Kentucky 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 Kentucky, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 10 of the 14 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 2 are hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very 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.
Kentucky BSW programs at a glance
14
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of Kentucky, accredited since
10
Offer an online option
2
At an R1 or R2 research university
Kentucky's 14 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2022, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Kentucky at 8.8 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, University of the Cumberlands, earned accreditation in 2022. Among the Kentucky programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $8,088 to $33,072 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Kentucky earns a median of $59,100 a year, 1% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 14 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Kentucky
Every one of these BSW programs in Kentucky 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 #12
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.8
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Lexington, University of Kentucky is a public university offering a BSW in Kentucky. The core social work sequence runs 44 credits: Practice I, II and III, two semesters of Human Behavior and the Social Environment, social welfare policy, professional ethics, research, Social Justice in Mental Health Practice and a senior seminar. Pre-major work spans sociology, psychology, political science, economics, logic, biology and statistics. Each practicum course, SW 444 and SW 445, carries 200 hours at roughly 14 hours a week in the agency. Students run their own search through Experiential Learning Cloud, a placement platform they buy once for $195 through Canvas or $270 at the bookstore, and start contacting agencies four to six months ahead. In-state tuition runs $13,907 a year against $35,164 for nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $13,907 · Out-of-state $35,164 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · uky.edu
Locations
Lexington, Kentucky (1974-present); Online (2020-present); Hazard, KY (2014-2022)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #2
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · Online or On-Campus
8.5
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 5 certificates Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University teaches the BSW in Richmond, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. The same 120 credit degree runs on campus in Richmond and fully online. Online students work in accelerated seven week terms with six start dates a year and no required campus visits, paying $472 per credit hour against an in-state campus rate of $5,325 a semester. The BSW has held accreditation continuously since 1977, and the department has built a transfer pathway with Somerset Community College through the University Center of Southern Kentucky. It also runs an annual Social Work Day that supplies free continuing education to practicing social workers in the region. In-state tuition runs $10,440 a year against $12,000 for nonresidents, below the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,440 · Out-of-state $12,000 / year
2025-26 tuition · eku.edu
Locations
Richmond, KY (1974-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 10.0
- #3
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · Online or On-Campus
8.1
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in Kentucky
Northern Kentucky University teaches the BSW in Highland Heights, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. BSW students log 400 field hours through a network of more than 100 agencies across Northern Kentucky and greater Cincinnati, with settings ranging from hospice to police social work. The bachelor's program has its own field director separate from the graduate program. Undergraduates can pair the major with a minor in social justice, and micro-credentials are open to BSW students in forensic social work, trauma focused care, aging and society, and the dynamics of aging. CSWE approved the online option in 2025, the most recent online approval among the 10 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,496 · Out-of-state $15,384 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · nku.edu
Locations
Highland Heights, KY (1978-present); Online (2025-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #4
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · Online or On-Campus
8.1
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in Kentucky
Western Kentucky University teaches the BSW in Bowling Green, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. Field runs across the final two semesters as paired practicum and seminar courses, SWRK 480 with 481 and then 482 with 483, adding to 400 hours in a social service agency under a professional social worker's supervision. The four-year plan puts the first practicum in the fall of senior year. Students declare Social Work-Prep before applying, and admission requires SWRK 101 with at least a C, a 2.50 GPA and sophomore standing. Applications are due April 1 for fall entry, which takes four semesters, or November 1 for spring, which takes five. A D or lower in a core course must be repeated before the sequence continues. In-state tuition runs $12,072 a year against $27,000 for nonresidents, below the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $12,072 · Out-of-state $27,000 / year
2025-26 tuition · wku.edu
Locations
Bowling Green, KY (1978-present); Online (2020-present); Glasgow, KY (1978-2019); Owensboro, KY (1978-2023); Elizabethtown, KY (1978-2023)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #5
Morehead State University
Mt Sterling, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Full-time 4 campuses 1 certificate Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Kentucky
