New Jersey has 10 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Saint Elizabeth University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1968. None of the 10 record an online option, all are campus-based. 1 at a Carnegie R2 (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 10 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in New Jersey
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
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · On-Campus
8.0
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1976Why it ranks here
Seton Hall University has held CSWE accreditation since 1976, 50 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (South Orange, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 2 embedded certificates (Gerontology, Other). Its home institution holds a Carnegie R2 classification for high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
South Orange, NJ (1976-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%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #2
Stockton University
Galloway, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1975Why it ranks here
Stockton University has held CSWE accreditation since 1975, 51 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Galloway, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Child Welfare).
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Galloway, NJ (1980-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%) 5.0
- #3
Monmouth University
West Long Branch, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.3
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1975Why it ranks here
Monmouth University has held CSWE accreditation since 1975, 51 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (West Long Branch, NJ). 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
West Long Branch, NJ (1975-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%) 4.5
- #4
Saint Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1968 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1968Why it ranks here
Saint Elizabeth University has held CSWE accreditation since 1968, 58 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Morristown, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Morristown, NJ (2016-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
The Rutgers State University of New Jersey Newark Campus
Newark, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1980 · On-Campus
7.1
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1980Why it ranks here
The Rutgers State University of New Jersey Newark Campus has held CSWE accreditation since 1980, 46 years of standing as of 2026. The program is offered on 2 approved campuses (Newark, NJ; Lincroft, NY). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Newark, NJ (1980-present); Lincroft, NY (2011-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.4
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Ramapo College
Mahwah, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks here
Ramapo College has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, 48 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Mahwah, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Mahwah, NJ (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%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
The Rutgers State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full-time 3 campuses Accred. since 1978Why it ranks here
The Rutgers State University of New Jersey has held CSWE accreditation since 1978, 48 years of standing as of 2026. The program is offered on 3 approved campuses (New Brunswick, NJ; Camden, NJ; May's Landing, NJ). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
New Brunswick, NJ (1978-present); Camden, NJ (1978-present); May's Landing, NJ (1978-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Georgian Court University
Lakewood, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 1995 · On-Campus
6.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1995Why it ranks here
Georgian Court University has held CSWE accreditation since 1995, 31 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Lakewood, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Gerontology).
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Lakewood, NJ (1998-Present); Vineland/Cumberland, NJ (2015-2025)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #9
Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 2006 · On-Campus
5.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2006Why it ranks here
Centenary University has held CSWE accreditation since 2006, 20 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Hackettstown, NJ). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Hackettstown, NJ (2006-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
William Paterson University
Wayne, NJ · CSWE-Accredited since 2022 · On-Campus
3.9
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2022Why it ranks here
William Paterson University has held CSWE accreditation since 2022, 4 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Wayne, NJ). The program runs on a full-time plan of study. It records 1 dual-degree option.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Wayne, NJ (2022-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 2.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
The Social Work Industry in New Jersey
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for New Jersey'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, New Jersey's 10 accredited programs are based across 13 cities, including South Orange, Galloway, West Long Branch, Morristown, Newark, Lincroft, and others, all campus-based. 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 New Jersey social-service economy.
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 New Jersey, social workers held about 14,730 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 NJ | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 7,360 | $76,280 |
| Healthcare social workers | 4,310 | $82,690 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 2,420 | $66,590 |
| Social workers, all other | 640 | $76,640 |
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 New Jersey; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in New Jersey
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSW1 | Certified Social Worker 1 | No ASWB exam required | Yes |
| CSW2 | Certified Social Worker 2 | No ASWB exam required | Not specified |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LSW), 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.