Social Work at University of the District of Columbia

UDC's social work program graduates earn substantially more than most—$46K puts them in the 95th percentile nationally, well above the typical $37K for bachelor's-level social workers. But there's a significant catch: this comes with nearly $50,000 in debt, roughly double what's typical for this field and far above DC's state median of $25K. With debt exceeding first-year earnings, graduates face a financial burden that's uncommon even among DC's other social work programs.

The earnings picture adds another complication. Rather than growing, median pay actually drops to $44K by year four. For a field where many graduates pursue master's degrees or enter lower-paying nonprofit work, starting with this much debt creates real constraints. The state percentile ranking of 60th suggests this program isn't delivering the earnings boost you'd expect given the debt load—it's middle-of-the-pack for DC despite costing twice the state median.

Important caveat: the sample size is small (under 30 graduates), so these figures may not represent a typical outcome. If your student is committed to social work and staying in DC, the earnings are solid, but that debt level will shape financial decisions for years. Unless there's significant grant aid or family support to reduce borrowing, this debt-to-earnings ratio would give most families reason to explore less expensive paths into the field.