Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1113

Best degree programs for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary, ranked by enrollment

5 college programs and 840 schools train Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $77,570 median wage, 12,610 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

5 college programs at 840 schools train social work teachers, postsecondary, graduating 61,714 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Social Work. The job pays a median of $77,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

61,714

from every feeder program

Median annual wage

$77,570

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+2.3%

About as fast as average

Openings / yr

1,300

new plus replacement

Schools

840

with a feeder program

States with jobs

BLS reports wages

About social work teachers, postsecondary

Teach courses in social work. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Also calledProfessorAssistant ProfessorSocial Work ProfessorSocial Work Associate ProfessorLecturerInstructorFaculty MemberField InstructorAdjunct ProfessorCollege ProfessorClinical ProfessorAssociate Professor

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Public Administration And Social Service Professions

CIP 44.07

Social Work

57,478graduates / yr

786 schools · 3 specializations · 93.2% of pipeline

Grad earnings $37,264

Health Professions And Related Programs

CIP 51.15

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions

3,398graduates / yr

53 schools · 1 specialization · 5.5% of pipeline

Grad earnings $37,335

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP 30.11

Gerontology

838graduates / yr

106 schools · 1 specialization · 1.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $37,623

5 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Social Work CIP 44.0701	56,891	92.2%	786	$37,264	$26,140
2	Clinical/Medical Social Work CIP 51.1503	3,398	5.5%	53	$37,335	$22,861
3	Gerontology CIP 30.1101	838	1.4%	106	$37,623	$25,986
4	Social Work, Other CIP 44.0799	556	0.9%	31	$37,264	$26,140
5	Forensic Social Work CIP 44.0703	31	0.1%	2	$37,264	$26,140

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 3 feeder programs	1,744	Social Work	71%	—	93%
2	Walden University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	1,740	Social Work	—	—	—
3	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	895	Social Work	54%	—	80%
4	Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs	765	Social Work	84%	—	58%
5	Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	745	Social Work	60%	$18,431	81%
6	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	731	Social Work	43%	$21,535	79%
7	CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs	643	Social Work	57%	—	54%
8	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs	636	Social Work	92%	$26,873	10%
9	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	632	Social Work	96%	$15,315	4%
10	Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	572	Social Work	88%	—	61%
11	Indiana University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Public · 2 feeder programs	568	Social Work	54%	—	76%
12	The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs	568	Social Work	74%	—	42%
13	Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	564	Social Work	82%	$38,931	59%
14	University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	556	Social Work	76%	$29,726	78%
15	Yeshiva University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs	533	Social Work	83%	$39,696	56%
16	Capella University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs	522	Clinical/Medical Social Work	20%	$19,369	—
17	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs	507	Social Work	93%	—	16%
18	Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	490	Social Work	72%	$24,848	70%
19	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 2 feeder programs	472	Clinical/Medical Social Work	86%	—	24%
20	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 2 feeder programs	465	Social Work	63%	—	93%
21	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Public · 1 feeder programs	456	Social Work	69%	—	73%
22	Portland State University Portland, OR Public · 2 feeder programs	432	Social Work	53%	—	91%
23	New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	379	Social Work	88%	$29,023	9%
24	California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	365	Social Work	53%	—	91%
25	Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 2 feeder programs	361	Social Work	58%	—	81%
26	University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	355	Social Work	43%	—	—
27	Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	352	Social Work	89%	$21,956	11%
28	Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	346	Social Work	35%	$18,316	—
29	University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs	338	Social Work	75%	—	77%
30	Boise State University Boise, ID Public · 1 feeder programs	329	Social Work	60%	—	87%
31	University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 2 feeder programs	328	Social Work	85%	—	58%
32	California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	322	Social Work	69%	—	46%
33	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	321	Social Work	78%	—	40%
34	University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV Public · 2 feeder programs	320	Social Work	61%	—	74%
35	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	317	Social Work	65%	$28,911	99%
36	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs	313	Social Work	68%	—	90%
37	University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 3 feeder programs	309	Social Work	—	—	—
38	University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 3 feeder programs	304	Clinical/Medical Social Work	85%	—	39%
39	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · 2 feeder programs	296	Social Work	63%	—	66%
40	Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder programs	296	Social Work	76%	—	49%
41	Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	294	Social Work	73%	$33,454	82%
42	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs	293	Social Work	32%	—	99%
43	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 2 feeder programs	291	Social Work	65%	—	86%
44	San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	287	Social Work	69%	—	85%
45	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs	284	Social Work	0%	—	67%
46	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	269	Social Work	51%	—	94%
47	University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 2 feeder programs	269	Social Work	77%	—	43%
48	Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM Public · 1 feeder programs	263	Social Work	32%	—	—
49	University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 2 feeder programs	261	Social Work	90%	—	38%
50	University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	261	Social Work	65%	—	74%

What social work teachers, postsecondary earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage

