Best Social Work Programs in Minnesota (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 15 Social Work programs in Minnesota by the median earnings of Social Work graduates four years after completing, highest first. St Catherine University leads the list at $62,227, followed by Augsburg University at $60,546 and Minnesota State University-Mankato at $56,858.
Across the listed programs, the median is $54,056, with a spread of $28,662 from $62,227 to $33,565. For 3 of the 15 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 7 public and 8 private nonprofit institutions. Saint Cloud State University posts the lowest average net price at $13,529.
Augsburg University ranks 361st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admission rates range from 48% at St Olaf College to 99% at North Central University.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Catherine University · Saint Paul, MN | $62,227 | $19,764 | $17,890 | 91.9% |
| St Catherine University reports median earnings of $62,227 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing, with 32 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | Augsburg University · Minneapolis, MN | $60,546 | $23,873 | $21,318 | 82.0% |
| Augsburg University admits 82% of applicants and ranks 361st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $56,858 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato, a public university in Mankato, shows an average net price of $19,139 alongside median earnings of $56,858 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Bemidji State University · Bemidji, MN | $56,345 | $15,261 | $10,073 | 56.0% |
| Bemidji State University ranks 4th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $23,000 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 5 | The College of Saint Scholastica · Duluth, MN | $55,743 | $27,846 | $14,433 | 93.0% |
| The College of Saint Scholastica posts median earnings of $55,743 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,433 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Bethel University · Saint Paul, MN | $54,448 | $28,556 | $22,218 | 87.8% |
| Bethel University has an admission rate of 88% and a median federal debt of $22,500 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $54,226 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth reports median earnings of $54,226 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing, drawn from a cohort of 38. | |||||
| 8 | Winona State University · Winona, MN | $54,056 | $17,503 | $10,224 | 75.5% |
| Winona State University ranks 8th on this list and shows an average net price of $10,224 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 9 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $52,765 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $13,529, alongside median earnings of $52,765 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | St Olaf College · Northfield, MN | $50,611 | $23,874 | $10,404 | 48.3% |
| St Olaf College admits 48% of applicants and reports median earnings of $50,611 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Minnesota State University Moorhead · Moorhead, MN | $50,419 | $17,997 | $11,129 | 58.8% |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead ranks 11th on this list and carries a median federal debt of $19,909 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | Southwest Minnesota State University · Marshall, MN | $45,467 | $15,291 | $10,559 | 62.2% |
| Southwest Minnesota State University shows an average net price of $15,291 and a school-wide median federal debt of $20,500 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 13 | Concordia College at Moorhead · Moorhead, MN | $44,170 | $24,902 | $20,950 | 62.7% |
| Concordia College at Moorhead admits 63% of applicants and reports median earnings of $44,170 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $36,275 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas ranks 14th on this list, with an average net price of $28,131 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 15 | North Central University · Minneapolis, MN | $33,565 | $25,817 | $20,450 | 99.0% |
| North Central University posts an admission rate of 99% and sits 1315th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Social Work graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Minnesota appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 15 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between St Catherine University and Augsburg University is $1,681, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $28,662.
Job market context in Minnesota
The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Social Work to occupations such as Child, Family, and School Social Workers and Healthcare Social Workers in Minnesota. The median annual wage across those occupations is $69,291; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $57,829. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.8% higher, with 1,370 projected openings a year, or about 195 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures shown here.