Florida has 14 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of Central Florida, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 4 of the 14 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 5 are hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very high research) university and 3 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.
Florida BSW programs at a glance
14
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of Central Florida, accredited since
4
Offer an online option
8
At an R1 or R2 research university
Florida's 14 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2012, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Central Florida at 9.2 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, University of North Florida, earned accreditation in 2012. Among the Florida programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $2,522 to $32,800 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Florida earns a median of $56,550 a year, 5% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 14 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Florida
Every one of these BSW programs in Florida 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 #5
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
9.2
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 3 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Orlando, University of Central Florida is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. Coursework covers human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy and services, research and practice, with electives in child welfare, addictions, aging studies, health services, immigration and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations. The community agency internship is arranged by the school rather than found by the student. The school sits inside the College of Health Professions and Sciences and points the degree at health settings alongside general social services. Undergraduates can add a minor in aging studies or certificates in aging studies, children's services or Spanish for social workers. CSWE approved the online option in 2026, the most recent online approval among the 4 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $6,368 · Out-of-state $24,076 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · ucf.edu
Locations
Orlando, FL (1974-present); Online (2026-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 9.0
- #2 National #18
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.6
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 2 campuses 2 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Florida
Florida State University teaches the BSW in Tallahassee, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Florida. This is a limited-access major. Applicants need a 3.0 cumulative GPA counting every graded attempt, 60 completed hours, and all five prerequisites in American government, economics, biology, sociology and psychology at a C or better within two tries, plus a resume and personal statement. Deadlines are June 1 for fall and November 1 for spring. The degree runs both in Tallahassee and at the Panama City campus. The college also organizes electives into interest areas such as military social work, criminal justice, health and wellness and international social work, the last supporting internships abroad and study abroad weighted toward London. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Florida median of 44 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,654 · Out-of-state $20,113 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · fsu.edu
Locations
Tallahassee, FL (1974-present); Panama City, FL (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #3
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · Online or On-Campus
8.3
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Tampa, University of South Florida is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. The major is a full-time, lock-step cohort of 41 credit hours finished in four semesters, offered in two modalities. The in-person cohort is on the Tampa campus roughly three days a week, while the online cohort mixes asynchronous work with live virtual class sessions on about two days a week. The school itemizes what the degree costs beyond tuition: a $30 per credit hour distance learning fee for online courses, a field lab fee attached to SOW4510C, $215 or more for the Tevera placement software, and a level 2 background check running roughly $50 to $100. Some placements also require vaccinations or drug testing at the student's cost. In-state tuition runs $6,410 a year against $18,416 for nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $6,410 · Out-of-state $18,416 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees, 30 cr · usf.edu
Locations
Tampa, FL (1976-present); Online (2023-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
- #4
Florida International University
Miami, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.1
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Miami, Florida International University is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. The professional sequence runs 60 credits and carries two supervised internships rather than one. Because the degree sits inside the Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, students also pick up Introduction to Public Health, coursework most social work majors never touch. Every student sits for a one-on-one interview with a field coordinator to settle on a placement, and the undergraduate program has its own coordinator separate from the graduate side. Each student is assigned a field liaison for the duration, and sites are drawn from vetted agencies across Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties. In-state tuition runs $4,721 a year against $16,529 for nonresidents, below the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $4,721 · Out-of-state $16,529 / year
Locations
Miami, FL (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #5
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
8.0
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Boca Raton, Florida Atlantic University is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. BSW classes run at two sites, the Social Science Building in Boca Raton and the Davie campus, each with its own staff contact. Students are directed to an academic advisor at whichever learning site is more convenient rather than being tied to one campus office. The school pairs the major with certificates in child welfare and healthy aging and a social work minor, and it houses a Child Welfare Institute, a Healthy Aging Academy and a Center for Integrated Recovery and Wellness Studies that align with those tracks. In-state tuition runs $2,522 a year against $14,374 for nonresidents, below the Florida median of $6,011. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Florida.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $2,522 · Out-of-state $14,374 / year
