Ohio has 25 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is The Ohio State University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 8 of the 25 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 4 are hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very high research) university and 5 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 535 accredited BSW programs in the country, per our five-factor scoring method.
Ohio BSW programs at a glance
25
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, The Ohio State University, accredited since
8
Offer an online option
9
At an R1 or R2 research university
Ohio's 25 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2014, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is The Ohio State University at 9.2 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, Central State University, earned accreditation in 2014. Among the Ohio programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $5,404 to $47,896 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Ohio earns a median of $51,520 a year, 13% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 25 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Ohio
Every one of these BSW programs in Ohio 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 #4
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
9.2
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 5 campuses + online Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Columbus, The Ohio State University is a public university offering a BSW in Ohio. The 400 hour placement fills the senior year at 200 hours per 14 week semester, about 13 to 15 hours a week for five credits, with a one credit field seminar running alongside. The college draws on more than 1,800 partner agencies and matches students by career goal into mental health, schools, hospitals, child welfare or criminal justice settings. The University Partnership Title IV-E Child Welfare Program adds specialized child welfare courses and a placement in an Ohio public children's services agency. Students at a 3.4 GPA can enter an honors track with independent research, and a Career Acceleration Plan lets a limited number compress the required major courses into three semesters. In-state tuition runs $14,050 a year against $44,271 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $14,050 · Out-of-state $44,271 / year
2026-27 tuition & fees · osu.edu
Locations
Columbus, OH (1974-present); Lima, OH (1974-present); Mansfield, OH (1974-present); Marion, OH (1974-present); Newark, OH (1974-present); Online (2024-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 10.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2 National #11
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.8
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati is a public university offering a BSW in Ohio. Alongside the four-year campus degree, an online track completes the BSW for students who already hold a two-year associate in pre-social work or a similar major, and it admits in fall, spring or summer rather than once a year. The field requirement means students cannot finish it while living outside the United States. Seniors spend the full year in a local social service agency two days a week under a professional social worker, drawn from more than 200 affiliated agencies across greater Cincinnati. On-campus students must also finish a separate volunteer requirement before the placement portion can start. In-state tuition runs $14,394 a year against $29,728 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $14,394 · Out-of-state $29,728 / year
2025-26 tuition, Uptown · uc.edu
Locations
Cincinnati, OH (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%) 5.0
- #3
University of Akron
Akron, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · Online or On-Campus
8.4
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 2 campuses + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1979Why it ranks in Ohio
University of Akron teaches the BSW in Akron, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. The degree is offered three ways, on the Akron campus, at Wayne College and fully online, with a separate BASW coordinator assigned to the Akron and Wayne tracks. Field advising for undergraduates runs through the Wayne College coordinator rather than the MSW field office. Students transfer into the College of Health and Human Sciences with a 2.5 GPA and 30 credit hours, then submit a separate application packet to the school itself. They stay preadmission majors until the liberal arts base and the general education math and English requirements are finished with no grades in progress. CSWE approved the online option in 2025, the most recent online approval among the 8 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,399 · Out-of-state $14,839 / year
Locations
Akron, OH (1979-present); Orrville, OH (2014-present); Online (2025-present); Lakewood, OH (2015-2024)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #4
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.4
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a public university offering a BSW in Ohio. The social work core covers child welfare, public welfare, health, mental health, community organizations, developmental disabilities, rehabilitation, aging and criminal justice, and is open to students in other majors who want a working understanding of the social welfare system. All full-time faculty hold doctorates. Undergraduates who complete SWK 494, the addictions studies course in a chemical dependency counseling program run jointly by social work and counseling, can apply to the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board for the Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant Preliminary endorsement. That credential stacks toward full CDCA status after ten months. In-state tuition runs $12,503 a year against $17,863 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $12,503 · Out-of-state $17,863 / year
Locations
Cleveland, OH (1974-Present); Online (2022-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #5
Ohio University
Athens, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.1
