Social Work at University of Memphis

University of Memphis graduates this social work program with one of the lowest debt loads nationally—ranking in the 5th percentile—which positions it as one of the more financially accessible options for entering a service profession. With $36,506 in debt against first-year earnings of $36,220, the debt-to-earnings ratio sits right at 1:1, manageable for a field where six-figure salaries aren't the norm.

Within Tennessee, this program performs solidly, ranking in the 60th percentile among state programs and trailing only Union and UT-Knoxville among major options. The $36,220 starting salary sits between the state median of $34,380 and the national median of $37,296, with modest but steady growth to nearly $39,000 by year four. For a degree from an open-access institution serving a predominantly working-class student body (40% Pell-eligible), these outcomes demonstrate reasonable value.

The tradeoff here is straightforward: you're getting credentialed for a helping profession without the crushing debt that can accompany degrees at more expensive private programs. Social work rarely pays dramatically more based on where you trained, so entering the field with relatively low debt and earnings that track near state and national norms makes this a practical choice for students committed to the profession.