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. 3 are hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very high research) university and 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. A program marked National # ranks among the top 20 of all 535 accredited BSW programs in the country, per our five-factor scoring method.
Alabama BSW programs at a glance
15
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of Alabama, accredited since
3
Offer an online option
4
At an R1 or R2 research university
Alabama's 15 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2021, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Alabama at 8.6 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, Auburn University at Montgomery, earned accreditation in 2021. Among the Alabama programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $8,328 to $20,722 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Alabama earns a median of $46,660 a year, 22% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 15 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Alabama
Every one of these BSW programs in Alabama holds current CSWE accreditation. Status, dates, campus locations and online options come from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs, and each card cites its own sources inline. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1 National #19
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 in Alabama
University of Alabama teaches the BSW in Tuscaloosa, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. The 120 hour degree opens with a 34 hour pre-professional block covering biology with lab, statistics, a professional writing seminar and a course in anti-oppression and social justice, then moves into a 40 hour professional sequence. That sequence runs policy, two semesters of human behavior, psychopathology, research, and separate practice courses for individuals and families, groups and communities. The practicum is 450 hours for nine credits, normally packed into the final semester, though a variable option spreads the same hours across two. Students get weekly supervision from an MSW practicum instructor with two years of experience, log hours daily in the Intern Placement Tool, and should expect to travel up to 60 miles for a placement. In-state tuition runs $12,718 a year against $36,724 for nonresidents, above the Alabama median of $10,290.
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)
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
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
7.8
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Alabama
Based in Birmingham, University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. The 120 hour degree pairs each practice course with a service-learning lab, one on individuals and families and one on groups, organizations and communities, and splits research across two semesters. Six elective hours draw from child welfare, maternal and child health, aging, addiction, trauma-informed care and disaster preparedness. An honors track takes up to five students a term who hold a 3.2 cumulative and 3.6 social work GPA, pairing each with a faculty researcher for an independent study, an honors seminar and a public research presentation before graduating with honors in social work. In-state tuition runs $8,832 a year against $21,864 for nonresidents, below the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,832 · Out-of-state $21,864 / year
Locations
Birmingham, AL (1977-present)
Visit the University of Alabama at Birmingham BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
7.3
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in Alabama
Based in Auburn, Auburn University is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. The 120-hour degree carries 41 hours of university core, eight hours of foreign language and 15 hours of supporting work in public speaking, psychology, analytics, minorities and social research methods. The 42-hour major turns on a three-course social work methods sequence plus one professional elective in child welfare, aging, addictions or family. Seniors sit a comprehensive exam at the close of the internship seminar, scored against a 70 percent benchmark together with the final field evaluation. Among the 20 students assessed in 2025 to 2026, every competency cleared the benchmark, ranging from 75 to 95 percent. In-state tuition runs $10,704 a year against $32,112 for nonresidents, in line with the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,704 · Out-of-state $32,112 / year
Locations
Auburn, AL (1978-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
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 in Alabama
Based in Normal, Alabama A&M University is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. The degree runs at the Huntsville main campus and at a second location hosted by Lawson State Community College in Birmingham. The Birmingham site has its own off-site field coordinator, so placements there are arranged locally rather than from the main campus. Field instruction offers generalist training plus concentrations in family and child welfare and in community mental health, with placements concentrated among economically marginalized populations across Northern Alabama and the Birmingham area. International placements are also available, and undergraduate applications carry fixed deadlines, February 1 for fall and summer, September 1 for spring. In-state tuition runs $8,610 a year against $17,220 for nonresidents, below the Alabama median of $10,290. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Alabama.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,610 · Out-of-state $17,220 / year
Locations
Normal, AL (1979-present); Birmingham, AL (1979-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
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 in Alabama
