Social Work at Luther College

Luther College's social work graduates start at $30,372—nearly $8,000 below Iowa's state median and ranking in just the 25th percentile among Iowa programs. Even after four years, when earnings reach $41,186, this still trails the starting salaries at Briar Cliff ($42,935) and Grand View ($40,736). For a program carrying $27,000 in debt at a private liberal arts college, these returns fall short of what families can find elsewhere in Iowa.

The 36% earnings growth over four years shows the field rewards experience, but starting so far behind means playing catch-up throughout your early career. While the debt load itself isn't extreme relative to national benchmarks, pairing $27,000 in loans with a $30,372 starting salary creates immediate financial pressure that peers at Iowa's public universities (University of Iowa, Northern Iowa) largely avoid with similar or better outcomes.

The small sample size here matters—fewer than 30 graduates means one or two atypical career paths could skew these numbers. However, Luther's position at the bottom quartile of Iowa social work programs is hard to ignore. If your child is set on social work and Luther specifically appeals for fit or culture, understand they'll likely need financial support beyond graduation or should pursue the MSW quickly to access better-paying clinical roles. Otherwise, Iowa offers several stronger value options in this field.