Social Work at Franklin Pierce University

A bachelor's degree in social work typically doesn't command high salaries, and the estimates here—drawn from national medians across hundreds of programs—suggest Franklin Pierce follows that pattern. Based on comparable programs nationwide, first-year earnings around $37,300 paired with $27,000 in debt yield a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72, which is manageable by education standards but represents nearly 75% of a full year's salary. For context, Plymouth State graduates in this field earn about $4,000 more annually, which over a career makes a meaningful difference when starting salaries are this compressed.

The challenge with social work is that the profession often requires a master's degree for clinical roles and higher pay, meaning this bachelor's could be a stepping stone rather than a terminal credential. If your child plans to work immediately after graduation, peer programs suggest they'll earn enough to service this debt load—monthly payments would consume roughly 7-8% of gross income on a standard repayment plan. But if graduate school is the goal, adding more debt on top of $27,000 becomes a serious consideration, especially given that social work isn't a high-earning field even with advanced credentials.

Franklin Pierce's high admission rate and modest test scores indicate accessible entry, but you're paying private-school tuition for outcomes that mirror the national baseline. The safer financial path might be pursuing social work at one of New Hampshire's public universities, where in-state tuition could cut that debt figure substantially while producing similar or better career prospects.