University of Montevallo teaches the BSW in Montevallo, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. Program goals put unusual weight on research and policy for a bachelor's degree, naming qualitative and quantitative data collection and systematic analysis as tools students use to evaluate service delivery, and expecting graduates to practice advocacy at the local, state and federal levels. The major can be taken as either a B.A. or a B.S., and it sits in the Department of Social Work and Speech Pathology inside the College of Health Professions. The program's stated mission focuses squarely on the poor, vulnerable and underserved, and it runs its own scholarships, a Phi Alpha honor society chapter and an Advocacy Day. In-state tuition runs $12,090 a year against $25,110 for nonresidents, above the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $12,090 · Out-of-state $25,110 / year
Locations
Montevallo, AL (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
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 in Alabama
Based in Florence, University of North Alabama is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. Coursework is mostly classroom based, with service learning placements folded into courses rather than saved for the end, and every student finishes a supervised internship in a local, state or regional agency. The department counts roughly 15,000 hours of student service flowing into community agencies each semester. Graduates who stop at the bachelor's are eligible for LBSW licensure in Alabama. The department names where alumni actually landed, including the Department of Human Resources, Riverbend Center for Mental Health, Safeplace, One Place of the Shoals, Colbert County Schools, Easter Seals and Bradford Health Services. In-state tuition runs $10,200 a year against $20,400 for nonresidents, in line with the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,200 · Out-of-state $20,400 / year
Locations
Florence, AL (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
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 in Alabama
Troy University teaches the BSW in Troy AL, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. Coursework includes Ethics in Helping Professions, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Practicing Cultural Competency and Social Policy and Planning, alongside practice courses covering individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. The degree is built to satisfy Alabama's BSW licensure requirements and those of several other states. Before the placement itself, students tour agencies serving different populations, attend political events to watch social workers operate in the legislative process, and interview practitioners. The 400 hour practicum follows, and students choose their own site from a pool of more than 350 partner agencies, subject to approval by the practicum director. CSWE accreditation dates to 1987, 39 years of unbroken standing, below the Alabama median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,792 · Out-of-state $19,584 / year
Locations
Troy AL (1987-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Talladega College
Talladega, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Alabama
Talladega College teaches the BSW in Talladega, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. The degree is a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work resting on a liberal arts foundation, with the major sequence opening at SW 125 Introduction to Social Work and moving through Human Behavior and the Social Environment I and II. No social work minor is offered, following CSWE's discouragement of specialty minors at the undergraduate level. Admission to the college does not admit a student to the major, and eligibility is decided only after the sophomore year. Applicants need a minimum grade of C in SW 125 and both Human Behavior courses, a 2.5 cumulative grade point average and a personal interview with social work faculty. Published tuition is $12,130 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$12,130 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Talladega, AL (1974-Present)
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
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Alabama
Based in Tuskegee, Tuskegee University is a private university offering a BSW in Alabama. Course work pairs a two-semester Human Behavior and the Social Environment sequence, built on a required human biology pair, with an Interpersonal Skills Laboratory that uses role plays and audio-video feedback before students reach Methods of Social Work Practice I and II. The major also prescribes twelve hours of foreign language and a statistics course. Introduction to Social Welfare is built around how welfare services, poverty and political economy have shaped African American individuals, families and communities. Seven named departmental scholarships cover tuition or books, and a Law Ready Program run with the history and pre-law department lets undergraduates earn law school credit early. Published tuition is $19,594 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,594 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Tuskegee, AL (1974-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
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 in Alabama
Alabama State University teaches the BSW in Montgomery, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. This is the only accredited social work program in Montgomery. It was first organized in 1974, became a separate academic department in 1994, and runs a Resource Room supplying food, hygiene items and professional attire for students heading into internships. The department awarded 30 bachelor's degrees in 2020 to 2021. Graduates work as child welfare and protection specialists, probation officers and investigators, substance abuse counselors, behavioral health professionals, social services directors and policy analysts. In-state tuition runs $8,328 a year against $16,656 for nonresidents, below the Alabama median of $10,290. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Alabama.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,328 · Out-of-state $16,656 / year
Locations
Montgomery, AL (1987-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #11
Oakwood University
Huntsville, AL · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1987Why it ranks in Alabama