Morehead State University teaches the BSW in Mt Sterling, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. The degree is taught face to face at four Kentucky sites, Morehead, Mt. Sterling, Ashland and Prestonsburg, and the application calendar follows the campus. Morehead and Prestonsburg students apply between February and May for a fall start, while Ashland and Mt. Sterling apply from September to December and begin in January. Applicants need 60 credit hours, every general education requirement finished, SWK 210 and SWK 230 completed or in progress, and a 2.5 overall GPA. The packet adds a personal statement and a signed statement of understanding, then an interview of about an hour scored on a rubric the admissions committee uses to seat each cohort. In-state tuition runs $9,518 a year against $14,386 for nonresidents, below the Kentucky median of $12,843. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Kentucky.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,518 · Out-of-state $14,386 / year
Locations
Mt Sterling, KY (1977-present); Prestonsburg, KY (1977-present); Ashland, KY (1977-present); Morehead, KY (1977-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #6
Murray State University
Murray, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Murray, Murray State University is a public university offering a BSW in Kentucky. The department publishes the Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal and offers a Public Child Welfare Certification alongside the major. Majors also carry a volunteer requirement outside their coursework, and the department offers a separate social welfare minor for students who do not enter the major. Field educators assess every graduating senior at the end of the internship against a summative instrument covering all nine competencies, plus a separate knowledge test, and the results are reviewed with the student and the field director. No one is permitted to finish the internship without reaching beginning worker level. In-state tuition runs $8,436 a year against $18,180 for nonresidents, below the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,436 · Out-of-state $18,180 / year
Locations
Murray, KY (1974-present); Henderson, KY (1974-2024); Hopkinsville, KY (1974-2024); Madisonville, KY (1974-2024); Paducah, KY (1974-2024); Fort Campbell, KY (1974-2024)
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
Spalding University
Louisville, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Kentucky
Spalding University teaches the BSSW in Louisville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. Instruction is hybrid, with weekly in person classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and the remainder delivered online. Students move through the sequence as a cohort, and practicum education spans two semesters. Majors can add a minor in Addiction Studies or Health Science, or earn a Public Child Welfare Certificate alongside the degree. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education has recognized the program for preparing underrepresented minority students for high demand occupations with earnings matching or exceeding their peers. Published tuition is $27,450 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$27,450 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Louisville, KY (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
- #8
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 2007 · Online or On-Campus
7.0
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 2007Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Louisville, University of Louisville is a public university offering a BSW in Kentucky. Placement runs through the senior year, either fall and spring or spring and summer. A coordinator finds the site and students may not approach agencies themselves, because each one needs a signed affiliation agreement first, then the student interviews with the agency and both parties sign a placement agreement before onboarding. Soaring Scholars lets academically strong undergraduates count up to nine credits toward both the bachelor's and the master's in social work. A Social Work Living Learning Community in Bettie Johnson Hall houses upper-level students heading into social work or couple and family therapy. In-state tuition runs $13,614 a year against $29,960 for nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $13,614 · Out-of-state $29,960 / year
2026-27 tuition & fees · louisville.edu
Locations
Louisville, KY (2007-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #9
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1998 · Online or On-Campus
6.9
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses + online Accred. since 1998Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Campbellsville, Campbellsville University is a private university offering a BSW in Kentucky. Practice is taught as a four course ladder, individuals, then families, then communities and organizations, then groups, alongside social policy and planning, human development, human diversity, social justice and research methods. Electives run to crisis intervention, foster care and adoption, medical social work, school social work, addictions, aging, and death, dying and bereavement. Classes meet on the Campbellsville, Harrodsburg and Somerset campuses and run fully online as well. The practicum is 450 supervised hours in a social service agency, and students choose whether to take all twelve credits in a single semester or split them across two. Published tuition is $26,490 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$26,490 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Campbellsville, KY (1998-present); Louisville, KY (1998-present); Harrodsburg, KY (1998-present); Online (2008-present); Somerset, KY (1998-2024)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.5
- Delivery (22%) 9.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1980 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1980Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Frankfort, Kentucky State University is a public university offering a BSW in Kentucky. Field placement is a single agency held for a full academic year, with a minimum of 400 clock hours split evenly at 200 per semester under an agency supervisor and faculty direction. The senior practicum courses carry six credits each and run alongside a social work seminar in both terms. Students headed for public child welfare can enter CW PREP, which provides specialized field placements plus tuition assistance and a stipend each semester. The trade is a legal contract with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services to take a job within two months of certification and stay two years. In-state tuition runs $8,088 a year against $12,134 for nonresidents, below the Kentucky median of $12,843. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Kentucky.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,088 · Out-of-state $12,134 / year