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 6 campuses Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Athens, Ohio University is a public university offering a BSW in Ohio. Students apply to the senior sequence in the fall of junior year and attend a pre-placement orientation that spring. The practicum then runs 196 hours in senior fall at 14 hours a week and 224 hours in senior spring at 16 hours a week, both at the same agency. Rural placements can require an hour or more of travel. Students headed for public child welfare can apply to the Child Welfare University Partnership Program, run with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, which offers paid placements and employment incentives. Placements are only approved after students interview prospective agencies themselves and field faculty authorize the match, drawing on more than 500 partner agencies. In-state tuition runs $13,746 a year against $24,114 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Ohio.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $13,746 · Out-of-state $24,114 / year
Locations
Athens, OH (1974-present); Lancaster, OH (1974-present); Zanesville, OH (1974-present); Chillicothe, OH (1974-present); St. Clairsville, OH (1974-present); Ironton, OH (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Wright State University
Dayton/Fairborn, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.8
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Wright State University teaches the BASW in Dayton/Fairborn, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Entry runs through Social Work 2700, Introduction to Social Work, which must be passed with a C or better before the fall term the major begins and can only be repeated twice. Prerequisites must be finished by the preceding summer, and applications are due February 1. The department reserves two January dates to review packets for completeness first come. The degree has been CSWE accredited since 1974 and satisfies the educational requirement for Ohio's Licensed Social Worker credential. Recent graduates are working in adoption and children's services, a county prosecutor's office, county probation, emergency housing facilities, hospitals, older adult living facilities and victim crisis intervention. In-state tuition runs $10,564 a year against $19,982 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,564 · Out-of-state $19,982 / year
Locations
Dayton/Fairborn, OH (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #7
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1983 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1983Why it ranks in Ohio
University of Toledo teaches the BSW in Toledo, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Every student completes a 448-hour field placement with community partner agencies. It runs alongside coursework built on a strengths perspective, with the skill set split across assessment and intervention, advocacy and policy practice, and program evaluation and research. The department runs a child welfare University Partnership Program aimed at producing direct service practitioners, managers and policy makers for public child welfare. It also houses the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute and a student social work organization. In-state tuition runs $9,753 a year against $19,113 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,753 · Out-of-state $19,113 / year
Locations
Toledo, OH (1983-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.9
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Malone University
Canton, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · Online or On-Campus
7.4
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Ohio
Malone University teaches the BSW in Canton, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. The degree runs in person or online, and an accelerated BA to Master of Arts in Education track lets students take up to 12 graduate counseling credits during the bachelor's, counted toward both degrees and ending in eligibility for licensure as a professional counselor in clinical mental health. Two-thirds of students continue to graduate school, and the program reports a licensure exam pass rate above average for the LSW. The social work faculty are themselves licensed social workers with practice experience across several fields. Published tuition is $34,800 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$34,800 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Canton, OH (1982-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
7.4
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1978Why it ranks in Ohio
Bowling Green State University teaches the BSSW in Bowling Green, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Field comes last, a 12-credit internship paired with a 3-credit weekly integrative seminar, taken only after every other course is done and requiring 107 credits just to apply. The minimum is 420 hours, about 28 hours a week for 15 weeks in fall or spring, or 35 hours a week across a 12-week summer. Separate degree plan guides are published for transfers from BGSU Firelands, Owens, Northwest State and Rhodes State community colleges. Students already working in social services can ask the field coordinator whether some or all of those employment hours count toward the internship. In-state tuition runs $11,010 a year against $18,998 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,010 · Out-of-state $18,998 / year
Locations
Bowling Green, OH (1978-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1992 · Online or On-Campus
7.2
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses + online Accred. since 1992Why it ranks in Ohio
Youngstown State University teaches the BSW in Youngstown, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Students begin as pre social work majors and must win formal admission before they can register for SCWK 3736, the first upper division methods course. That requires a C or better in every pre social work course, an overall GPA of 2.5, an advising meeting and an interview with the BSW Admission Committee. Beyond the Youngstown campus, the degree is offered in partnership with Lakeland Community College in Kirtland and Lorain County Community College in Elyria. The department writes its mission around the Youngstown region's poverty, unemployment and underemployment, and graduates qualify for the Licensed Social Worker credential in Ohio. In-state tuition runs $9,611 a year against $9,971 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,611 · Out-of-state $9,971 / year
