Social Work at Seton Hall University

Seton Hall's social work graduates earn nearly $48,000 in their first year—a remarkable $10,000 above the national median for this degree and well ahead of most competitors. While that places them in the 95th percentile nationally, context matters: they're at the 60th percentile within New Jersey, where social work salaries run higher across the board. They're earning more than the state median and holding their own against the Rutgers system, though the sample size here is quite small (under 30 graduates), so individual outcomes vary more than these numbers suggest.

The debt load of $25,721 is manageable, resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in about half their first year's salary. That's reasonable for a helping profession where earnings typically stay modest, though the near-flat growth to $48,702 after four years is worth noting. Social work rarely leads to dramatic salary increases without advanced credentials.

For families comfortable with the tuition investment and the small program size, this appears to position graduates competitively in New Jersey's social services market. The stronger-than-national earnings suggest Seton Hall's connections or curriculum may offer advantages, but prospective students should verify current class sizes and confirm these outcomes hold with more recent cohorts.