Marshall University Social Work (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Social Work
- Public university
- Huntington, WV
- About 35 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Marshall University social work graduates earn less than graduates of most social work programs nationally, $33,344 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $26,579. Two other West Virginia programs report higher pay.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The West Virginia and national columns are the medians across all social work bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Debt and first-year pay at every West Virginia social work program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the West Virginia medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 10.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
78% of graduates (28 of 36) were working in West Virginia one year after graduating. Prices in the Huntington area are about 12% below the national average, so a $33,344 salary here buys what about $37,710 buys in a typical US city.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to social work, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$52,220Median pay in West Virginia. 2,380 people work in this job in West Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 33,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Social and Community Service Managers
$62,060Median pay in West Virginia. 820 people work in this job in West Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.
Healthcare Social Workers
$60,140Median pay in West Virginia. 1,100 people work in this job in West Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
$50,070Median pay in West Virginia. 420 people work in this job in West Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.
About Marshall University
Social Work ranks 14th of 25 bachelor's programs at Marshall University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($69,176), Quality Control and Safety Technology ($67,923), and Electrical Engineering ($67,548).
Other social work bachelor's programs near Huntington
Common questions
The median graduate earns $33,344 one year after graduating. The median across social work bachelor's programs in West Virginia is $33,344.
The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 3rd lowest of 5 social work bachelor's programs in West Virginia. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 81% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 72%. Compare the cost with other West Virginia programs before deciding.
Most do. 78% (28 of 36) were working in West Virginia one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of West Virginia comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the social work program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024