Locations
Youngstown, OH (1992-present); Lorraine, OH (1992-present); Lakeland, OH (1992-present); Online (2023-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.4
- Delivery (22%) 9.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #11
Capital University
Columbus, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Ohio
Capital University teaches the BSW in Columbus, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Coursework runs from Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare through two semesters of Human Behavior in the Social Environment into Contemporary Social Welfare Programs, Policy Analysis and separate micro, mezzo and macro practice courses. Field Education and Field Seminar run in parallel across two terms. The Student Social Work Association is more than a club here, its members sit with faculty, administrators and community representatives on policy formation, curriculum development and program assessment. The program has been accredited since 1974 and runs at a 12 to 1 student to faculty ratio. Published tuition is $41,298 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$41,298 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Columbus, OH (1974-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
- #12
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1980 · On-Campus
6.9
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1980Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Cincinnati, Xavier University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. The 120 credit degree runs a three part practice sequence covering individuals, then groups and families, then communities and organizations, with separate courses in research methodology and applied research methods. Nine credit hours of electives draw on options such as child maltreatment and family violence, juvenile justice, group dynamics and the psychology of aging. The department states its mission in Ignatian terms, naming belonging and solidarity alongside critical thinking, and a required course pairs social work with theology on religion, ethics and professional practice. Social work is one of 16 undergraduate majors in the College of Health and Human Sciences. Published tuition is $47,896 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$47,896 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Cincinnati, OH (1980-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #13
Defiance College
Defiance, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Ohio
Defiance College teaches the BSW in Defiance, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. The major is built on five stated components, social research, social welfare policy, human behavior and the social environment, practice skills and field practicum, with values, ethics and justice content threaded through them. The program names licensure as a baccalaureate social worker in Ohio as an explicit goal, not just a possible outcome. Majors make a formal application to the program director in the spring of sophomore year, or by the fall of junior year for transfer students. The timing exists to keep the required practice courses and field placement in sequence, so applying late pushes the rest of the degree back. Published tuition is $37,978 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$37,978 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Defiance, OH (1976-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #14
Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1991 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1991Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Cincinnati, Mount St. Joseph University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. The major runs 69 hours, 50 in social work and 19 in cognates that include anatomy and physiology, statistics, economics and sociology of the family. Coursework is skills heavy, with Interviewing and Assessment, Case Management in the Helping Professions, and Evaluation, Research and Grantsmanship, and it closes with a senior thesis and two five-credit fieldwork and seminar courses. Classes meet on campus but are scheduled for working students, running nights and weekends with a Zoom participation option. Tuition is listed at $665 per credit hour. Published tuition is $35,450 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$35,450 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Cincinnati, OH (1991-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #15
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Ohio
Bluffton University teaches the BA in Bluffton, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Declaring the major is only the first step. Students are assigned an advisor from within the program, then complete the formal application during sophomore year as part of the Human Behavior and Social Environment course, and must also finish a set of socialization activity requirements. A 4+1 option adds the MSW in a fifth year through recorded micro lectures and weekly Zoom classes, with field work still in person, so students can stay on campus and keep competing in athletics. Most transfer students finish the major in two academic years. Published tuition is $35,498 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$35,498 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Bluffton, OH (1982-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 6.0
- #16
Miami University
