Social Work
Social Work graduates earn an average annual wage of $96,554, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 52,540 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Social Work and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$N/A Median In-State Public
$N/A Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Social Work majors are, on average, $N/A for in-state public colleges, and $N/A for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Social Work programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
57,279 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Social Work from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Social Work.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Social Work programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Social Work programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insufficient Data | |||
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Social Work programs.
Graduation Rates
53.87% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
53.48% Average Graduation Rate
797 Institutions Reporting
41.28% - 65.89% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Social Work programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Social Work graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$96,554 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Social Work majors is $96,554.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Social Work majors.
Occupations by Share
52,540 2023 Workforce
The number of Social Work graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Social Work by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Social Work degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Social Work degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Social Work in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Social Work.
Age distribution for Social Work degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
57,279 Total Degrees Awarded
7,150 Male (12.48%)
50,129 Female (87.52%)
Gender distribution of Social Work degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
29,402 White (51.33%)
10,964 Hispanic or Latino (19.14%)
9,931 Black or African American (17.34%)
2,137 Two or More Races (3.73%)
1,795 Asian (3.13%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Social Work degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Social Work are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Social Work.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Social Work field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Social Work majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Social Work majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Social Work majors.
About
Social Work
In 2023, 57,279 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Social Work.
CIP Code
44.0701 - Social Work
Insights and Analysis
Social Work offers students a pathway to career success with diverse opportunities across multiple industries. Prospective students should carefully evaluate factors including costs, outcomes, program quality, and personal interests when making their educational decisions.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.