Alabama has 15 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of Alabama, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 3 of the 15 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 1 is hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very high research) university.
Each program below is scored on the same five-factor model used in our national ranking, so the order reflects accreditation longevity, delivery and schedule flexibility, program breadth, and the institution's Carnegie research tier, all applied identically nationwide.
All 15 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Alabama
Accreditation status, dates, locations, online option, and program details are sourced directly from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.6
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
University of Alabama has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Tuscaloosa, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R1 classification for very high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $12,718 · Out-of-state $36,724 / year
2026-27 tuition & fees · ua.edu
Locations
Tuscaloosa, AL (1974-present); Online (2018-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Alabama A&M University
Normal, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1979Why it ranks here
Alabama A&M University has held CSWE accreditation since 1979, 47 years of standing as of 2026. The program is offered on 2 approved campuses (Normal, AL; Birmingham, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Normal, AL (1979-present); Birmingham, AL (1979-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
University of Montevallo
Montevallo, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
University of Montevallo has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Montevallo, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Montevallo, AL (1974-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
University of North Alabama
Florence, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
University of North Alabama has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Florence, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Florence, AL (1974-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Troy University
Troy AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · Online or On-Campus
7.1
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1987Why it ranks here
Troy University has held CSWE accreditation since 1987, 39 years of standing as of 2026. The Baccalaureate of Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Troy AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Troy AL (1987-present); Online (2018-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
7.1
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1977Why it ranks here
University of Alabama at Birmingham has held CSWE accreditation since 1977, 49 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Birmingham, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Birmingham, AL (1977-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Talladega College
Talladega, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Talladega College has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Talladega, AL). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Talladega, AL (1974-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Tuskegee University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Tuskegee, AL). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Tuskegee, AL (1974-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
Alabama State University
Montgomery, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1987Why it ranks here
Alabama State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1987, 39 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Montgomery, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Forensic Social Work).
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Montgomery, AL (1987-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #10
Oakwood University
Huntsville, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1987Why it ranks here
Oakwood University has held CSWE accreditation since 1987, 39 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Huntsville, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 dual-degree option.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Huntsville, AL (1987-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #11
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks here
Auburn University has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, 48 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Auburn, AL). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Auburn, AL (1978-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #12
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1988 · On-Campus
6.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1988Why it ranks here
Jacksonville State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1988, 38 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Jacksonville, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Jacksonville, AL (1988-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.1
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #13
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 2005 · On-Campus
5.3
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2005Why it ranks here
University of South Alabama has held CSWE accreditation since 2005, 21 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Mobile, AL). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Mobile, AL (2005-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #14
Miles College
Fairfield, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1998 · On-Campus
5.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1998Why it ranks here
Miles College has held CSWE accreditation since 1998, 28 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Fairfield, AL). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Fairfield, AL (1998-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #15
Auburn University at Montgomery
Montgomery, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 2021 · Online or On-Campus
4.5
Online or On-Campus Full-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2021Why it ranks here
Auburn University at Montgomery has held CSWE accreditation since 2021, 5 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Montgomery, AL). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Montgomery, AL (2021-present); Online (2026-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 2.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Alabama
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Alabama's front-line social-service workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET, social workers are employed across public human-services and child-welfare agencies, hospitals and health systems, K-12 schools, community mental-health and substance-use programs, aging and disability services, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations. BSW-level roles are generalist and direct-practice: case manager, child and family caseworker, community and behavioral-health worker, and social and human-service assistant. Supervisory, therapeutic, and independent clinical positions generally require a master's. If you plan to pursue graduate education, BestMSWPrograms.org covers the best MSW programs to help you take that next step.
Per the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs, Alabama's 15 accredited programs are based across 14 cities, including Tuscaloosa, Normal, Birmingham, Montevallo, Florence, Troy, and others, 3 offering an online option. 1 is hosted at a Carnegie research university (R1 or R2), which adds research and teaching-hospital placements to the local training pipeline. CSWE standards require supervised field education, so programs build placement partnerships with local agencies, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits, which makes the state's campuses a training and hiring pipeline into the surrounding Alabama social-service economy. Online-capable programs extend that access to students in rural and remote parts of the state, areas the federal government (HRSA) frequently designates as mental-health workforce shortage areas.
Nationally, the BLS projects social-worker employment will grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 67,300 openings projected each year, many from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation. The BLS projects faster-than-average growth for healthcare social workers and for mental health and substance abuse social workers, specialties that hire at both the bachelor's and master's levels.
In Alabama, social workers held about 8,210 jobs across the four social work occupations as of May 2025, per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. State median annual wages by specialty:
| Occupation | Employed in AL | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 4,220 | $46,660 |
| Healthcare social workers | 2,850 | $60,000 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 740 | $41,500 |
| Social workers, all other | 400 | $94,270 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Wages cover all workers in each occupation; BLS does not break wages out by degree, and BSW-level roles typically fall toward the lower end of each range. O*NET reports tasks, skills, and local outlook by occupation.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers; BLS state wage data for Alabama; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Alabama
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Alabama licenses social workers at the bachelor level, so a CSWE-accredited BSW is the degree requirement for an entry-level license here. That makes program accreditation, the basis of our ranking, a direct licensing prerequisite.
| License | Name | Exam | CSWE BSW required |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBSW | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LICSW). A CSWE-accredited BSW also qualifies graduates for Advanced Standing admission to a master's program.
How We Ranked These Programs
Every program is scored on the same five-factor model used in the national ranking, with no state-specific adjustments. Four factors are drawn from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; prestige uses the institution's 2025 Carnegie research classification.
- Accreditation longevity (40%): years of continuous CSWE accreditation.
- Delivery flexibility (22%): online option and number of approved campus locations.
- Prestige (15%): 2025 Carnegie research tier (R1, R2, or baseline).
- Schedule flexibility (12%): full-time and part-time plans of study.
- Program breadth (11%): embedded certificates and dual-degree options.
For the full model, see our ranking methodology.