CollegeCostWise

Bachelor's · Chattanooga, Tennessee

Is Social Work at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 7.6 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$39,478
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$51,998
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$16,723
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families
$64k (likely $64k – $85k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$14k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in TN
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
7.6 years (likely 5.3–10.6)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
−$115k (likely −$184k – −$38k)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
$72k (likely −$48k – $238k)
Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide)
56%
Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

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🍎 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward teaching & helping people majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

  • AP Psychology
  • AP English Language and Composition
  • AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

  • Psychology HL
  • Language A HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Social Work at other schools in Tennessee