Master's · Allendale, Michigan
Is Social Work at Grand Valley State University 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
- $59,830
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $63,770
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $44,287
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Typical borrowing (no graduate net price is published)
- $47k (likely $47k – $47k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- −$1k a year vs bachelor's graduates 4 years out in MI
- 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
- −$234k (likely −$280k – −$191k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$237k (likely −$328k – −$142k)
- 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 Grand Valley State University
- Business/Commerce, General (Master's)$128,108
- Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's)$122,497
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First professional)$112,011
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's)$108,615
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$103,253
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$100,456
- Manufacturing Engineering (Bachelor's)$95,416
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$94,330
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$93,683
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$90,565
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$90,295
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$82,978
Social Work at other schools in Michigan
- Spring Arbor University$69,441
- Eastern Michigan University$66,873
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$64,788
- Saginaw Valley State University$64,391
- Michigan State University$64,368
- Ferris State University$63,946
- Madonna University$62,583
- Wayne State University$61,914
- Western Michigan University$60,283
- Andrews University$59,083