Locations
Boca Raton, FL (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #6
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.7
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Pensacola, University of West Florida is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. Fifty-one of the 120 semester hours sit in social work, with separate practice courses for individuals, families, groups, and organizations and communities, plus case management, interviewing and documentation, structural social work theory and behavioral health. One elective slot draws from child welfare, human trafficking, adolescents at risk, substance use, and death and dying. The department also runs minors in aging studies, child welfare, social welfare and substance abuse, though the social welfare minor is closed to majors. The substance abuse minor pairs intervention in addictions with substance use prevention and treatment and covers part of the requirements for the Certification Board for Addiction Professionals of Florida. In-state tuition runs $3,735 a year against $16,004 for nonresidents, below the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $3,735 · Out-of-state $16,004 / year
Locations
Pensacola, FL (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #7
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Florida
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University teaches the BSW in Tallahassee, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Florida. Field education is structured as a block placement, a full-time work week sustained across a single semester and required for graduation. It carries 15 upper-division credits and runs alongside an integrative seminar. The program publishes its competency results. In the 2023 assessment cycle it cleared the 80 percent benchmark on six of nine competencies, topping out at 93 percent for intervention, while ethical and professional behavior landed at 67 percent, policy practice at 77 and practice evaluation at 75. In-state tuition runs $3,152 a year against $14,524 for nonresidents, below the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $3,152 · Out-of-state $14,524 / year
Locations
Tallahassee, FL (1974-present)
Visit the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1983 · On-Campus
6.9
On-Campus Full-time 4 campuses Accred. since 1983Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Saint Leo, Saint Leo University is a private university offering a BSW in Florida. The 120-credit major organizes content into five areas: social welfare policy, human behavior in the social environment, research, practice methods and practice education, with practice taught as three sequential Methods of Social Work Practice courses. Anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice runs through required courses and electives, which include gerontology and social work documentation and technology. You can declare the social work major on day one, but formal admission to the program is a separate step requiring an application and an interview with social work faculty. An advisory board of students, alumni and human service professionals reviews the curriculum. Published tuition is $26,240 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Florida.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$26,240 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Saint Leo, FL (1983-present); Spring Hill, FL (1983-present); East Pasco Education Center (2013-present); Tampa/Tampa Education Center (2017- present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.9
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
Florida Memorial University
Miami Gardens, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2004 · Online or On-Campus
6.2
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 2004Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Miami Gardens, Florida Memorial University is a private university offering a BSW in Florida. The degree is awarded as a Bachelor of Arts and takes a minimum of 120 semester hours, which the department notes requires 15 to 16 credits a term or a summer session to finish in four years. The social work sequence includes two human behavior courses, research methods, social policy and a dedicated course in social work writing techniques. The field practicum is a year-long senior-year experience and cannot begin until every required social work course is finished. Applications are due a full semester before the placement starts, and admission follows a pre-practicum seminar and an interview with the Coordinator of Field Education. Published tuition is $14,274 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$14,274 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Miami Gardens, FL (2004-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.5
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #10
Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2003 · On-Campus
5.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 2003Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Lakeland, Southeastern University is a private university offering a BSW in Florida. Practicum and internship placements run locally and internationally, with sites in Chennai, India, Kampala, Uganda, and Quito, Ecuador. The degree is taught in person through the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and graduates can move into SEU's own MSW in as little as nine months. Alongside the nine standard competencies the program assesses a tenth, integrating faith with social work practice. It asks students to work with the religious and spiritual dimensions of individuals and communities, and to draw on their own faith for self-care and practice. Published tuition is $30,432 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$30,432 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Lakeland, FL (2003-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 6.5
- #11
Barry University
Miami Shores, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2002 · On-Campus
5.7
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2002Why it ranks in Florida
