Maryland has 8 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Salisbury University, 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. A program marked National # ranks among the top 20 of all 537 accredited BSW programs in the country, per our five-factor scoring method.
Maryland BSW programs at a glance
8
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Salisbury University, accredited since
1
Offer an online option
2
At an R1 or R2 research university
Maryland's 8 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 1992, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Salisbury University at 8.7 out of 10. The newest, Frostburg State University, earned accreditation in 1992. Among the Maryland programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $4,933 to $48,672 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Maryland earns a median of $76,390 a year, 28% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 8 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Maryland
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 National #15
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.7
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 5 campuses + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Salisbury University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Arts in Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Salisbury, MD; Wye Mills, MD; Hagerstown, MD; and more). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Other).
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,466 · Out-of-state $23,590 / year
2026-27 tuition & fees · salisbury.edu
Locations
Salisbury, MD (1974-present); Wye Mills, MD (2007-present); Hagerstown, MD (2007-present); North East, MD (2007-present); California, MD (2013-present); Online/UMGC (2014-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 10.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #2
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.1
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
University of Maryland, Baltimore County has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is offered on 2 approved campuses (Baltimore, MD; Rockville, MD). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R1 classification for very high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,238 · Out-of-state $26,594 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Baltimore, MD (1972-present); Rockville, MD (1972-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Morgan State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Baltimore, MD). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R2 classification for high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,587 · Out-of-state $18,800 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Baltimore, MD (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%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Coppin State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Baltimore, MD). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $4,933 · Out-of-state $11,721 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Baltimore, MD (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
- #5
Hood College
Frederick, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1979Why it ranks here
Hood College has held CSWE accreditation since 1979, 47 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Frederick, MD). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$45,120 / year (private, one rate for all students)
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Frederick, MD (1979-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Bowie State University
Bowie, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Bowie State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Bowie, MD). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,993 · Out-of-state $16,833 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Bowie, MD (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
- #7
McDaniel College
Westminster, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1975Why it ranks here
McDaniel College has held CSWE accreditation since 1975, 51 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Westminster, MD). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$48,672 / year (private, one rate for all students)
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Westminster, MD (1975-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
- #8
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD · CSWE-Accredited since 1992 · On-Campus
6.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1992Why it ranks here
Frostburg State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1992, 34 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Frostburg, MD). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 1 embedded certificate (Addictions).
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,110 · Out-of-state $22,292 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Frostburg, MD (1992-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
The Social Work Industry in Maryland
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Maryland'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, Maryland's 8 accredited programs are based across 11 cities, including Salisbury, Wye Mills, Hagerstown, North East, California, Baltimore, 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 Maryland 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 0.67 in Maryland, meaning the occupation is 33% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 1.7 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Maryland, social workers held about 12,980 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 MD | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 4,710 | $76,390 | $75,400 | $41,240 to $105,570 |
| Healthcare social workers | 4,750 | $76,440 | $72,140 | $40,210 to $96,340 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 2,250 | $73,580 | $72,980 | $38,100 to $104,000 |
| Social workers, all other | 1,270 | $75,600 | $81,380 | $48,690 to $128,440 |
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 Maryland; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Maryland
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBSW | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LCSW-C). 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.