$77,570

Mean annual

$83,940

People employed

12,610

What the range looks like

10th pct$48,200Median$77,57090th pct$126,790

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

$125,770median

—

Ann Arbor, MI

$87,920median

150 jobs

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

$83,160median

470 jobs

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

$91,900median

220 jobs

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$78,250median

140 jobs

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

$98,700median

1,680 jobs

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

$77,970median

160 jobs

Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

$82,890median

90 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

+2.3%

About as fast as average

Openings per year

1,300

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

400

17,100 → 17,500

Typical entry education

Doctoral or professional degree

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
New York	$98,700	1,840	2.34×	38	5,364
California	$81,500	230	0.16×	40	4,830
Texas	$83,440	90	0.08×	50	3,636
Minnesota	$82,470	360	1.50×	30	3,463
Kentucky	$65,260	280	1.73×	15	2,834
Michigan	$76,680	610	1.72×	31	2,671
Illinois	$77,010	510	1.03×	39	2,649
Ohio	$60,930	670	1.49×	60	2,558
Pennsylvania	$75,920	1,050	2.13×	46	2,283
Florida	$60,580	90	0.12×	17	2,246
Massachusetts	$79,710	650	2.19×	20	1,994
New Jersey	$77,570	450	1.29×	24	1,745
Arizona	$71,690	140	0.54×	17	1,720
North Carolina	$68,660	580	1.44×	25	1,665
Indiana	$74,240	440	1.69×	25	1,572
Virginia	$77,180	390	1.17×	15	1,313
Tennessee	$75,190	240	0.89×	19	1,243
Wisconsin	$76,420	400	1.67×	20	1,040
Connecticut	$79,960	150	1.06×	11	907
Alabama	$66,520	240	1.39×	17	904
Maryland	$97,110	230	1.03×	12	865
Georgia	$65,350	90	0.21×	19	852
Missouri	$66,470	150	0.65×	21	801
Utah	$81,850	100	0.70×	8	801
Washington	$77,920	200	0.70×	11	760
Kansas	$108,610	50	0.44×	13	693
New Mexico	$69,950	210	3.01×	11	621
Idaho	$62,230	80	1.12×	8	616
Iowa	$64,190	140	1.09×	22	601
Oregon	$74,320	220	1.36×	11	586
Mississippi	$63,680	200	2.07×	17	570
Nevadamoderate	$74,180	70	0.55×	3	507
Oklahoma	$60,910	80	0.57×	8	478
Arkansas	$60,470	70	0.63×	11	461
Nebraska	$61,430	50	0.55×	10	414
West Virginia	$76,320	80	1.46×	8	344
South Carolina	$100,400	80	0.44×	6	303
Maine	$80,250	90	1.71×	6	282
Montana	$43,010	—	—	6	211
Hawaiimoderate	$133,340	50	0.91×	3	205
New Hampshiremoderate	$75,500	50	0.84×	3	139
South Dakotamoderate	$60,100	100	2.67×	4	121
Delawarelimited	$100,550	50	1.19×	1	105

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, or handouts.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Supervise students' laboratory and field work.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as family behavior, child and adolescent mental health, or social intervention evaluation.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.

Skills

Speaking4.6
Learning Strategies4.3
Critical Thinking4.0
Active Learning4.0
Active Listening4.0
Reading Comprehension4.0
Writing4.0
Monitoring3.8

Knowledge areas

Education and Training4.7
Sociology and Anthropology4.5
Therapy and Counseling4.3
English Language4.1
Psychology4.1
Computers and Electronics3.6

Abilities

Oral Expression4.8
Speech Clarity4.3
Oral Comprehension4.0
Deductive Reasoning4.0
Inductive Reasoning4.0
Written Comprehension4.0

Core activities

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.7
Working with Computers4.6
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.6
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.5
Getting Information4.5

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology

Adobe AcrobathotGoogle DocshotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft PowerPointhotMicrosoft WordhotBlackboard LearnCollaborative editing softwareCourse management system software

How to get in

How to become a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary

Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above

Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 5 majors mapped to Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+

30.1101Gerontology
44.0701Social Work
44.0703Forensic Social Work
44.0799Social Work, Other
51.1503Clinical/Medical Social Work

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

25-1067

Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary

$84,29011,850 jobs+2.1%

25-1081

Education Teachers, Postsecondary

$75,35060,830 jobs+2.1%

25-1066

Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary

$80,34041,530 jobs+3.6%

25-1192

Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

$75,8702,770 jobs+3.4%

25-1082

Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary

$80,3403,630 jobs+3.0%

21-1012

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

$64,330353,310 jobs+3.5%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary?+

Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Social Work, which awarded 56,891 degrees in 2024-25, 92.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Social Work Teacher, Postsecondary?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Social Work, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Gerontology. Together they graduate about 61,714 people a year.

How much do social work teachers, postsecondary earn?+

The median is $77,570 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $48,200 at the 10th percentile to $126,790 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for social work teachers, postsecondary growing?+

BLS projects a +2.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

840 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do social work teachers, postsecondary work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Assistant Professor, Social Work Professor, Social Work Associate Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1113.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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