Bachelor's · Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Is Social Work at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ 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 7.4 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $48,660
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $54,127
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $20,588
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $66k (likely $66k – $91k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $13k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in WI
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 7.4 years (likely 5.7–10.1)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$128k (likely −$209k – −$77k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $40k (likely −$70k – $159k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 50%
- 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 / ≤ 10%
- 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 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Business/Commerce, General (Undergraduate certificate)$118,137
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First professional)$117,537
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$101,139
- Engineering, General (Master's)$100,965
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$97,708
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$95,849
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$92,342
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$91,955
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$86,405
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First professional)$83,942
- Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's)$83,414
- Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's)$82,763
Social Work at other schools in Wisconsin
- Viterbo University$57,159
- Concordia University-Wisconsin$55,600
- Carthage College$54,975
- University of Wisconsin-Madison$54,375
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay$54,252
- University of Wisconsin-Superior$54,195
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater$52,888
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire$52,461
- Marian University$51,997
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls$51,694