Bachelor's · Knoxville, Tennessee

Is Social Work at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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 8.3 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $39,335; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $52,106; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $19,500; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $78k (likely $78k – $100k); 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: 8.3 years (likely 6.3–12.3); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$122k (likely −$201k – −$60k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $69k (likely −$71k – $218k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 74%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 20%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Social Work at other schools

🍎 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-Knoxville

Industrial Engineering (Master's)$150,903
Computer Science (Master's)$135,764
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$132,036
Veterinary Medicine (First professional)$123,713
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$123,330
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$120,482
Chemistry (Doctoral)$114,312
Engineering, Other (Doctoral)$113,720
Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$112,342
Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$112,249
Psychology, General (Doctoral)$108,390
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's)$107,093

Social Work at other schools in Tennessee

Lipscomb University$53,938
Southern Adventist University$51,516
Trevecca Nazarene University$51,512
Belmont University$50,748
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga$48,410
University of Memphis$46,494
Union University$46,286
Middle Tennessee State University$45,451
Tennessee State University$44,989
Austin Peay State University$44,152