Social Work at Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mount Vernon Nazarene's social work program earns just above the national median but trails most Ohio competitors, landing in the 40th percentile statewide. While first-year earnings of $37,979 roughly match what social workers make across Ohio, they lag behind every top program in the state—Capital University graduates earn $6,000 more annually. The 9% earnings growth to $41,307 by year four suggests stable career progression, though still well below what graduates from competing Ohio programs achieve.

The real concern is the debt load. At $34,837, graduates carry nearly $8,000 more debt than the typical Ohio social work graduate and $8,500 more than the national median—placing this program in the problematic 5th percentile for debt nationally. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92, new graduates face nearly a full year's salary in student loans, a heavy burden for a helping profession that rarely offers high starting pay. For context, this debt level approaches what many teachers or counselors carry, but those fields typically offer better loan forgiveness options.

If your child is committed to social work in Ohio, the state's public universities deliver similar or better earnings with significantly less debt. The $8,000 debt premium here translates to roughly $90 per month in additional loan payments over ten years—meaningful money on a social worker's salary.