Best Social Work Programs in Texas (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Public Administration Colleges in Texas
This page ranks the 27 Social Work programs in Texas by the median earnings of Social Work graduates four years after completing, highest first. Texas Christian University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $65,536 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $65,536 to $28,309, with a median of $50,651. For 1 of the 27 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 20 of the programs, or 74% of the list, alongside 7 private nonprofit schools. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts the lowest average net price on the page at $4,831.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX | $65,536 | $36,660 | $17,956 | 44.5% |
| Texas Christian University reports median earnings of $65,536 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $59,850 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin admits 27% of applicants and ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 3 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $58,441 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University shows an average net price of $19,070 alongside median earnings of $58,441 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Baylor University · Waco, TX | $58,293 | $41,104 | $22,024 | 51.3% |
| Baylor University carries a median federal debt of $23,198 among Social Work completers who borrowed and a cohort of 24 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 5 | Saint Edward's University · Austin, TX | $56,637 | $25,578 | $20,799 | 81.4% |
| Saint Edward's University ranks 5th on this list, with an average net price of $20,799 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of Houston-Downtown · Houston, TX | $54,784 | $10,542 | $9,439 | 90.0% |
| University of Houston-Downtown posts median earnings of $54,784 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,542. | |||||
| 7 | The University of Texas at El Paso · El Paso, TX | $53,995 | $9,403 | $7,863 | 99.9% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso admits 100% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $16,236 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | Abilene Christian University · Abilene, TX | $53,877 | $26,182 | $20,285 | 66.0% |
| Abilene Christian University ranks 1153rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $53,877 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $52,766 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University reports a cohort of 114 graduates in the earnings cohort and an average net price of $12,715 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | East Texas A&M University · Commerce, TX | $52,013 | $11,841 | $9,709 | 92.2% |
| East Texas A&M University shows median earnings of $52,013 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing and a median federal debt of $19,197 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | Our Lady of the Lake University · San Antonio, TX | $51,943 | $16,442 | $16,236 | Not reported |
| Our Lady of the Lake University ranks 373rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $16,442. | |||||
| 12 | Midwestern State University · Wichita Falls, TX | $51,901 | $11,656 | $8,856 | 93.5% |
| Midwestern State University admits 94% of applicants and reports median earnings of $51,901 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Stephen F Austin State University · Nacogdoches, TX | $50,754 | $14,260 | $10,318 | 94.0% |
| Stephen F Austin State University reports median earnings of $50,754 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 92. | |||||
| 14 | Angelo State University · San Angelo, TX | $50,651 | $15,091 | $12,008 | 83.0% |
| With an admission rate of 83%, Angelo State University ranks 14th on this list and posts median earnings of $50,651 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $50,579 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| University of North Texas carries a median federal debt of $19,500 among Social Work completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $50,579 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $50,453 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Lamar University shows an average net price of $9,366, and its Social Work graduates earn a median of $50,453 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $50,388 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Social Work graduates earn a median of $50,388 four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX | $50,275 | $20,783 | $15,574 | 89.6% |
| Tarleton State University admits 90% of applicants, and its Social Work graduates report median earnings of $50,275 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · Edinburg, TX | $50,073 | $4,831 | $3,785 | 94.2% |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts an average net price of $4,831, and its Social Work graduates earn a median of $50,073 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Texas Southern University · Houston, TX | $49,871 | $16,590 | $16,437 | 96.9% |
| Texas Southern University shows a median federal debt of $29,500 among Social Work completers who borrowed, with median earnings of $49,871 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor · Belton, TX | $49,816 | $26,106 | $22,089 | 95.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Belton, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor reports median earnings of $49,816 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of Houston-Clear Lake · Houston, TX | $49,513 | $15,563 | $7,330 | 90.5% |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake carries a median federal debt of $17,831 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Social Work graduates earn a median of $49,513 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Lubbock Christian University · Lubbock, TX | $49,193 | $24,456 | $23,018 | 73.1% |
| Lubbock Christian University admits 73% of applicants, and its Social Work graduates report median earnings of $49,193 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Texas Woman's University · Denton, TX | $45,761 | $11,963 | $9,948 | 96.1% |
| Texas Woman's University shows an average net price of $11,963, and its Social Work graduates earn a median of $45,761 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Prairie View A & M University · Prairie View, TX | $45,742 | $13,570 | $12,120 | 79.3% |
| Prairie View A & M University reports median earnings of $45,742 for its Social Work graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 41 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | West Texas A & M University · Canyon, TX | $44,174 | $19,487 | $16,525 | 98.7% |
| West Texas A & M University admits 99% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $22,473 among Social Work completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 27 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville · Kingsville, TX | $28,309 | $12,090 | $10,207 | 90.9% |
| Texas A&M University-Kingsville ranks 27th on this list and carries an average net price of $12,090. | |||||
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 Texas appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 27 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 Texas Christian University and The University of Texas at Austin is $5,686, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $37,227.
Job market context in Texas
The Bureau of Labor Statistics links Social Work to occupations such as Child, Family, and School Social Workers and Healthcare Social Workers in Texas. The median annual wage across those occupations is $59,848, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $48,258. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 14.9% higher, with 5,460 projected openings a year. That works out to about 348 openings a year for every hundred graduates, and more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. These market figures describe the occupations, not the earnings of any listed program's graduates four years after completing.
Related rankings
- Best Social Work Programs in the United States
- Best Social Work Programs in Kentucky
- Best Social Work Programs in Florida
- Best Social Work Programs in Indiana
- Best Public Administration Colleges in Texas
- Public Administration Colleges in Texas for Social Mobility
- Social Work Colleges in Texas for Social Mobility