Oxford, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1997Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Oxford, Miami University is a public university offering a BSW in Ohio. Social work shares a department with family science, and the two curricula are deliberately fused: the program reads individual behavior through a Person-in-Environment framework with an applied family science lens. Required courses carry that through, including trauma responsive assessment and intervention, culturally informed engagement, and program development and evaluation. First-time pass rate on the Association of Social Work Boards exam was 83.3 percent in the 2024 data, against a national average of 67.2 percent. The university also reports 99 percent of its 2022 graduates employed or continuing their education by that fall. In-state tuition runs $14,052 a year against $35,116 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $14,052 · Out-of-state $35,116 / year
Locations
Oxford, OH (1997-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 6.5
- #17
Ursuline College
Online · CSWE-Accredited since 1994 · Online
6.4
Online Full & part-time 0 campuses + online Accred. since 1994Why it ranks in Ohio
Ursuline College teaches the BA in Online, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Core and general education courses are taken on campus for the first two years, then every social work course in the junior and senior years is online, mixing independent work with Zoom sessions and town hall gatherings that include the working adults in the accelerated program. Two summer courses between junior and senior year lighten the load during field. Admission to the major and to field education is one joint process, handled in junior year while students are enrolled in Social Work Theory. It takes a 2.0 GPA in general education and 2.50 in social work courses, two letters of recommendation from people who are not relatives, and an interview with the program director. Published tuition is $37,380 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$37,380 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Online (2018-present); Pepper Pike, OH (1994-2020)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.1
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #18
University of Rio Grande
Rio Grande, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1991 · On-Campus
6.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1991Why it ranks in Ohio
University of Rio Grande teaches the BSW in Rio Grande, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. The degree runs 120 credits on the main campus with some courses online, and at least a C is required in every identified social work, social science and liberal arts course. The same faculty run a separate 65-credit associate degree in social services, open admission and carrying no guarantee of entry to the bachelor's program. The department takes part in Ohio's University Partnership Title IV-E child welfare program, which pays graduates $5,000 a year, up to $10,000, for taking a job at an Ohio public children services agency and committing to two years there. Participants specialize in child welfare through electives and the field practicum in the year before graduation. Published tuition is $19,600 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,600 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Rio Grande, OH (1991-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #19
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mt. Vernon, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 2003 · Online or On-Campus
6.1
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2003Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Mt. Vernon, Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. The program is explicitly Christ centered, asking students to reason about ethical decisions and justice work from a Christian worldview, and it runs service travel terms in the United States and abroad. Independent study projects with faculty are open to undergraduates, and student performance data from 2020 through 2025 is posted publicly. Graduates go into nursing homes, foster care agencies, county children's services, community mental health and hospice care. Common first roles include case manager, child welfare or foster care worker, behavioral health specialist and substance use recovery support. CSWE accreditation dates to 2003, 23 years of unbroken standing, below the Ohio median of 43 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$25,309 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Mt. Vernon, OH (2003-present); Online (2021-present); Mansfield, OH (former); Newark, OH (former)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.7
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #20
University of Findlay
Findlay, Ohio · CSWE-Accredited since 1995 · On-Campus
6.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1995Why it ranks in Ohio
University of Findlay teaches the BA in Findlay, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. Formal admission usually happens in the second semester of junior year and requires a 2.5 overall GPA, a 2.75 average across social science and social work coursework with no grade below C, and an interview with program faculty. Applicants with problem areas can be admitted provisionally with a fixed window to correct them. Students can add a minor or certificate in substance use disorder and gerontology, follow a pathway toward the university's graduate occupational therapy degree, or combine the major with equestrian studies. The program also holds 2+2 agreements with several local community colleges. Published tuition is $38,176 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$38,176 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Findlay, Ohio (1995-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 8.5
- #21
Ashland University
Ashland, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.0
