Social Work graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn $75,980 median salary — above the national average for this program. Median debt: $82,150.
Social Work at Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, New York • Master's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Social Work at Columbia University in the City of New York
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Columbia University in the City of New York and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Social Work at the master's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 532 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Columbia University in the City of New York, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $75,980 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $62,707 across all institutions offering Social Work, graduates here earn above the national average for this program. Across all programs at Columbia University in the City of New York, the mean median-earnings figure is $106,251, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Social Work graduates at Columbia University in the City of New York is $82,150, which translates to roughly $685 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 is above the 1.0 threshold, meaning cumulative debt exceeds first-year post-completion earnings. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Social Work at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| California State University-East Bay | $96,198 | $35,394 |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | $95,950 | $25,500 |
| San Francisco State University | $94,452 | $23,688 |
| California State University-Bakersfield | $86,527 | — |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $85,426 | $53,583 |
| California State University-Stanislaus | $84,837 | $35,500 |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | $84,628 | $38,800 |
| California State University-Sacramento | $84,100 | $33,556 |
| California State University-Long Beach | $82,395 | $30,414 |
| California State University-Northridge | $81,505 | $32,228 |
Other Programs at Columbia University in the City of New York
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $312,330 | — |
| Law | $308,943 | $198,924 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $251,708 | $65,229 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $220,151 | $320,742 |
| Computer Engineering | $194,365 | — |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $192,188 | — |
| Computer Science | $188,265 | $19,594 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | $185,150 | $82,682 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $184,384 | $43,335 |
| Dentistry | $182,326 | $324,057 |
View all 94 programs at Columbia University in the City of New York →
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.