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. 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.
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
2
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. Among the Louisiana programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $4,484 to $19,590 a year. 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
Every one of these BSW programs in Louisiana 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
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 in Louisiana
Northwestern State University of Louisiana teaches the BSW in Natchitoches, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. The department keeps separate approved agency lists for Louisiana and for out-of-state students, since the program runs both on campus and online. Students living where licensing rules differ from the program's field education standards have to notify the Field Education Office immediately. Title IV-E Child Welfare Scholars take specialized child welfare courses and fieldwork, and students who commit to a year with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services can qualify for a $7,500 stipend plus three years of professional support once employed. A department scholarship created in 2020 is awarded on GPA, service, work history and a written essay. In-state tuition runs $5,180 a year against $15,968 for nonresidents, below the Louisiana median of $5,479.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,180 · Out-of-state $15,968 / year
Locations
Natchitoches, LA (1977-present); Online (2018-present)
Visit the Northwestern State University of Louisiana BSW program site
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 in Louisiana
Based in New Orleans, Southern University at New Orleans is a public university offering a BSW in Louisiana. In-state tuition runs $4,484 a year against $13,384 for nonresidents, below the Louisiana median of $5,479. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Louisiana median of 47 years. Both full-time and part-time plans of study are approved, as they are at 4 of the 8 programs on this list. The Board on Accreditation last reaffirmed the program in June 2021 and set the next review for February 2028. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Louisiana.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $4,484 · Out-of-state $13,384 / year
Locations
New Orleans, LA (1974-present)
Visit the Southern University at New Orleans BSW program site
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
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.1
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Louisiana
Southern University and A & M College teaches the BSSW in Baton Rouge, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. Field instruction runs a minimum of 400 hours and can be taken two ways, split across fall and spring as four-credit placements each with its own seminar, or as a single eight-credit block once every other requirement is finished. A two-credit agency-based transition course precedes the placement. Declaring the major puts students in a pre-admission status that limits them to the 200-level social work courses until the department admits them. Application comes during the sophomore year and takes a 2.0 GPA, a C or better in each social work prerequisite, and a passing score on the University Writing Proficiency Examination. In-state tuition runs $4,973 a year against $4,973 for nonresidents, below the Louisiana median of $5,479.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $4,973 · Out-of-state $4,973 / year
Locations
Baton Rouge, LA (1974-present)
Visit the Southern University and A & M College BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
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 in Louisiana
Based in Monroe, University of Louisiana at Monroe is a public university offering a BSW in Louisiana. The 120 hour plan carries a heavy liberal arts load around the major: two biology courses, a non-biological physical science, a foreign language, two semesters of political science and a computer science elective. The senior year is given over almost entirely to Practice I and II, field education and the field seminar. The department has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1977, and posts its Form AS4(B) competency assessment results publicly for five consecutive years, from 2020-2021 through 2024-2025. In-state tuition runs $5,788 a year against $17,888 for nonresidents, above the Louisiana median of $5,479.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,788 · Out-of-state $17,888 / year
Locations
Monroe, LA (1977-present)
Visit the University of Louisiana at Monroe BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #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 in Louisiana
Grambling State University teaches the BSW in Grambling, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. The undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Social Work rather than a BSW. The school aims it at work in child abuse, aging, mental health, probation and parole, adoptions and foster care, school and medical social work, corrections and hospice settings. The School of Social Work traces part of its mission to the Consent Decree between the Department of Justice and the State of Louisiana on desegregating public higher education. Its stated goals name serving poor and oppressed populations in North Central Louisiana, particularly African American and rural residents. In-state tuition runs $5,140 a year against $5,140 for nonresidents, below the Louisiana median of $5,479.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,140 · Out-of-state $5,140 / year
Locations
Grambling, LA (1986-present)
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 in Louisiana
Louisiana Christian University teaches the BSW in Pineville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. The practice sequence runs three courses deep, closing with Social Work Practice III on organizations and communities, and sits alongside Social Research Methods and Social Welfare Policy and Analysis. Teaching leans on practice role plays, field trips and creative projects, and the person in environment frame extends to spiritual as well as social, mental and physical dimensions. A 410-hour internship in the final semester places students with local, state or international agencies. Recent partners include Volunteers of America, the Department of Children and Family Services, Rapides Hospital, the Christus St. Frances Cabrini behavioral health unit and school based clinics, and a Gateway adolescent substance abuse program. Published tuition is $19,590 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Louisiana median of $5,479. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Louisiana.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,590 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Pineville; LA (1991-present)
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 in Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University teaches the BA in Hammond, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. The campus sits in the Florida Parishes, a predominantly rural region, and the program's stated mission is practice with at-risk populations in rural and small communities. The student social work club runs regular outreach, including holiday events with Head Start preschoolers and a local nursing home. More than half of graduates continue to graduate study, mostly at universities in southern Louisiana. Those who stay at Southeastern can finish the MSW with one additional year of study rather than the full two. In-state tuition runs $5,777 a year against $18,255 for nonresidents, above the Louisiana median of $5,479.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,777 · Out-of-state $18,255 / year
Locations
Hammond, LA (1982-present)
Visit the Southeastern Louisiana University BSW program site
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
4.8
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2017Why it ranks in Louisiana
Louisiana State University and A&M College teaches the BSW in Baton Rouge, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Louisiana. Two years of liberal arts come first, then roughly 45 to 50 upper-division social work credits covering direct practice with individuals, small groups and community organizations, the history of social policy, and practice research. Written communication and evaluation of practice are emphasized throughout, and active faculty research projects on Louisiana social problems are open to undergraduates. The degree carries 480 hours of internship in social service agencies on top of the upper-division coursework. No academic credit is granted for life or work experience, so time already spent working in an agency does not reduce the requirement. CSWE accreditation dates to 2017, 9 years of unbroken standing, below the Louisiana median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,038 · Out-of-state $8,038 / year
Locations
Baton Rouge, LA (2017-present)
Visit the Louisiana State University and A&M College BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- 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, Baton Rouge, Monroe, Grambling, Pineville, and others, 1 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 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.
Child, family, and school social workers, the most common BSW-level specialty, have a location quotient of 0.23 in Louisiana, meaning the occupation is 77% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 0.6 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
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. Employment, annual wages, and pay range by specialty:
| Occupation | Employed in LA | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 1,110 | $56,800 | $54,450 | $35,260 to $75,110 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,970 | $61,080 | $63,510 | $43,830 to $79,170 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 970 | $47,100 | $51,070 | $31,890 to $72,440 |
| Social workers, all other | 850 | $69,230 | $74,130 | $43,000 to $111,090 |
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 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.