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1987Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Ashland, Ashland University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. The 122-credit degree stages practice content across all four years, from Social Problems and Foundations of Social Welfare in the sophomore year into Social Work Practice I and II, Human Behavior Across the Lifespan and Research Methods as a junior, then Community Practice and Social Policy Development and Analysis as a senior. First-time ASWB pass rates reached 83.3 percent in 2025, above Ohio's 71.4 percent and the national 67.2 percent, and more than 95 percent of graduates report a job offer or graduate school acceptance within six months. The degree does not meet licensure education requirements in eleven states, among them California, New York, Florida and Washington. Published tuition is $25,200 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$25,200 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Ashland, OH (1987-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #22
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 1995 · On-Campus
5.5
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1995Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Cedarville, Cedarville University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. Spring break mission trips put social work students with orphans in Kosovo, AIDS patients in South Africa, children at Joy Ranch in Virginia and urban youth in New York City and Chicago. Local service runs through crisis pregnancy centers, jail ministries, homeless shelters and nursing homes. Of last year's graduates, 93 percent passed the Ohio Licensed Social Worker exam on the first attempt. The program first earned accreditation in 1998 and has been reaffirmed three times since, most recently in 2017. Published tuition is $35,878 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$35,878 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Cedarville, OH (1995-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #23
Central State University
Wilberforce, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 2014 · On-Campus
5.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2014Why it ranks in Ohio
Central State University teaches the BSSW in Wilberforce, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Ohio. The senior practicum places students in an approved agency four days a week, and Central State runs field education strictly as a daytime program, either 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. A concurrent weekly Comprehensive Social Work Seminar doubles as licensure preparation. Students entering as pre-social work majors must be formally accepted into the program before taking the practice sequence. Field education adds its own gate, requiring a 2.50 cumulative GPA and completion of all coursework, with placements arranged the semester before they begin. Volunteer experience beforehand is strongly recommended. In-state tuition runs $5,404 a year against $7,404 for nonresidents, below the Ohio median of $25,200. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Ohio.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,404 · Out-of-state $7,404 / year
Locations
Wilberforce, OH (2014-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.9
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 9.0
- #24
Ohio Dominican University
Columbus, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 2004 · On-Campus
5.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2004Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Columbus, Ohio Dominican University is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. The major is built around five content areas, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policies and services, practice methods, research, and field work, layered onto the university's liberal arts core. Coursework is taught from an ecological, life span perspective and covers work with individuals, families, groups, agencies and communities. The department maps graduates into child protective services, foster care and adoption agencies, school and military family programs, hospital and rehabilitation settings, community-based aging services, and juvenile and adult corrections programming inside police departments and courts. Case management and treatment agencies in mental health and substance use are also named. Published tuition is $33,760 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Ohio median of $25,200.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$33,760 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Columbus, OH (2004-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #25
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, OH · CSWE-Accredited since 2001 · On-Campus
5.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2001Why it ranks in Ohio
Based in Steubenville, Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private university offering a BSW in Ohio. Internship totals 400 clock hours completed during the senior year and is spread across agencies in the area, including medical, mental health and faith based settings. Students work with a range of populations rather than staying in one placement type. Coursework explicitly teaches what the Catholic Church holds on human rights and on social, environmental and economic justice, and asks students to apply it in practice, with the program's model built around biological, sociological, psychological and spiritual dimensions of behavior. Majors can also spend a semester in Franciscan's Austrian program, living and studying in a 14th century monastery. CSWE accreditation dates to 2001, 25 years of unbroken standing, below the Ohio median of 43 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$32,070 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Steubenville, OH (2001-Present)
Visit the Franciscan University of Steubenville BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
What Does a BSW Cost in Ohio in 2026?
Sticker prices for Ohio's accredited BSW programs stretch further apart than in most states. At the bottom sits Central State University at $5,404 a year, the cheapest accredited BSW in the state and one of the lowest published rates you will find anywhere. Central State is also Ohio's only public Historically Black College or University and an 1890 land-grant institution, so the lowest price in the state comes attached to a Wilberforce campus with a distinct history and mission. At the top, Xavier University publishes a sticker price nearly nine times that figure. Between those poles, most of the state's options cluster in two clear bands.
