Social Work at Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University's social work program sits in an unusual spot: it outperforms the national median slightly, but lags behind most other Utah options. At $37,937 in first-year earnings, graduates earn more than the $37,296 national average, yet fall into just the 40th percentile among Utah's five social work programs—meaning three other state schools produce higher-earning graduates. Weber State leads the pack at $42,754, and even the University of Utah edges out UVU by several hundred dollars.

The financial picture looks manageable at face value. With $20,000 in median debt—well below both the national ($26,362) and state ($17,314) medians—graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53, which is reasonable for a helping profession. The 25% earnings bump from year one to year four ($47,214) suggests career progression, though social work rarely delivers outsized financial returns regardless of where you study.

The catch: these numbers come from a small sample of fewer than 30 graduates, so they're less reliable than data from larger programs. For an in-state student paying Utah tuition, UVU offers acceptable value with moderate debt. But if location flexibility exists, Weber State appears to deliver significantly better outcomes in the same state. This isn't a bad program—it's just not the strongest value proposition among Utah's social work options.