U.S. median for this major: $51,748.
College Scorecard field of study; 80 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 62% 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 $21,780. College Scorecard.
WSU 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 WSU'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 | $9,734 | $43,414 | 2.8 years |
| $30–48k | $9,696 | $43,244 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $13,564 | $60,495 | 3.9 years |
| $75–110k | $16,893 | $75,343 | 4.9 years |
| $110k+ | $19,184 | $85,561 | 5.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (31% 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 ($49,670) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,454 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 Kansas colleges
Every Kansas college we cover that reports Social Work graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Kansas | $55,582 | $24,000 | $18,059 | 69% |
| 2 | Pittsburg State Universitybachelor's & associate | $53,878 | $27,000 | $15,784 | 57% |
| 3 | Fort Hays State University | $53,549 | $27,000 | $12,569 | 48% |
| 4 | Kansas State University | $50,480 | $24,603 | $19,406 | 71% |
| 5 | Washburn University | $50,122 | $24,623 | $15,280 | 53% |
| 6 | Wichita State University | $49,670 | $31,000 | $13,194 | 51% |
4 more Kansas 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 WSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About WSU
- Acceptance rate: 94% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,532
- Full cost breakdown · all 74 majors · overview
Related majors at WSU
- Psychology$42,690
- Sociology$42,450
WSU Social Work questions
How much do WSU Social Work graduates earn?
Social Work graduates of Wichita State University earn a median $49,670 four years after graduating and $38,256 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Work graduates across 419 colleges is $51,748.
How much debt do WSU Social Work graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Social Work graduates of Wichita State University is $31,000, about 62% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,579.
Is WSU a good school for Social Work in Kansas?
On pay, Social Work graduates of Wichita State University earn $49,670 four years out, $2,344 below the median for the same major across 6 Kansas colleges ($52,014) and $2,078 below the U.S. median ($51,748). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does WSU rank for Social Work in Kansas?
Of 6 Kansas colleges reporting Social Work graduate earnings, Wichita State University ranks 6th; among the 5 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 5th. The highest is University of Kansas at $55,582.
What jobs do Social Work graduates get?
A common career is social worker, with a median wage of $54,310 in the Wichita, KS 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: “Wichita State University Social Work: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wichita-state-university/majors/social-work (College Scorecard and BLS data).