Massachusetts has 9 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Anna Maria College, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 3 of the 9 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.
Massachusetts BSW programs at a glance
9
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Anna Maria College, accredited since
3
Offer an online option
0
At an R1 or R2 research university
Massachusetts's 9 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2021, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Anna Maria College at 7.8 out of 10. The newest, Springfield College, earned accreditation in 2021. Among the Massachusetts programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $910 to $47,770 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Massachusetts earns a median of $75,570 a year, 27% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 9 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Massachusetts
Every one of these BSW programs in Massachusetts 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
Anna Maria College
Paxton, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
7.8
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Based in Paxton, Anna Maria College is a private university offering a BSW in Massachusetts. Alongside the major sits an 18-credit social welfare minor built on SWK 145, SWK 242, SWK 307 and SWK 342 plus six upper-level elective credits, aimed at students in psychology, criminal justice, education and pre-law. The 400-level courses stay closed to anyone outside the major. Field education runs in two stages, a 100-hour internship in the junior year followed by a 425-hour placement as a senior, 525 hours in all. The department keeps a Director of BSW Field Placement distinct from the college's overall director of field education. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Massachusetts median of 44 years. No other program among the BSW programs in Massachusetts has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$40,332 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Paxton, MA (1974-present); Online (2026-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Salem State University
Salem, MA · 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 Massachusetts
Based in Salem, Salem State University is a public university offering a BSW in Massachusetts. An online BSW is built specifically for transfer students from Massachusetts community colleges, with up to 34 credits accepted through MassTransfer. Day and evening courses run every semester, and continuing education students are advised by full-time social work faculty. Entering the practice sequence takes junior standing, a 2.7 average across the five introductory social work courses and completion of the department's professional readiness process. Advancing from Introduction to Social Work Practice into the senior practice courses and practicum then requires a B- or better in that course. In-state tuition runs $910 a year against $7,050 for nonresidents, below the Massachusetts median of $40,095.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $910 · Out-of-state $7,050 / year
Locations
Salem, MA (1977-present); Online (2025-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
Regis College
Weston, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Based in Weston, Regis College is a private university offering a BSW in Massachusetts. Students need a 2.5 GPA to be admitted to the program, and once in they must hold a C or better in every required social work course. Anything lower means retaking the course, though the cohort courses in statistics, human biology, sociology and psychology are exempt from that rule. A fast track option compresses the degree into three years by using winter and summer terms, and it folds in a minor in public health with courses in epidemiology, global health, environmental health and public health policy. Students on that track can add the college's online master's degree with one extra year. Published tuition is $47,770 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Massachusetts median of $40,095.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$47,770 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Weston, MA (1976-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
- #4
Elms College
Chicopee, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Elms College teaches the BS in Chicopee, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Massachusetts. Field Work Experience carries 12 credits and 400 hours at one of more than 60 partner sites, with a capstone project completed alongside it. The department also lists national and international placements, independent research and conference presentations. Roughly 90 percent of students earn advanced standing in MSW programs, and graduates qualify to sit for the Massachusetts Licensed Social Worker exam. The department reports that most graduates secure social work jobs at or before graduation. Published tuition is $40,095 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Massachusetts median of $40,095. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Massachusetts.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$40,095 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Chicopee, MA (1982-present); Springfield, MA (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Based in Bridgewater, Bridgewater State University is a public university offering a BSW in Massachusetts. Practicum hours have to be logged during agency weekday hours, typically Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., which constrains how students stack jobs and classes around the placement. Students already working in a social service agency may apply to do the practicum at their place of employment. The bachelor's internship runs a full year, with students matched to partner agencies by learning goal across mental health, child welfare, family services, education, aging, forensics, medical social work and substance use programs. A weekly seminar runs alongside it, taught by the practicum instructor who also acts as the student's agency liaison. In-state tuition runs $910 a year against $7,050 for nonresidents, below the Massachusetts median of $40,095.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $910 · Out-of-state $7,050 / year
Locations
Bridgewater, MA (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Simmons University
Boston, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 2011 · Online or On-Campus
