Best Social Work Colleges for Social Mobility in the West
Updated
Regional list from Best Social Work Colleges for Social Mobility
Best Social Work Colleges for Social Mobility in the West ranks 26 Social Work schools in the West. Schools first had to sit at or above the 60th percentile on Azimuth's mobility pillar; those that qualified are ordered by the school's median earnings of all students ten years after entry, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page.
University of California-Berkeley ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $92,446 for its students ten years after entry. Across the listed schools, median earnings of all students ten years after entry ranges from $92,446 to $39,067, with a median of $60,260.
Every school on the list is public; 100% of the 26 institutions are public. California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967.
University of California-Berkeley also ranks 98th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 10 years after entry | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Pell share | Mobility percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $92,446 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 28.6% | 98th |
| University of California-Berkeley reports median earnings of $92,446 for all students ten years after entry, the highest figure on this list. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (88 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($67,393) | ||||||
| 2 | San Jose State University · San Jose, CA | $78,988 | $13,760 | $9,730 | 35.2% | 98th |
| An average net price of $9,730 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a 98th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions at San Jose State University. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (79 graduates) | ||||||
| 3 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $78,466 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 14.9% | 95th |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus ranks 3rd on this list, with a Pell share of 15% and median earnings of $78,466 ten years after entry. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (51 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($59,256) | ||||||
| 4 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $68,077 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 42.2% | 97th |
| At San Francisco State University, undergraduates receiving Pell Grants make up 42% of the student body, and the school posts median earnings of $68,077 ten years after entry. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($68,524) | ||||||
| 5 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $67,170 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 19.6% | 93rd |
| University of Utah shows an average net price of $16,200, alongside a 93rd percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (126 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($59,551) | ||||||
| 6 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $64,909 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 31.7% | 98th |
| Median earnings of $64,909 ten years after entry place San Diego State University 6th on this page, with a Pell share of 32%. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (105 graduates), Public Administration (76 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Administration ($57,264), Social Work ($56,674) | ||||||
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $64,876 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 49.1% | 100th |
| California State University-Sacramento carries an average net price of $9,338 and a 100th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (196 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($58,280) | ||||||
| 8 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $64,403 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 50.2% | 100th |
| A Pell share of 50% and median earnings of $64,403 ten years after entry are reported by California State University-Long Beach, which ranks 8th on this list. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (72 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($68,448) | ||||||
| 9 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $64,172 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 42.5% | 95th |
| California State University-Chico posts an average net price of $9,902 for families earning under $30,000, combined with a 95th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (66 graduates), Public Administration (12 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($57,146) | ||||||
| 10 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $62,668 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 29.0% | 100th |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion reports median earnings of $62,668 ten years after entry and a Pell share of 29%. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (190 graduates), Public Policy Analysis (53 graduates), Community Organization and Advocacy (6 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Public Policy Analysis ($71,723), Social Work ($54,504) | ||||||
| 11 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $61,244 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 57.0% | 98th |
| An average net price of $7,000 and a Pell share of 57% accompany a 98th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions at California State University-Fresno. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (111 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($56,038) | ||||||
| 12 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $60,614 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 22.9% | 88th |
| University of Nevada-Reno ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $60,614 ten years after entry and an average net price of $12,674 for families earning under $30,000. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (112 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($60,320) | ||||||
| 13 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $60,543 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 21.1% | 93rd |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins reports median earnings of $60,543 for all students ten years after entry, and sits at the 93rd percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (88 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($54,720) | ||||||
| 14 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $59,977 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 57.6% | 97th |
| An average net price of $2,681 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a 58% share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants at California State University-San Bernardino. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($69,201) | ||||||
| 15 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $59,211 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 66.3% | 100th |
| California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page at $3,967, and reports median earnings of $59,211 for all students ten years after entry. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (227 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($59,545) | ||||||
| 16 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $57,906 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 41.6% | 92nd |
| Ten years after entry, Portland State University's students earn a median of $57,906, and the school's average net price is $9,552. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (103 graduates), Community Organization and Advocacy (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($63,456), Community Organization and Advocacy ($51,066) | ||||||
| 17 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $57,897 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 35.1% | 86th |
| Eastern Washington University has a 35% share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and reports median earnings of $57,897 for all students ten years after entry. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (51 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($60,696) | ||||||
| 18 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $57,624 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 26.2% | 91st |
| At University of Hawaii at Manoa, the average net price is $15,664, and the school sits at the 91st percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (50 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($58,097) | ||||||
| 19 | University of Wyoming · Laramie, WY | $56,880 | $13,599 | $7,977 | 22.8% | 80th |
| University of Wyoming reports median earnings of $56,880 ten years after entry, alongside an average net price of $7,977 for families earning under $30,000. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (41 graduates) | ||||||
| 20 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $55,037 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 40.1% | 96th |
| A 40% share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and a 96th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions are reported at University of Nevada-Las Vegas. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (75 graduates), Human Services, General (32 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($60,344), Human Services, General ($58,130) | ||||||
| 21 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $54,384 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 31.3% | 94th |
| Northern Arizona University reports median earnings of $54,384 ten years after entry, and an average net price of $9,709 for families earning under $30,000. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (162 graduates), Public Administration (8 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($54,000) | ||||||
| 22 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $52,093 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 35.5% | 90th |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver posts an average net price of $15,327, and its students earn a median of $52,093 ten years after entry. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (95 graduates), Human Services, General (41 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($55,915), Human Services, General ($54,896) | ||||||
| 23 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $51,658 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 18.1% | 75th |
| Boise State University sits at the 75th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $18,165 for families earning under $30,000. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (69 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($55,188) | ||||||
| 24 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $47,626 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 42.9% | 86th |
| Ten years after entry, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt's students earn a median of $47,626, and the school has a 43% share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (60 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($57,953) | ||||||
| 25 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $45,608 | $12,193 | $10,593 | 27.9% | 70th |
| Idaho State University reports median earnings of $45,608 for all students ten years after entry, and an average net price of $10,593 for families earning under $30,000. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (32 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($51,827) | ||||||
| 26 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $39,067 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 38.5% | 75th |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus sits at the 75th percentile on Azimuth's mobility index among nonprofit four-year institutions, and 38% of its undergraduates receive Pell Grants. | ||||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Social Work (59 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Social Work ($50,295) | ||||||
How this list is ordered
Schools first had to sit at or above the 60th percentile on Azimuth's mobility pillar; those that qualified are ordered by the school's median earnings of all students ten years after entry, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The earnings figure is the median for all federally aided students at the institution who were working and not enrolled, measured ten years after entry. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of California-Berkeley and San Jose State University is $13,458, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $53,379.
Job market context in the West
The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Social Work to occupations such as Social and Human Service Assistants, Child, Family, and School Social Workers, and Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs in the West. The median annual wage across those occupations is $68,885, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $54,719. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 13.4% higher, with about 2,208 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These labor-market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed school's graduates, which the ranking above measures ten years after entry.
Related rankings
- Best Social Work Colleges for Social Mobility
- Public Administration Colleges for Social Mobility
- Best Colleges in the West
- Public Administration Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Public Administration Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility
- Public Administration Colleges in the South for Social Mobility
- Public Administration Colleges in the West for Social Mobility
- Best Public Administration Colleges in the West
- Social Work Colleges in the West