Social Work at Ohio State University-Lima Campus

Ohio State Lima's social work program produces graduates earning slightly above both national and state medians—landing in the 60th percentile among Ohio programs—but what you're paying for is essentially flat career growth. Four years out, graduates see their earnings inch up just 1%, while peers at programs like Capital University start $5,600 higher and likely see better trajectory from there.

The debt picture is reasonable at $26,970, translating to a 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio that's manageable for a helping profession known for modest pay. You're looking at monthly payments around $300 on a standard plan, which is feasible but tight on a $38,700 starting salary. About a third of students here receive Pell grants, suggesting the school serves working families who need this investment to pencil out clearly.

Here's the reality: social work rarely delivers dramatic salary growth, but this program offers particularly muted advancement. If your child is committed to this field and needs to stay local, it's a viable path—the debt won't bury them. But if they can access programs like Capital or Bowling Green with stronger networks and higher starting salaries, those extra few thousand dollars annually compound meaningfully over a career. This works as a practical, lower-cost entry point to social work, just don't expect the degree to deliver financial momentum beyond that first job.