North Dakota has 4 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of North Dakota, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 2 of the 4 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 1 is 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.
North Dakota BSW programs at a glance
4
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of North Dakota, accredited since
2
Offer an online option
1
At an R1 or R2 research university
North Dakota's 4 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2019, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of North Dakota at 9.0 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, Sitting Bull College, earned accreditation in 2019. Among the North Dakota programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $3,600 to $19,084 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in North Dakota earns a median of $64,560 a year, 8% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 4 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in North Dakota
Every one of these BSW programs in North Dakota 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 #7
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
9.0
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in North Dakota
University of North Dakota teaches the BSSW in Grand Forks, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in North Dakota. The degree runs as a traditional four-year program that freshmen and transfer students can take on campus or online. Someone who already holds a bachelor's in a related field can finish the B.S.S.W. in as little as one year, again in either format. Admission is competitive, weighing GPA, the strength of written materials and volunteer experience together. Applicants need SWK 255 and Human Behavior and the Social Environment I passed at C or better, a 2.75 overall GPA including transfer work, and 45 semester hours. Fall deadlines are March 15 and June 15, spring October 15. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the North Dakota median of 46 years. No other program among the BSW programs in North Dakota has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,240 · Out-of-state $13,848 / year
2024-25 tuition, full-time cap · und.edu
Locations
Grand Forks, ND (1974-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #2
Minot State University
Minot, ND · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · Online or On-Campus
8.3
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses + online Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in North Dakota
Minot State University teaches the BSW in Minot, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in North Dakota. There are four ways through the degree: fully online, or face to face in Minot, Bismarck or Fargo. Bismarck students transfer in from Bismarck State and take Minot State courses on the BSC campus, and the Fargo option is a dual degree with NDSU in human development and family sciences, taught on the NDSU campus. Program admission is a separate application built on a 3.0 combined GPA in Interpersonal Skills and Development of Social Welfare, a 2.5 cumulative GPA, at least 32 credits, and a documented 25 hour volunteer placement completed alongside Interpersonal Skills. Applicants also clear a state or Castlebranch background check and submit APA and plagiarism tutorial certificates. In-state tuition runs $9,191 a year against $9,191 for nonresidents, in line with the North Dakota median of $9,216. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in North Dakota.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,191 · Out-of-state $9,191 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees, one rate all students · minotstateu.edu
Locations
Minot, ND (1978-present); Bismarck, ND (1978-present); Fargo, ND (1978-present); Online (2025-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 9.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #3
University of Mary
Bismarck, ND · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in North Dakota
University of Mary teaches the BSW in Bismarck, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in North Dakota. Alongside the Bismarck campus program, an online version aimed at working adults runs $510 per credit with fall, spring and summer starts and can be finished in as little as two years depending on transferred credit. That option was submitted to CSWE for approval and is slated to begin in fall 2026 pending the decision. Transfer credit is taken seriously here. Applicants need a 2.0 cumulative GPA on prior transcripts, and students with work or military backgrounds can convert experience into credit by testing or by assembling a portfolio for faculty review. Air Force graduates with a CCAF degree have a dedicated associate-to-baccalaureate pathway. Published tuition is $19,084 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the North Dakota median of $9,216.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,084 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Bismarck, ND (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.5
- #4
Sitting Bull College
Fort Yates, ND · CSWE-Accredited since 2019 · On-Campus
3.9
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2019Why it ranks in North Dakota
Sitting Bull College teaches the BSW in Fort Yates, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in North Dakota. Admission runs in four phases and must be cleared before any 300 or 400 level social work course. Applicants need an associate degree in a humanities or social and behavioral science field, a 2.00 cumulative GPA, a C or better in Social Work in the Modern Society and HBSE I, and a $100 federal, state and tribal background check. The program's mission and goals are drawn from Ochethi Sakowin (Seven Council Fires) values, and each of the nine student learning outcomes is written around practice with Indigenous people and tribal communities. General education requires a course in Ochethi Sakowin language, culture and history. CSWE accreditation dates to 2019, 7 years of unbroken standing, below the North Dakota median of 46 years. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in North Dakota.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $3,600 · Out-of-state $3,600 / year
Locations
Fort Yates, ND (2019-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.1
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in North Dakota
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for North Dakota'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, North Dakota's 4 accredited programs are based across 5 cities, including Grand Forks, Minot, Bismarck, Fargo, Fort Yates, 2 offering an online option. 1 is 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 North Dakota 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 0.80 in North Dakota, meaning the occupation is 20% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.0 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In North Dakota, social workers held about 1,550 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 ND | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 870 | $64,560 | $65,640 | $47,130 to $81,160 |
| Healthcare social workers | 330 | $62,860 | $65,300 | $51,260 to $78,040 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 240 | $60,980 | $62,610 | $44,050 to $75,840 |
| Social workers, all other | 110 | $81,330 | $83,170 | $63,130 to $103,380 |
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 North Dakota; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in North Dakota
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
North Dakota 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 Baccalaureate Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (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.