Louisiana has 8 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Southern University at New Orleans, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 1 of the 8 record an online option; the rest are campus-based.
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.
Louisiana BSW programs at a glance
8
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Southern University at New Orleans, accredited since
1
Offer an online option
0
At an R1 or R2 research university
Louisiana's 8 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2017, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Northwestern State University of Louisiana at 7.8 out of 10. The newest, Louisiana State University and A&M College, earned accreditation in 2017. A child, family, and school social worker in Louisiana earns a median of $56,800 a year, 5% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 8 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Louisiana
Accreditation status, dates, locations, online option, and program details are sourced directly from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, LA · 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 here
Northwestern State University of Louisiana has held CSWE accreditation since 1977, 49 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Natchitoches, LA). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Natchitoches, LA (1977-present); Online (2018-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Southern University at New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Southern University at New Orleans has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (New Orleans, LA). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
New Orleans, LA (1974-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1977Why it ranks here
University of Louisiana at Monroe has held CSWE accreditation since 1977, 49 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Monroe, LA). The program runs on a full-time plan of study. It records 1 embedded certificate (Forensic Social Work).
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Monroe, LA (1977-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #4
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Southern University and A & M College has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Baton Rouge, LA). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Baton Rouge, LA (1974-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Grambling State University
Grambling, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1986 · On-Campus
6.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1986Why it ranks here
Grambling State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1986, 40 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Grambling, LA). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Grambling, LA (1986-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Louisiana Christian University
Pineville · CSWE-Accredited since 1991 · On-Campus
6.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1991Why it ranks here
Louisiana Christian University has held CSWE accreditation since 1991, 35 years of standing as of 2026. The program is offered on 2 approved campuses (Pineville; LA). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Pineville; LA (1991-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.6
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks here
Southeastern Louisiana University has held CSWE accreditation since 1982, 44 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Hammond, LA). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Hammond, LA (1982-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 2017 · On-Campus
4.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2017Why it ranks here
Louisiana State University and A&M College has held CSWE accreditation since 2017, 9 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Baton Rouge, LA). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Baton Rouge, LA (2017-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Louisiana
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Louisiana'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, Louisiana's 8 accredited programs are based across 7 cities, including Natchitoches, New Orleans, Monroe, Baton Rouge, Grambling, Pineville, and others, 1 offering an online option. 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 Louisiana 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.
In Louisiana, social workers held about 4,900 jobs across the four social work occupations as of May 2025, per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. State median annual wages by specialty:
| Occupation | Employed in LA | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 1,110 | $56,800 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,970 | $61,080 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 970 | $47,100 |
| Social workers, all other | 850 | $69,230 |
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. O*NET reports tasks, skills, and local outlook by occupation.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers; BLS state wage data for Louisiana; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Louisiana
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Louisiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSW | Registered Social Worker | No ASWB exam required | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (CSW, 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.