The public band is unusually deep. Published rates at the state universities vary, running from the University of Toledo at $9,753 and Youngstown State at $9,611 up through Akron, Wright State, Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Ohio University, Miami, Ohio State, and Cincinnati, all landing between roughly $9,600 and $14,400. Treat each figure as its own number and confirm the current year's rate directly, since these are separately published prices that differ campus to campus. What makes the band notable is who sits inside it: all four of the state's R1 research universities publish in-state rates below $14,400, which is striking pricing for that tier of institution.
Private colleges run higher, topping out at Xavier University at $47,896, with Capital, Findlay, Defiance, Ursuline, Cedarville, Mount St. Joseph, Malone, Ohio Dominican, and Franciscan filling the $32,000 to $41,300 range. Two privates undercut that band: the University of Rio Grande at $19,600 and Mount Vernon Nazarene at $25,309. Remember that every number here is a sticker price before aid. Private colleges often discount heavily through institutional grants, so request a net price estimate from any campus you are serious about before ruling it out on the published figure alone.
Can You Get a Social Work License With a BSW in Ohio in 2026?
Yes, and that answer separates Ohio from much of the country. The state's Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board issues the Licensed Social Worker credential, the LSW, to applicants holding a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in social work. A graduate with a bachelor's degree in social work qualifies by passing the ASWB Bachelors examination, and no supervised practice hours are required. An Ohio BSW graduate can finish school, pass one exam, and hold a genuine state license rather than a registration or a trainee status. The board does maintain a separate Social Work Assistant registration, but that is an associate-degree tier, not the bachelor's credential.
Watch the naming, because it trips people up. In most states an LSW is a master's-level license, and a bachelor's graduate gets a differently named credential or none at all. Ohio's LSW is instead open at all three degree levels, and the bachelor's degree is simply one route to it. One phrasing detail is worth knowing: the bachelor-level requirement is a bachelor's degree in social work, and the board ties CSWE accreditation explicitly to the master's route rather than the bachelor route. In practice essentially every BSW program you would consider, including every program in this ranking, is CSWE accredited, so the distinction rarely changes anything for applicants.
The LSW is also the foundation for Ohio's clinical credential. The Licensed Independent Social Worker, or LISW, requires you to hold the LSW first, earn a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program, then complete twenty-four months of post-LSW, post-MSW supervised experience totaling at least 3,000 hours, including at least 150 hours of face-to-face supervision, before passing either the ASWB Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam. A BSW helps here too: it qualifies you for Advanced Standing admission to an MSW, which can shorten the master's by up to a year. Start with the LSW and the clinical ladder is already under your feet.
Why So Many Ohio BSW Programs Sit at Research Universities in 2026
Nine of Ohio's twenty-five accredited BSW programs sit at a university holding a Carnegie 2025 R1 or R2 research designation, an unusually high share for any state. The R1 group covers Ohio State, Cincinnati, Ohio University, and Toledo, while Cleveland State, Wright State, Bowling Green, Akron, and Miami carry R2 status. That spread reflects how Ohio's public higher education is built, with comprehensive research campuses in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, Athens, and Oxford rather than a single flagship carrying the load. Few states give a BSW applicant this many research-university options at public prices.
For a student the practical payoff is access. Research universities bring teaching hospitals and academic medical centers into the placement pool, put faculty who run funded studies at the front of the classroom, and house MSW and doctoral programs on the same campus, which turns Advanced Standing from an abstraction into a hallway conversation. Our ranking's prestige factor rewards this concentration, and Ohio scores well on it precisely because so many of its BSW options carry a research designation. If your interests run toward hospital social work, policy, or research, starting inside one of these institutions shortens several paths at once.
A research designation is not a fit guarantee. Large universities can mean large introductory classes and more competition for faculty attention, and a BSW cohort can feel small inside a very big institution. Ohio's smaller campuses in places like Bluffton, Ashland, Findlay, and Rio Grande offer close advising and tight cohorts that a flagship rarely matches. Central State University, the state's public HBCU and 1890 land-grant, pairs a distinctive mission with the lowest tuition of any accredited BSW in Ohio. Weigh what you actually need from four years, and remember that accreditation, not research status, is what your license application will care about.