5.6
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2011Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Simmons University teaches the BSW in Boston, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Massachusetts. There are three routes to the same degree: four years on the Boston campus, an online degree completion track that pairs live class sessions with asynchronous content and arranges practicum in the student's own community, and an accelerated 3+1 that reaches the master's in four years total. Practice experience arrives in three stages: 40 hours of community service embedded in Human Behavior in the Social Environment, a simulated practicum in the junior year, and a senior placement of roughly 425 hours at about 16 hours a week. Settings include hospitals and long-term care, K-12 schools, mental health centers, child welfare and criminal legal systems. CSWE accreditation dates to 2011, 15 years of unbroken standing, below the Massachusetts median of 44 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$44,208 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Boston, MA (2011-present); Online (2021-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.4
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Westfield State University
Westfield, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 2000 · On-Campus
5.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2000Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Westfield State University teaches the BSW in Westfield, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Massachusetts. The major runs 65 to 69 credits, 19 of them foundation courses that include human biology and either comparative ethnic studies or women's and gender studies. The practice sequence is split by system size, with separate courses on communities and organizations, individuals, and families and groups, and two practicum semesters each paired with a senior capstone. More than 95 percent of graduates are accepted to graduate school or employed in the field within a year of finishing. Accreditation was reaffirmed with the next board review set for June 2031, and graduates qualify to sit for Massachusetts licensure at the LSW level. In-state tuition runs $970 a year against $7,050 for nonresidents, below the Massachusetts median of $40,095.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $970 · Out-of-state $7,050 / year
Locations
Westfield, MA (2000-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Lesley University
Cambridge, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 2019 · On-Campus
4.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2019Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Lesley University teaches the BSW in Cambridge, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Massachusetts. The department singles out its Scholar Partner Program, Boston-area internships. CSWE accreditation dates to 2019, 7 years of unbroken standing, below the Massachusetts median of 44 years. Both full-time and part-time plans of study are approved, as they are at 8 of the 9 programs on this list. Published tuition is $31,890 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, below the Massachusetts median of $40,095.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$31,890 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Cambridge, MA (2019-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.1
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
Springfield College
Springfield, MA · CSWE-Accredited since 2021 · On-Campus
4.3
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2021Why it ranks in Massachusetts
Springfield College teaches the BSW in Springfield, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Massachusetts. Every major completes a two-semester practicum in the senior year, working directly under a social worker at the placement while taking on-campus courses that support the experience. Students who want research experience can also work independently with faculty. Teaching runs on a cohort model with deliberately small classes, and all coursework is delivered on the Springfield campus. The department links that location to its senior-year internship placements and to the community events run by the student Social Work and Social Justice Club. CSWE accreditation dates to 2021, 5 years of unbroken standing, below the Massachusetts median of 44 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$42,566 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Springfield, MA (2021-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 2.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Massachusetts
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Massachusetts'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, Massachusetts's 9 accredited programs are based across 9 cities, including Paxton, Salem, Weston, Chicopee, Springfield, Bridgewater, and others, 3 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 Massachusetts 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 1.19 in Massachusetts, meaning the occupation is 19% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 3.0 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Massachusetts, social workers held about 26,100 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 MA | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 10,900 | $75,570 | $77,060 | $48,140 to $104,060 |
| Healthcare social workers | 7,220 | $76,440 | $77,000 | $51,270 to $102,070 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 7,440 | $62,500 | $69,710 | $48,260 to $100,670 |
| Social workers, all other | 540 | $101,280 | $100,020 | $71,980 to $125,010 |
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 Massachusetts; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Massachusetts
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Massachusetts 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 | Yes |
| LSW3 | Licensed Social Worker 3 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Not specified |
| LSW4 | Licensed Social Worker 4 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Not specified |
| LSW5 | Licensed Social Worker 5 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
| LSW6 | Licensed Social Worker 6 | ASWB Bachelors exam | Not specified |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LCSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LICSW). 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.