Colorado has 5 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Colorado State University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 3 of the 5 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 1 is 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.
Colorado BSW programs at a glance
5
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Colorado State University, accredited since
3
Offer an online option
2
At an R1 or R2 research university
Colorado's 5 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2020, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Colorado State University at 8.3 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, earned accreditation in 2020. Among the Colorado programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $6,870 to $13,774 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Colorado earns a median of $63,720 a year, 7% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 5 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Colorado
Every one of these BSW programs in Colorado 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
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.3
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Colorado
Colorado State University teaches the BSW in Fort Collins, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Colorado. Field education produces roughly 400 hours of supervised agency experience for every undergraduate. Students in the addictions counseling concentration serve that internship in an addiction setting, where the hours count toward the 1,000 Colorado requires for the Certified Addictions Technician credential. Graduates are reported to move into community agencies, schools, hospitals, clinics, public health, corrections and group homes, with openings working with older adults especially common. Listed entry roles run from child and adult protection worker to hospice social worker, probation officer and victim-witness counselor. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Colorado median of 31 years. No other program among the BSW programs in Colorado has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $13,774 · Out-of-state $36,113 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · colostate.edu
Locations
Fort Collins, CO (1974-present); Online (2024-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #2
Colorado State University-Pueblo
Pueblo, CO · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Colorado
Colorado State University-Pueblo teaches the BSW in Pueblo, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Colorado. The department has served the Pueblo area since the 1960s and has been accredited since 1982, among the longer-running programs in the state. Its listed student resources include the Colorado Child Welfare Scholars Consortium, departmental scholarships and student clubs. The department reports that its graduates are recruited to fill social work staffing needs in both the urban and rural communities of the region. Many now work as administrators and practitioners in social service agencies across Southern Colorado. CSWE accreditation dates to 1982, 44 years of unbroken standing, above the Colorado median of 31 years. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Colorado.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $6,870 · Out-of-state $14,711 / year
Locations
Pueblo, CO (1982-present); Colorado Springs, CO (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO · CSWE-Accredited since 1995 · Online or On-Campus
6.6
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1995Why it ranks in Colorado
Metropolitan State University of Denver teaches the BSSW in Denver, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Colorado. Everyone starts as a pre-social work major and applies in, then follows a locked two-year sequence: theories of change, group practice and social policy practice in the junior year, research methods, data analysis, macro practice and family practice in the senior year. Junior fall also carries SWK 3350, which adds 45 hours of agency volunteering to the classroom work. The senior internship totals 400 hours across two semesters at the same agency, roughly 13 to 14 hours a week, with a seminar taught by a faculty internship liaison meeting every other week. Placement runs through the Sonia database, where each student is assigned an Internship Navigator and referred to as many as five agencies to interview with. In-state tuition runs $8,868 a year against $27,591 for nonresidents, in line with the Colorado median of $8,738.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,868 · Out-of-state $27,591 / year
Locations
Denver, CO (1995-present); Online (2018-present)
Visit the Metropolitan State University of Denver BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO · CSWE-Accredited since 2020 · Online or On-Campus
6.1
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 6 certificates Accred. since 2020Why it ranks in Colorado
Based in Colorado Springs, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs is a public university offering a BSW in Colorado. The 120 credit degree runs on campus, online and in hybrid form. First and second year students clear general education and lower-division social work courses, then move into 4000-level coursework and a supervised agency practicum in the junior and senior years. The application turns on a 500 word writing sample answering one of three prompts, including how a student's own identities shaped their understanding of power and privilege, or a time a long-held belief was challenged. Admitted students are paired with a social work faculty mentor. CSWE accreditation dates to 2020, 6 years of unbroken standing, below the Colorado median of 31 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,738 · Out-of-state $22,255 / year
Locations
Colorado Springs, CO (2020-present); Online (2020-present)
Visit the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 10.0
- #5
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO · CSWE-Accredited since 2014 · On-Campus
4.2
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2014Why it ranks in Colorado
Based in Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University is a public university offering a BSW in Colorado. The senior practicum runs 450 hours across both semesters, roughly 15 hours a week, and is a binding contract through consecutive terms with a companion seminar attached to each. Grand Valley placements span end-of-life care, addiction services, law enforcement, senior care, schools, community clinics and inpatient and outpatient mental health. Hours cannot be started or completed early. Applications open December 1 and close February 1 for the following fall, after prerequisites in introduction to social work, justice and equity in social work, general psychology, human development and state and local government. Scoring on GPA, faculty ratings and a personal statement narrows the field to 40 candidates for March interviews, and the 25 highest total scores are admitted. CSWE accreditation dates to 2014, 12 years of unbroken standing, below the Colorado median of 31 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,592 · Out-of-state $23,192 / year
Locations
Grand Junction, CO (2014-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.9
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Colorado
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Colorado'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, Colorado's 5 accredited programs are based across 5 cities, including Fort Collins, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, Grand Junction, 3 offering an online option. 2 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 Colorado 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 1.13 in Colorado, meaning the occupation is 13% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.9 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Colorado, social workers held about 15,700 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 CO | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 8,200 | $63,720 | $70,760 | $45,980 to $102,990 |
| Healthcare social workers | 3,670 | $63,480 | $67,170 | $45,810 to $95,230 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 1,640 | $65,620 | $69,200 | $47,100 to $95,950 |
| Social workers, all other | 2,190 | $61,610 | $69,030 | $45,950 to $104,250 |
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 Colorado; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Colorado
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
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.