Oakwood University teaches the BSW in Huntsville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. Students formally apply to the major in their second year, and entry to field education is a separate five-step review. It requires a C or higher in every social work course, a 2.0 overall GPA, a criminal background check, NASW membership and liability insurance, two graded papers, a peer reference and an interview with the field director. Students stay at the same agency for two consecutive semesters, with a switch allowed only for reasons such as agency closure or insufficient supervision. While in senior field, they may carry no more than two additional three-hour courses, and only with prior approval. Published tuition is $20,722 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Alabama median of $10,290.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$20,722 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Huntsville, AL (1987-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #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 in Alabama
Jacksonville State University teaches the BSW in Jacksonville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Alabama. The 120 hour degree carries 54 hours of social work, 39 required and 15 chosen from a deep elective list running through forensic social work, social work in educational settings, crisis intervention, substance use disorders, aging, and death and dying. Policy and research are both writing intensive, and majors add three pre-professional courses from fields such as criminal justice, economics and human geography. The internship is a 9 credit block taken in the final spring semester alongside a 3 credit internship seminar and the third practice course, so the whole last term is given over to placement and its integration. Students cannot register for it until the program has formally ruled them eligible. CSWE accreditation dates to 1988, 38 years of unbroken standing, below the Alabama median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,290 · Out-of-state $20,580 / year
Locations
Jacksonville, AL (1988-present)
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
5.7
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2005Why it ranks in Alabama
Based in Mobile, University of South Alabama is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. Students enter as pre-professional majors and apply to the professional major after at least 56 credit hours, needing a 2.60 GPA plus a C or better in three social work courses, two lab sciences, psychology, sociology and both composition courses. The application adds a personal statement, resume and references, and clearing the minimums does not guarantee a seat. Alabama's Title IV-E DHR stipend program helps fund students preparing for public child welfare work, and seniors intern in social service agencies across the Gulf Region. The program is housed in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work rather than a standalone school of social work. CSWE accreditation dates to 2005, 21 years of unbroken standing, below the Alabama median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,976 · Out-of-state $17,952 / year
Locations
Mobile, AL (2005-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- 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 in Alabama
Based in Fairfield, Miles College is a private university offering a BSW in Alabama. Labs and field placements put students into local community-based agencies to deliver services while they are still building skills, and internships connect majors to organizations across the Birmingham metro. The department also runs a Social Work Interest Club that organizes service projects and awareness campaigns. The program frames advocacy and cultural awareness around African American communities and other diverse populations, from counseling and case management to home care and mental health. Majors who reach sophomore standing with eight semester hours of required classes, a 3.0 overall average and a 3.25 in social work courses can join the national honor society chapter. CSWE accreditation dates to 1998, 28 years of unbroken standing, below the Alabama median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$11,164 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Fairfield, AL (1998-present)
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 in Alabama
Based in Montgomery, Auburn University at Montgomery is a public university offering a BSW in Alabama. Entry is a separate gate from the university application. Students begin in the Pre-Social Work concentration of the sociology degree, then apply with 45 credits, a 2.25 GPA, six prerequisites at C or better and SOWK 2000 and 2220 at C+. The window opens twice a year, February 14 to 28 and September 15 to 30. Undergraduates regularly present research at the Alabama-Mississippi Social Work Conference and the Alabama Conference of Social Work. Department faculty publish on environmental justice, reproductive rights, intimate partner violence, rural mobility and foster parents, and Alabama has formally designated social work an area of critical need. CSWE accreditation dates to 2021, 5 years of unbroken standing, below the Alabama median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,568 · Out-of-state $19,224 / year
Locations
Montgomery, AL (2021-present); Online (2026-present)
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, Birmingham, Auburn, Normal, Montevallo, Florence, and others, 3 offering an online option. 4 are 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.
Child, family, and school social workers, the most common BSW-level specialty, have a location quotient of 0.79 in Alabama, meaning the occupation is 21% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.0 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
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. Employment, annual wages, and pay range by specialty:
| Occupation | Employed in AL | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 4,220 | $46,660 | $51,720 | $37,780 to $72,490 |
| Healthcare social workers | 2,850 | $60,000 | $58,360 | $40,020 to $74,440 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 740 | $41,500 | $45,480 | $29,370 to $64,750 |
| Social workers, all other | 400 | $94,270 | $90,850 | $49,280 to $112,510 |
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. Location quotient compares the state's job concentration to the national average (1.0 = the national rate). 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.