Social Work at Texas Southern University

Texas Southern's social work graduates earn substantially more than the typical social work graduate—$42,333 in the first year places them in the 91st percentile nationally. But here's the Texas-specific picture parents need to see: while these earnings beat the national average by 13%, they're only at the 60th percentile among Texas programs, meaning over a third of in-state alternatives produce similar or better outcomes. The debt load of $38,162 is concerning—it's 45% higher than what most Texas social work programs saddle students with, creating a near 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio that will make loan repayment challenging on a social worker's salary.

The modest 3% earnings growth over four years suggests graduates aren't rapidly advancing into higher-paying positions, which is typical for the field but means that initial debt burden will feel heavy for years. For a family considering this program, the question becomes whether the strong absolute earnings justify paying $11,000 more in debt than the state median when programs like Prairie View A&M and Texas Woman's University deliver comparable first-year salaries with presumably lower debt loads.

One critical caveat: the sample size here is small, meaning these numbers might not be representative. For a profession with relatively standardized licensing requirements and pay scales, families should weigh whether paying premium debt for slightly above-average outcomes makes financial sense, especially when Texas offers 35 programs to choose from.