Pennsylvania Western University Social Work: earnings, debt & careers

Social Work graduates of Pennsylvania Western University earn a median $45,436 four years after graduating ($39,192 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $6,312 below the U.S. median for Social Work graduates ($51,748 across 419 colleges), and ranks 17th of 17 Pennsylvania colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,436

U.S. median for this major: $51,748.

College Scorecard field of study; 108 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$39,192

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 59% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,579.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$18,256 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,916. College Scorecard.

Pennsylvania Western University Social Work: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Pennsylvania Western University graduates$45,436
Pennsylvania median (17 colleges)$49,794 (−$4,358)
U.S. median (419 colleges)$51,748 (−$6,312)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Social Work nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Pennsylvania Western University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$13,944$59,8206.2 years
$30–48k$14,171$60,7946.3 years
$48–75k$16,517$70,8587.4 years
$75–110k$20,633$88,5169.2 years
$110k+$23,272$99,83710.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Social Work graduates 4 years after graduating ($45,436) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,639 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Social Work at Pennsylvania colleges

Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Social Work graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Widener University$59,654$30,750$25,75968%
2Alvernia University$56,243$41,574$28,13856%
3University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$56,092$22,000$30,43486%
4La Salle University$55,431$33,206$19,40957%
5Elizabethtown College$54,837—$26,59876%
6Temple University$54,166$27,000$28,19875%
7Messiah University$52,511$27,000$26,50275%
8East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania$50,979$27,000$18,13443%
9Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania$49,794$26,982$23,72656%
10Millersville University of Pennsylvania$49,400$27,937$20,78758%
11Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania$48,454$27,000$15,69954%
12Carlow University$47,486—$20,78660%
13Kutztown University of Pennsylvania$47,221$26,624$21,33154%
14Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania$46,974$27,000$19,60866%
15Eastern University$46,324$27,000$26,66254%
16Cairn University-Langhorne$45,729$27,000$27,64260%
17Pennsylvania Western University$45,436$27,000$18,25652%

17 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Social Work but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Social Work graduates

Social worker

Pittsburgh area$49,800
Pennsylvania$50,820
U.S.$59,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Social and Community Service Managers

Pittsburgh area$74,170
Pennsylvania$75,280
U.S.$80,390

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Pittsburgh area$82,220
Pennsylvania$67,370
U.S.$66,270

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Pennsylvania Western University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Pennsylvania Western University

Related majors at Pennsylvania Western University

  • Psychology (Research)$45,300
  • Psychology$45,903
  • Sociology$42,662
  • Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$42,837

Pennsylvania Western University Social Work questions

How much do Pennsylvania Western University Social Work graduates earn?

Social Work graduates of Pennsylvania Western University earn a median $45,436 four years after graduating and $39,192 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Work graduates across 419 colleges is $51,748.

How much debt do Pennsylvania Western University Social Work graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Social Work graduates of Pennsylvania Western University is $27,000, about 59% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,579.

Is Pennsylvania Western University a good school for Social Work in Pennsylvania?

On pay, Social Work graduates of Pennsylvania Western University earn $45,436 four years out, $4,358 below the median for the same major across 17 Pennsylvania colleges ($49,794) and $6,312 below the U.S. median ($51,748). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Pennsylvania Western University rank for Social Work in Pennsylvania?

Of 17 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Social Work graduate earnings, Pennsylvania Western University ranks 17th. The highest is Widener University at $59,654.

What jobs do Social Work graduates get?

A common career is social worker, with a median wage of $49,800 in the Pittsburgh, PA area and $59,550 nationally. Others include social and community service managers and probation officers and correctional treatment specialists.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Pennsylvania Western University Social Work: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-western-university/majors/social-work (College Scorecard and BLS data).