Federal data
Highest earning master's social work programs in Illinois
Illinois social work programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominican University | River Forest | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $52,605 | 115 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $52,551 | 263 |
| 3 | Governors State University | University Park | Public, 4-year | $52,231 | 97 |
| 4 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $51,834 | 311 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $51,727 | 415 |
| 6 | Aurora University | Aurora | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,809 | 725 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | Public, 4-year | $50,602 | 238 |
| 8 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $49,552 | 39 |
| 9 | Lewis University | Romeoville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $49,271 | 31 |
| 10 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public, 4-year | $48,084 | 47 |
| 11 | University of St Francis | Joliet | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $47,909 | 39 |
| 12 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | Public, 4-year | $46,047 | 117 |
| 13 | Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $45,997 | 65 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.