Social Work at Lamar University

Lamar University's social work program produces above-average earnings for Texas—ranking in the 60th percentile statewide—but graduates face a troubling reality: their incomes actually decline after year one, dropping from $37,593 to $36,661 over four years. This is the opposite trajectory you want to see when taking on debt.

The debt picture offers the program's strongest selling point. At $32,705, graduates carry about $5,700 more than the national median for social work programs, but the 0.87 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable. With relatively low earnings barely above $37,000, keeping debt under $33,000 matters tremendously. That said, with 44% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here may be particularly debt-sensitive, and watching their graduate's income stagnate or decline in early career years creates real financial stress.

The practical challenge: your child would earn roughly $5,500 less annually than graduates from top Texas programs like Texas Southern or Prairie View A&M. Over a decade, that's $55,000 in forgone earnings—enough to wipe out any tuition savings from choosing Lamar. If your child is committed to social work and has stronger options available, particularly among the five Texas schools where graduates earn $38,000+, those merit serious consideration. If Lamar is the affordable local option, the debt load is survivable, but plan for modest starting salaries that may not improve quickly.