Barry University teaches the BSW in Miami Shores, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Florida. The bachelor's degree arrived in 2001 and was accredited in 2003, long after the school's graduate program, which opened in 1966 as the first in South Florida. The Ware Foundation funded Center for Human Rights and Social Justice sits inside the school, working on human trafficking, sexual victimization and inclusive care for gender diverse people. Student learning outcomes assessments for the bachelor's program are posted year by year rather than as a single snapshot, running from 2010-11 through 2024-25. Only three years are missing from that public record. Published tuition is $32,800 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$32,800 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Miami Shores, FL (1968-1974; 2002-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #12
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2012 · On-Campus
5.2
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2012Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Jacksonville, University of North Florida is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. The major is 36 credits of required coursework built on a two-course human behavior sequence alongside social welfare institutions, social work communication and research methods, plus 6 credits of diversity coursework and 12 credits of major electives. Elective choices include child welfare practice, child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, health care and work with immigrants and refugees. Recent social work students have studied abroad in Indonesia, Iceland and the United Kingdom through the UNF International Center, and the program sends students to the two-day NASW Florida Legislation Education Day in Tallahassee. A student advisory council gives student representatives a standing role in program initiatives. CSWE accreditation dates to 2012, 14 years of unbroken standing, below the Florida median of 44 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $3,996 · Out-of-state $16,799 / year
Locations
Jacksonville, FL (2012-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #13
Warner University
Lakes Wales, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2010 · Online or On-Campus
5.2
Online or On-Campus Full-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2010Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Lakes Wales, Warner University is a private university offering a BSW in Florida. Coursework leans toward loss and trauma content that many bachelor's programs leave to the graduate level, with three-credit courses in Introduction to Trauma and Resiliency and Death and Dying sitting alongside Social Work Practice with Diverse Populations and the introductory survey course. The program is explicitly Christian in its framing. Its stated mission places servanthood as modeled by Christ next to social justice and human rights, and graduates are expected to carry that faith into advocacy and evidence-based practice. Classroom work is supplemented with seminars, workshops and field trips. Published tuition is $27,200 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Florida median of $6,011.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$27,200 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Lakes Wales, FL (2010-present); Online (2025-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.6
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #14
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 2000 · On-Campus
5.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2000Why it ranks in Florida
Based in Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a public university offering a BSW in Florida. Seniors stay at one site for the entire year, carrying six credits of field each semester and logging 250 hours per term, roughly 16 to 17 hours a week. A weekly on-campus seminar runs on top of weekly supervision at the agency, and placements sit in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. Entry runs through a transitional portfolio in the second year. It requires one letter of reference from someone who knows the applicant's academic, service or work record, with family and friends ruled out, plus a 400 to 500 word essay on one of the six NASW core values. AI writing tools are banned on that essay. CSWE accreditation dates to 2000, 26 years of unbroken standing, below the Florida median of 44 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $4,191 · Out-of-state $22,328 / year
Locations
Fort Myers, FL (2000 - Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Florida
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Florida'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, Florida's 14 accredited programs are based across 17 cities, including Orlando, Tallahassee, Panama City, Tampa, Miami, Boca Raton, and others, 4 offering an online option. 8 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 Florida 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 0.56 in Florida, meaning the occupation is 44% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 1.4 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Florida, social workers held about 34,470 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 FL | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 14,000 | $56,550 | $57,970 | $39,760 to $79,580 |
| Healthcare social workers | 10,520 | $64,820 | $66,920 | $45,760 to $88,470 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 5,150 | $51,590 | $55,310 | $38,180 to $77,610 |
| Social workers, all other | 4,800 | $58,550 | $69,060 | $42,220 to $109,990 |
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 Florida; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Florida
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 (CMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LCSW, RCSW-I). 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CSWE-accredited BSW programs are in Florida?
Can you earn a BSW online in Florida?
What can you do with a BSW in Florida?
How are these Florida BSW programs ranked?
BSW Programs by City in Florida (2026)
City pages cover Florida's 5 largest cities, 4 of which host an accredited BSW campus. Each one shows the programs in that city, accredited campuses within 60 miles, online options, and local wage data for the metro area.
BSW Programs in Jacksonville
Population 985,843
1 in city · 0 nearby
BSW Programs in Miami
Population 455,924
3 in city · 1 nearby
BSW Programs in Tampa
Population 403,364
2 in city · 2 nearby
BSW Programs in Orlando
Population 320,742
1 in city · 2 nearby
BSW Programs in St. Petersburg
Population 263,553
0 in city · 3 nearby