U.S. median for this major: $51,748.
College Scorecard field of study; 97 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 34% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,579.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $33,642. College Scorecard.
UIUC Social Work: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
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 UIUC's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $2,038 | $8,458 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,373 | $22,298 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $7,982 | $33,125 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $15,152 | $62,881 | 3.0 years |
| $110k+ | $28,761 | $119,358 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($56,917) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,120 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 Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Social Work graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loyola University Chicago | $59,206 | $21,133 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $56,917 | $19,344 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 3 | University of St Francis | $56,259 | $25,000 | $13,006 | 67% |
| 4 | Governors State University | $56,123 | $33,983 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 5 | Aurora University | $55,546 | $27,000 | $18,838 | 60% |
| 6 | Illinois State University | $55,089 | $25,000 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 7 | Western Illinois University | $54,063 | $29,850 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 8 | Northeastern Illinois University | $53,848 | $17,500 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 9 | Bradley University | $53,715 | $25,000 | $22,719 | 76% |
| 10 | Millikin University | $52,870 | $27,000 | $21,989 | 55% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $52,480 | $25,000 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 12 | Trinity Christian College | $52,382 | — | $19,125 | 58% |
| 13 | Olivet Nazarene University | $52,114 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |
| 14 | Lewis University | $51,859 | $27,000 | $17,028 | 67% |
| 15 | University of Illinois Springfield | $50,516 | $24,810 | $9,833 | 53% |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $49,952 | $27,000 | $13,297 | 62% |
5 more Illinois colleges offer Social Work but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Social Work graduates
Social worker
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Social and Community Service Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
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 UIUC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UIUC
- Acceptance rate: 42% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 85% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $81,054
- Full cost breakdown · all 102 majors · overview
Related majors at UIUC
- Psychology (Research)$60,168
- Sociology$55,393
UIUC Social Work questions
How much do UIUC Social Work graduates earn?
Social Work graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $56,917 four years after graduating and $36,815 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Work graduates across 419 colleges is $51,748.
How much debt do UIUC Social Work graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Social Work graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $19,344, about 34% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,579.
Is UIUC a good school for Social Work in Illinois?
On pay, Social Work graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn $56,917 four years out, $3,135 above the median for the same major across 16 Illinois colleges ($53,782) and $5,169 above the U.S. median ($51,748). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UIUC rank for Social Work in Illinois?
Of 16 Illinois colleges reporting Social Work graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 2nd. The highest is Loyola University Chicago at $59,206.
What jobs do Social Work graduates get?
A common career is social worker, with a median wage of $60,360 in the Champaign-Urbana, IL 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: “University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Social Work: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/social-work (College Scorecard and BLS data).