Pennsylvania · Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions

Best colleges for Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions in Pennsylvania

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Pennsylvania, Alvernia University and Pennsylvania Western University are the top bachelor's Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions programs in Pennsylvania by graduate earnings. University of Pennsylvania leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $58,269, College Scorecard. University of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Western University award the most Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degrees in Pennsylvania: 116, 73 and 66 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 41 Pennsylvania colleges offer Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions and award 941 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program focuses on equipping students with the skills needed to support individuals facing mental health challenges and social issues. This program is ideal for those interested…

Institutions
41
offering CIP 51.15
States offered
51
with a program page
Degrees / yr
941
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$34,541
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
6
College Scorecard
Median net price
$23,796
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
55%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
$52,850
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$58,26911697%$22,055$14,000
2Alvernia University
Reading Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$41,1152256%$27,683$54,779
3Pennsylvania Western University
California Public · Bachelor's degree
$34,5416652%——
4Drexel University
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$41,8911978%$36,004$27,000

Top 2 certificate and associate programs

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg Public · Certificate
$30,5506043%—$26,000
2Lackawanna College
Scranton Private not-for-profit · Associate degree
$26,4996737%$25,320$26,271

Colleges awarding the most Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degrees in Pennsylvania

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit
116$58,269
2Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg Public
73Not reported
3Pennsylvania Western University
California Public
66$34,541
4Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown Private not-for-profit
56Not reported
5Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia Private not-for-profit
41Not reported
6University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh Public
35Not reported
7Carlow University
Pittsburgh Private not-for-profit
34Not reported
8Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana Public
34Not reported
9Duquesne University
Pittsburgh Private not-for-profit
32Not reported
10Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster Private not-for-profit
32Not reported
Show the other 31 Pennsylvania colleges offering Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Lackawanna CollegeScrantonPrivate not-for-profit67
East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast StroudsburgPublic60
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Graduate only)PhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit33
Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit23
Alvernia UniversityReadingPrivate not-for-profit22
West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest ChesterPublic22
Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit19
Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnvillePrivate not-for-profit19
Montgomery County Community CollegeBlue BellPublic18
Arcadia UniversityGlensidePrivate not-for-profit17
Harcum CollegeBryn MawrPrivate not-for-profit14
Waynesburg UniversityWaynesburgPrivate not-for-profit14
Saint Vincent CollegeLatrobePrivate not-for-profit11
Gannon UniversityEriePrivate not-for-profit10
La Salle UniversityPhiladelphiaPrivate not-for-profit10
Eastern UniversitySaint DavidsPrivate not-for-profit8
Delaware County Community CollegeMediaPublic7
Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburgPublic7
Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburghPublic6
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State AbingtonAbingtonPublic5
Seton Hill UniversityGreensburgPrivate not-for-profit5
Albright CollegeReadingPrivate not-for-profit4
Immaculata UniversityImmaculataPrivate not-for-profit3
Moravian UniversityBethlehemPrivate not-for-profit3
Mount Aloysius CollegeCressonPrivate not-for-profit3
Reading Area Community CollegeReadingPublic3
Pennsylvania Highlands Community CollegeJohnstownPublic3
Pennsylvania Institute of TechnologyMediaPrivate not-for-profit2
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Lehigh ValleyCenter ValleyPublic2
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State DuBoisDuBoisPublic1
Thiel CollegeGreenvillePrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (SOC 21-1023).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+9.7%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~13,500
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$60,060
typically Master's degree

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingMonitoringLearning Strategies

What Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn in Pennsylvania

Jobs in Pennsylvania
3,500
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$52,850
median $48,290
Best-paying metro
$59,240
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Related careers

Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$55,330 avg · 16,200 jobs
Psychiatric Technicians
$44,750 avg · 10,340 jobs
Healthcare Social Workers
$65,690 avg · 9,630 jobs
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
$52,850 avg · 3,500 jobs
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$108,710 avg · 3,140 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions programs in Pennsylvania.

Which Pennsylvania colleges award the most Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degrees?+

University of Pennsylvania (116 graduates a year), Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (73 graduates a year) and Pennsylvania Western University (66 graduates a year) award the most Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degrees in Pennsylvania, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 41 Pennsylvania colleges offer Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions.

What is the best college for Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions in Pennsylvania?+

By graduate earnings, University of Pennsylvania leads among bachelor's Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions programs in Pennsylvania, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $58,269, College Scorecard. Alvernia University and Pennsylvania Western University follow. By degrees awarded, University of Pennsylvania is the largest, with 116 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program in Pennsylvania has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Pennsylvania tops the list at $58,269. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers earn in Pennsylvania?+

The average annual wage for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers in Pennsylvania is $52,850 (median $48,290), across about 3,500 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program?+

The Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program focuses on equipping students with the skills needed to support individuals facing mental health challenges and social issues. This program is ideal for those interested…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers?+

The national job outlook is about +9.7% growth with around 13,500 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Master's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions in other statesCaliforniaColoradoGeorgiaMinnesotaWashingtonNew HampshireKansasSouth Dakota

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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