Social Work at Franciscan University of Steubenville

At nearly $37,000, first-year earnings from Franciscan's social work program lag behind most Ohio alternatives—this ranks in just the 40th percentile among state programs, trailing the Ohio median by about $1,300. More concerning, it falls roughly $3,000 behind schools like Bowling Green and $7,600 behind Capital University, despite comparable tuition commitments. The $27,000 debt load sits right at state and national medians, but when paired with below-average earnings, it creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 that will feel heavier than it looks on paper.

The small sample size here is important context—with fewer than 30 graduates reporting, one or two career paths can skew these numbers significantly. Social work salaries are notoriously compressed regardless of school, so the differences you're seeing may reflect local job markets or graduate school plans more than program quality. Still, when Ohio offers 41 social work programs and many deliver $2,000-$7,000 higher starting salaries for similar debt, the value case becomes harder to justify on pure economics.

If your child is drawn to Franciscan specifically for its mission or community, understand you're likely accepting a financial trade-off. The typical graduate here will spend more of their first year's paycheck managing debt than peers at Ohio's stronger-performing public universities.