What Ohio Social Work Salaries Mean for a Licensed BSW Graduate in 2026
Two facts sit in tension in Ohio's wage data, and both matter. Median pay runs below the national figure in every social work specialty: child, family, and school social workers earn a median of $51,520 against $59,550 nationally, about 13 percent less, and the gap in mental health and substance abuse work is wider still. Yet the same data show Ohio employing social workers at above-national concentration in all four occupational categories, with location quotients running from 1.15 up to 1.45. Ohio is a state where the profession is dense but not richly paid. Demand is broad and steady while the paychecks stay modest.
Here is the reframe those numbers deserve. In many states a bachelor's graduate cannot be a licensed social worker at all, and the salary conversation only starts after an MSW. In Ohio the LSW is available at the bachelor's level, so your BSW buys a working credential on day one rather than a waiting room ticket to graduate school. That changes the return on the degree. You can earn licensed income for a few years, decide whether clinical practice is really the goal, and enter an MSW with Advanced Standing if it is, all without the unlicensed limbo bachelor's graduates face elsewhere.
Keep expectations calibrated all the same. BLS pools every degree level into those medians, so bachelor's-level roles tend to sit toward the lower end of each range, and healthcare's $63,610 median reflects a field where graduate degrees and clinical licensure are common. The long-run picture is steady rather than spectacular: nationally, BLS projects 7 percent growth for social workers from 2024 to 2034. Treat the Ohio numbers as a floor you can build from with licensure and experience, not as a ceiling on what the career pays.
Where Do Ohio BSW Students Complete Field Placements in 2026?
Field education is where an Ohio BSW stops being coursework. CSWE's 2022 accreditation standards require at least 400 hours of supervised field education in every bachelor's program, and where you complete those hours depends heavily on where your campus sits. In Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo, students choose among hospital systems, school districts, county agencies, courts, and a deep bench of nonprofits, often within a short drive of campus. At Ohio University in Athens, placements reach into Appalachian southeastern Ohio, where agencies are fewer and distances are longer, and students see rural generalist practice up close in a way metro campuses rarely offer.
Public child welfare shapes many of those placements. Ohio runs child protection through its counties: each of the state's 88 counties operates its own Public Children Services Agency, with the recently created Ohio Department of Children and Youth providing oversight at the state level. For a BSW student that structure means the agency down the road is a local employer with its own culture and caseload, not a branch office of a distant bureaucracy. A placement in a county PCSA is one of the most direct routes into public-sector practice the state offers, and because each county runs its own agency, two students in adjacent counties can have very different experiences.
Ask concrete questions before you commit to a program. Find out where last year's students actually placed, how far they traveled, and whether the field office holds active agreements with the county children services agency, hospitals, and school districts in the area you want to work. Ask whether placements exist in the specific setting you imagine, whether medical, school-based, or child welfare, and how the program arranges sites for online and commuter students. A program's field network is a real asset that never appears on a tuition page, and in a state with 88 separate county systems and several distinct metro markets, it varies more than you might expect.
The Social Work Industry in Ohio
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Ohio'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, Ohio's 25 accredited programs are based across 32 cities, including Columbus, Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, Cincinnati, and others, 8 offering an online option. 9 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 Ohio 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 1.15 in Ohio, meaning the occupation is 15% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.9 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Ohio, social workers held about 34,280 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 OH | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 16,050 | $51,520 | $55,750 | $39,810 to $75,850 |
| Healthcare social workers | 8,930 | $63,610 | $65,350 | $45,150 to $84,050 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 6,050 | $46,080 | $51,110 | $34,700 to $75,610 |
| Social workers, all other | 3,250 | $59,780 | $65,330 | $38,260 to $104,600 |
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 Ohio; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Ohio
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSW | Licensed Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Not specified |
The license ladder continues to the clinical, independent-practice level (LISW). 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.