Idaho has 5 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Boise State University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 4 of the 5 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 2 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.
Idaho BSW programs at a glance
5
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Boise State University, accredited since
4
Offer an online option
2
At an R1 or R2 research university
Idaho's 5 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2003, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Boise State University at 7.9 out of 10, a Carnegie R2 research university. The newest, Brigham Young University-Idaho, earned accreditation in 2003. Among the Idaho programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $4,656 to $40,095 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Idaho earns a median of $59,840 a year, about the same as the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 5 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Idaho
Every one of these BSW programs in Idaho 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
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
7.9
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Idaho
Based in Boise, Boise State University is a public university offering a BSW in Idaho. The bachelor's runs in two versions, one on campus in Boise and one fully online, under an accreditation the school has held since 1974. No academic credit is granted for prior work or life experience, so the sequence is the same for career changers. A 9-credit Addiction Studies Certificate stacks onto the degree through three courses: Introduction to Drugs and Society, Motivational Interviewing, and Assessment and Case Management of Behavioral Health Disorders. It is open to any interested student, not only social work majors. CSWE approved the online option in 2026, the most recent online approval among the 4 online programs on this list. No other program among the BSW programs in Idaho has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,941 · Out-of-state $24,135 / year
Locations
Boise, Idaho (1974-present); Twin Falls, Idaho (2009-2025); Online (2026-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #2
Northwest Nazarene University
Nampa, ID · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · Online or On-Campus
7.8
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Idaho
Northwest Nazarene University teaches the BA in Nampa, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Idaho. The major carries 38 social work credits inside a 56 to 57 credit program, opening with Social Justice: Changing the World through Film and two Human Behavior courses, one on lifespan theory and one on issues of diversity. Students then choose one specialty course from substance abuse prevention, child welfare services or social work in health care. Students log more than 500 internship hours in local social service settings under professional supervision. The sequence is staged, starting with two one-credit Field Practice courses and moving into three-credit Practicum I and II, each paired with a Seminar in Social Work, the second of which doubles as the capstone. Published tuition is $40,095 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Idaho median of $5,992.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$40,095 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Nampa, ID (1977-present); Online (2026-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Idaho State University
Pocatello, ID · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · Online or On-Campus
7.6
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in Idaho
Idaho State University teaches the BASW in Pocatello, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Idaho. Classes are now delivered fully online, a change the department flags at the top of its program page. Prospective applicants can sit in on Zoom information sessions before deciding to apply. The senior practicum places students for 400 hours in an approved community agency under a field instructor, with a weekly on-campus seminar running alongside for reflection, skills training and agency networking. Employment-based placements are possible. Admission no longer requires a background check, but individual placement sites still may. In-state tuition runs $5,992 a year against $25,102 for nonresidents, in line with the Idaho median of $5,992.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,992 · Out-of-state $25,102 / year
Locations
Pocatello, ID (1978-present); Online (2023-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID · CSWE-Accredited since 1992 · Online or On-Campus
7.0
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses + online Accred. since 1992Why it ranks in Idaho
Lewis-Clark State College teaches the BSW in Lewiston, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Idaho. The 120-credit degree is offered on the Lewiston campus, at Coeur d'Alene and in a hybrid format. Application to the program itself waits until a student has 30 college core credits on the transcript. Students declare the major first, then apply to the program after clearing the introductory social work course, practice foundations, core math and English 101. The grading bar is unusually explicit: a B minus or better in every practice course, a C or better in the rest, a 2.7 GPA across social work courses and a 2.5 cumulative GPA to graduate. In-state tuition runs $7,388 a year against $21,386 for nonresidents, above the Idaho median of $5,992. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Idaho.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,388 · Out-of-state $21,386 / year
Locations
Lewiston, ID (1992-present); Coeur d'Alene, ID (1992-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.4
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Brigham Young University-Idaho
Rexburg, ID · CSWE-Accredited since 2003 · On-Campus
5.0
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2003Why it ranks in Idaho
Brigham Young University-Idaho teaches the BSW in Rexburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Idaho. Majors complete two separate 250-hour internships rather than one long block, 500 hours in total, and the department holds an internship fair to help students land placements. Agencies serving vulnerable populations often require interns to pass a criminal background check. Entry to the major is by application against fixed deadlines, the first Friday in October, February and May for winter, spring and fall starts. Applicants must pass SW 260, Sociology 111 and Psychology 111 with at least a C-, and file a statement of psychological well-being. CSWE accreditation dates to 2003, 23 years of unbroken standing, below the Idaho median of 48 years. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Idaho.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,656 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Rexburg, ID (2003-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Idaho
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Idaho'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, Idaho's 5 accredited programs are based across 6 cities, including Boise, Idaho, Nampa, Pocatello, Lewiston, Coeur d'Alene, Rexburg, 4 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 Idaho 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 0.38 in Idaho, meaning the occupation is 62% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 0.9 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Idaho, social workers held about 2,280 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 ID | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 810 | $59,840 | $59,900 | $37,990 to $81,650 |
| Healthcare social workers | 750 | $74,500 | $71,470 | $50,950 to $97,670 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 510 | $52,520 | $60,720 | $40,940 to $92,770 |
| Social workers, all other | 210 | $88,610 | $76,340 | $36,450 to $106,330 |
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 Idaho; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Idaho
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Idaho 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.