How much debt do University of Alabama social work graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,000, which ranks the lowest of 8 social work bachelor's programs in Alabama. That works out to about $265 a month over 10 years.

Is a social work degree from University of Alabama worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 79% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 72%. Compare the cost with other Alabama programs before deciding.

University of Alabama Social Work (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Social Work
Public university
Tuscaloosa, AL
About 71 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Alabama social work graduates earn less than graduates of most social work programs nationally, $31,462 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $26,579. Several Alabama programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$31,46214th percentile of 328 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$50,27560% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,000The lowest of 8 Alabama programs

Debt-to-earnings79%Alabama median 85%, national 72%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Alabama and national columns are the medians across all social work bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	University of Alabama	Alabama	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,462	$34,128	$37,220
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$50,275	$43,875	$49,258
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,000	$30,250	$26,579
Debt as share of first-year pay	79%	85%	72%
Programs compared		8	328

Five years out, University of Alabama graduates earn about the national figure and about $6,400 more than the Alabama median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Alabama social work program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Alabama medians.

University of AlabamaOther Alabama programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 60% between the first and fifth year.

University of Alabama grads, year 1$31,462

University of Alabama grads, year 5$50,275

All Alabama social work grads, year 5$43,875

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $265 a month, or 10.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (77 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 22 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $20,342.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Tuscaloosa area are about 12% below the national average, so a $31,462 salary here buys what about $35,866 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

$46,660

Median pay in Alabama. 4,220 people work in this job in Alabama. 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.

Bottom 10%: $37,780Top 10%: $72,490

Social and Community Service Managers

$72,310

Median pay in Alabama. 2,350 people work in this job in Alabama. 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.

Bottom 10%: $46,010Top 10%: $121,090

Healthcare Social Workers

$60,000

Median pay in Alabama. 2,850 people work in this job in Alabama. 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.

Bottom 10%: $40,020Top 10%: $74,440

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

$41,500

Median pay in Alabama. 740 people work in this job in Alabama. 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.

Bottom 10%: $29,370Top 10%: $64,750

About University of Alabama

In-state tuition and fees	$12,180 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$34,172 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,420 / year
Admission rate	77%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	73%
Undergraduate students	33,227

Social Work ranks 34th of 45 bachelor's programs at University of Alabama by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer and Information Science ($83,651), Electrical Engineering ($79,504), and Mechanical Engineering ($75,238).

Other social work bachelor's programs near Tuscaloosa

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · public		$31,462	$25,000
University of MontevalloMontevallo, AL · public	40 mi	$32,262	$27,500
UABBirmingham, AL · public	48 mi	$35,750	$30,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,462 one year after graduating and $50,275 five years after. The median across social work bachelor's programs in Alabama is $34,128.

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 Alabama 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

Social Work bachelor's programs in Alabama, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Social Work bachelor's programs in the US, ranked328 programs by pay and debt All University of Alabama programs, ranked45 programs by pay and debt