Locations
Frankfort, KY (1980-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #11
Brescia University
Owensboro, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 1999 · Online or On-Campus
6.6
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1999Why it ranks in Kentucky
Based in Owensboro, Brescia University is a private university offering a BSW in Kentucky. The degree is offered both on campus in Owensboro and fully online, with five start dates a year in January, March, May, August and October. Students arriving with 81 transferable credits, 21 of them at the 300 or 400 level, can finish in roughly two years. Students headed for child welfare can join CW Prep, which carries its own tuition and scholarship support. Graduates who hold a 3.25 major GPA and earn an A in SW 406 Field Practicum II are admitted to the university's MSW program automatically. Published tuition is $29,500 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$29,500 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Owensboro, KY (1999-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.3
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #12
Asbury University
Wilmore, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 2001 · Online or On-Campus
6.2
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2001Why it ranks in Kentucky
Asbury University teaches the BSW in Wilmore, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. The major is awarded as a B.A. and is joined by two minors, Human & Social Services and International Human & Social Services, both open to students outside the department. Two supervised practicums form the applied center of the degree. Undergraduates can take an international practicum semester in Uganda or Romania rather than a Kentucky placement. Other travel options attached to the department include a Holocaust Studies tour through Germany and Poland and semesters in Paris and Spain, which advisors ask students to plan for early. Published tuition is $33,072 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Kentucky median of $12,843.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$33,072 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Wilmore, KY (1977-1982; 2001-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #13
University of Pikeville
Pikeville, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 2009 · Online or On-Campus
5.7
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2009Why it ranks in Kentucky
University of Pikeville teaches the BSW in Pikeville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. Field education runs at least 400 hours under the supervision of a practicing social worker, with sites matched to student interest across medical settings, substance abuse treatment providers, offender programs, child advocacy centers, child protective services, homeless shelters, schools and crisis centers. Hours can be completed during evenings and weekends. The 2022-23 cohort of 12 undergraduates cleared the program's 80 percent benchmark on all nine competencies, landing between 88 and 99 percent. Assessment pairs field instructor ratings from the two practicum courses with a comprehensive case study written in SW 495. CSWE approved the online option in 2025, the most recent online approval among the 10 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$24,000 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Pikeville, KY (2009-present); Online (2025-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.7
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #14
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KY · CSWE-Accredited since 2022 · Online or On-Campus
4.9
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2022Why it ranks in Kentucky
University of the Cumberlands teaches the BSW in Williamsburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Kentucky. The major takes 60 hours of social work courses inside a 120-hour degree, and named practice areas sit in the required sequence rather than among electives: Understanding Child Maltreatment, Addictions and Recovery, Grief and Crisis Intervention, Mental Health Perspectives in Social Work, and Case Management. The degree is offered both on campus and online at a listed rate of $220 per credit hour. Faculty also run a student trip examining social work practice around Kentucky, with international options attached. CSWE accreditation dates to 2022, 4 years of unbroken standing, below the Kentucky median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$9,875 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Williamsburg, KY (2022-present); Online (2022-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 2.6
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Kentucky
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Kentucky'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, Kentucky's 14 accredited programs are based across 17 cities, including Lexington, Kentucky, Richmond, Highland Heights, Bowling Green, Mt Sterling, Prestonsburg, and others, 10 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 Kentucky 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 1.68 in Kentucky, meaning the occupation is 68% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 4.2 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Kentucky, social workers held about 12,420 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 KY | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 8,470 | $59,100 | $59,270 | $39,210 to $78,660 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,980 | $64,080 | $64,960 | $43,010 to $86,240 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 1,360 | $42,570 | $45,280 | $33,880 to $63,960 |
| Social workers, all other | 610 | $85,160 | $79,530 | $39,530 to $118,540 |
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 Kentucky; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Kentucky
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSW1 | Licensed Social Worker 1 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
| LSW2 | Licensed Social Worker 2 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Not specified |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (CSW), 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.