268
Mississippi 169 363
Arkansas 167 269
West Virginia 147 166
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One of 0 majors within the <nil> area of study, Social Work has other similar majors worth exploring.

Social Work Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 663
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Notes and References

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