Master's · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Is Social Work at University of Pennsylvania worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $67,923
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $73,787
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $70,543
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published)
- $75k (likely $75k – $75k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $3k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$248k (likely −$308k – −$199k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$190k (likely −$307k – −$75k)
- Today's dollars
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 5%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Social Work at other schools
Scorecard reports no net price for graduate programs; cost is based on what graduates typically borrowed.
Other majors at University of Pennsylvania
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's)$316,195
- Law (First professional)$302,120
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$272,321
- Marketing (Master's)$255,357
- International/Globalization Studies (Master's)$253,631
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's)$252,729
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's)$250,392
- Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Undergraduate certificate)$246,660
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$241,380
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's)$237,136
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$233,999
- Real Estate (Master's)$230,624
Social Work at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Widener University$67,786
- Temple University$62,274
- Marywood University$61,536
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania$59,063
- Pennsylvania Western University$58,490
- Millersville University of Pennsylvania$57,898
- Bryn Mawr College$57,867
- Kutztown University of Pennsylvania$57,834
- Alvernia University$56,922
- Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania$56,543