Arkansas has 9 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Arkansas State University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1978. 1 of the 9 record an online option; the rest are campus-based.
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 9 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Arkansas
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 Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 1999 · Online or On-Campus
6.7
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1999Why it ranks here
University of Arkansas at Little Rock has held CSWE accreditation since 1999, 27 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Little Rock, AR). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Gerontology) and 1 dual-degree option.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Little Rock, AR (1999-present); Online (2018-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.3
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 6.5
- #2
Arkansas State University
State University, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks here
Arkansas State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, 48 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (State University, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
State University, AR (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
- #3
Harding University
Searcy, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks here
Harding University has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, 48 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Searcy, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Searcy, AR (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
- #4
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 1985 · On-Campus
6.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1985Why it ranks here
University of Arkansas has held CSWE accreditation since 1985, 41 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Fayetteville, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study. It records 1 embedded certificate (Child Welfare).
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Fayetteville, AR (1985-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #5
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 1989 · On-Campus
5.8
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1989Why it ranks here
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has held CSWE accreditation since 1989, 37 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Pine Bluff, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Pine Bluff, AR (1989-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.9
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Southern Arkansas University
Magnolia, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 2000 · On-Campus
5.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2000Why it ranks here
Southern Arkansas University has held CSWE accreditation since 2000, 26 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Magnolia, AR). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Magnolia, AR (2000-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Philander Smith College
Little Rock, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 2001 · On-Campus
5.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2001Why it ranks here
Philander Smith College has held CSWE accreditation since 2001, 25 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Little Rock, AR). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Little Rock, AR (2001-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 2000 · On-Campus
5.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2000Why it ranks here
University of Arkansas at Monticello has held CSWE accreditation since 2000, 26 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Monticello, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Monticello, AR (2000-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR · CSWE-Accredited since 2017 · On-Campus
4.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2017Why it ranks here
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith has held CSWE accreditation since 2017, 9 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Fort Smith, AR). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Fort Smith, AR (2017-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Arkansas
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Arkansas'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, Arkansas's 9 accredited programs are based across 8 cities, including Little Rock, State University, Searcy, Fayetteville, Pine Bluff, Magnolia, and others, 1 offering an online option. 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 Arkansas 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 Arkansas, social workers held about 4,130 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 AR | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 1,150 | $43,330 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,250 | $55,640 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 1,040 | $58,590 |
| Social workers, all other | 690 | $47,790 |
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 Arkansas; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Arkansas
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Arkansas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSW | Licensed Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LCSW). 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.