The Analytics Team at Social Work Degree Center uses the most current, accurate data available for our rankings. We hope our approach helps you find the best school for you.
Social Work Degree Center Analytics Team
Our Analytics Team operates independently from our editorial team to be free of editorial influence.
Data Collection
We pull current publicly available datasets from NCES to collect data for our rankings.
We omit schools missing a substantial number of ranking factors or with unreported data from our rankings list.
Our analysts consider various factors when compiling a college ranking, including academic quality, the cost of attendance, student satisfaction, salary potential, and online program availability.
Data Sources
Guiding principles for our rankings include academic quality, affordability, student satisfaction, salary potential, and online competency. Rankings are grounded in statistical analysis and based on publicly available data.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics (website)
- US Department of Education (website)
- US Department of Labor (website)
- Niche (website)
- School websites
Minimum Requirements for Schools
Each school must be an accredited public, private, or nonprofit institution. To be considered, schools:
- must offer a degree program in the given subject or a certificate program in the given field.
- must submit annual reports to the National Center for Education Statistics.
- must offer the degree program in the given subject for the ranking.
Ranking Factors
Our school rankings aim to objectively assess relative quality based on academic outcomes, affordability, and the breadth and depth of online learning opportunities.
1. Academic Quality
Some essential factors determine academic quality. When you compare a school’s admission rate to its enrollment rate, it shows the rigor and competitiveness of a school. The full-time retention rate is the rate at which students return after their first year. It indicates a school’s effectiveness at keeping students enrolled. Additionally, graduation rates show how many students complete a degree program. Accreditation shows the school’s academic quality.
- Admissions Rate
- Enrollment Rate
- Full-Time Retention Rate
- Graduation Rate
- Transfer Rate
- Number of Degree Graduates in a Given Subject
- Accreditation
2. Affordability
An affordability score may include the program’s cost, the percentage of students borrowing or taking out loans, and the ability to repay a loan after graduation.
- Tuition Rate and Average Net Price (cost of the program)
- Percentage of Enrolled Students Taking Federal Loans
- Average Loan Default Rate (ability to repay a loan after graduation)
3. Online Programs
The quality of a school’s online offerings is another essential factor. We look at the percentage of total degree programs online and the percentage of enrolled students in online classes to determine the school’s overall commitment to online education. Schools with online platforms with robust student services receive more credit. Additionally, the number and percentage of online master’s degree programs the school offers indicates its commitment to a strong online learning program.
- Percentage of Programs Offered Online
- Percentage of Students Enrolled at the Master’s Level
- Percentage of Master’s Programs Offered Online
- Number of Postgraduate Certificate Completions in the Given Subject
4. Student Satisfaction
Some rankings use student satisfaction as a part of our methodology. Information about student satisfaction typically comes from a school’s current Niche score.
5. Potential Salary
When we use potential salary as a part of our methodology, we use information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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