Our Lady of the Lake University ranks among the top schools in the U.S. for non-traditional students who want to major in social work and for veterans pursuing social work, according to College Factual, a data-driven website that helps students select colleges.

College Factual ranks OLLU No. 25 out of 312 schools nationwide for non-traditional students studying social work, up from No. 40 in 2018, and No. 2 in Texas.

College Factual also ranks OLLU No. 23 out of 360 U.S. schools for Best Social Work Programs for Veterans -- up from No. 37 in 2018 -- and No. 3 in Texas.

According to College Factual survey data, a social work graduate from OLLU will realize “early-career earnings of $32,000 and average mid-career earnings of $48,000.”
In its news release, College Factual explained the reason for the focus on non-traditional students.

“This ranking was developed to highlight colleges that have great Social Work programs and also great support for students who fall outside the traditional ‘norm,’” College Factual wrote. “This could include adults returning to school, part-time students, transfer students, online students and others.”

College Factual also explained its focus on veteran-friendly schools: “These rankings were developed to highlight schools that offer quality outcomes in a specific major while also offering support and resources to help veterans and active-duty military students thrive.”