Pennsylvania has 29 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of Pittsburgh, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 8 of the 29 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 3 are 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.
Pennsylvania BSW programs at a glance
29
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of Pittsburgh, accredited since
8
Offer an online option
4
At an R1 or R2 research university
Pennsylvania's 29 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2022, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania at 8.4 out of 10. The newest, Pennsylvania State University, earned accreditation in 2022. Among the Pennsylvania programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $7,716 to $55,322 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Pennsylvania earns a median of $50,820 a year, 15% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 29 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Pennsylvania
Every one of these BSW programs in Pennsylvania 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
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · Online or On-Campus
8.4
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses + online Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Bloomsburg, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. The degree runs at the Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield campuses, and at each one it can be taken face to face, fully online or in a hybrid mix. Minors in child welfare and in social work are open to students in other majors. A 400 hour field practicum pairs with a senior integrative seminar, and several major courses carry their own volunteer hour requirements before that placement begins. Past sites include Geisinger Medical Center, county Children and Youth agencies, Area Agencies on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs and area school districts. In-state tuition runs $11,858 a year against $24,224 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Pennsylvania.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,858 · Out-of-state $24,224 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · commonwealthu.edu
Locations
Bloomsburg, PA (1988-present); Lock Haven, PA (1977-present); Mansfield, PA (1983-present); Online (2022-present); Lock Haven Online (2017-2022)
Visit the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 9.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #2
Pennsylvania Western University
California, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · Online or On-Campus
8.3
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Western University teaches the BSW in California, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. The 120-credit degree moves from an introductory course and human behavior in the social environment into a pair of practice courses, one on individuals, families and groups, the other on organizations and communities. Social welfare policy, policy practice, research methods and a course on diversity in a changing world fill out the core. The bachelor's runs in person at Edinboro or fully online through PennWest Global Online, and is not offered at the California or Clarion campuses. The university describes it as one of the oldest accredited undergraduate social work programs in Pennsylvania. In-state tuition runs $11,075 a year against $17,006 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,075 · Out-of-state $17,006 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · pennwest.edu
Locations
California, PA (1976-Present); Edinboro, PA (1986-Present); Online (2020-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #3
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1981 · Online or On-Campus
8.1
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 1981Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Millersville, Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. The major runs 54 credits, 48 of them required social work courses and six of electives spanning corrections, child welfare, aging, healthcare, substance use, family violence, mediation and grief. The nine-credit practicum is taken as a corequisite with the professionalism seminar and social work statistics, and the three practice courses must be taken in sequence. Seniors can spend the entire final placement abroad in Dublin, London or Cape Town, a 12-week stint with a practicum liaison staying in contact from campus. The school also runs a two-week program in Johannesburg and Cape Town each January of an even year, built around its long-standing South African community partnerships. In-state tuition runs $9,570 a year against $19,290 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,570 · Out-of-state $19,290 / year
Locations
Millersville, PA (1981-present); Online (2021-present)
Visit the Millersville University of Pennsylvania BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.2
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 8.5
- #4
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.1
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Required courses run once a year in a fixed sequence: foundations of the welfare state, generalist methods with individuals and families, human behavior and the social environment and policy analysis in the junior year, then research, social work with groups and the two practicum terms as a senior. Only Introduction to Social Work is offered more than once a year. Full-time students finish the major in four semesters, with part-time tracks stretching it to three or four years. Adding a second major makes it a dual degree of at least 150 credits, and double majoring within the School of Social Work is not permitted. In-state tuition runs $20,154 a year against $38,520 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $20,154 · Out-of-state $38,520 / year
Locations
Pittsburgh, PA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #5
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.9
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Philadelphia, Temple University is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Professional coursework accounts for 54 of the 120 credits and runs from a two-part introduction to the profession through social welfare history and policy, two human behavior courses covering individuals and then communities and organizations, group work, ethics, research and program evaluation. Senior year adds writing-intensive courses in motivational interviewing and mezzo to macro practice skills. Field practicum runs 16 hours a week across both senior semesters for a minimum of 400 hours, with a concurrent capstone seminar each term. Placements sit in the five-county Philadelphia area and span aging services, child abuse and foster care agencies, probation and parole, community living arrangements, legal aid and domestic violence programs. In-state tuition runs $21,023 a year against $36,280 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $21,023 · Out-of-state $36,280 / year
Locations
Philadelphia, PA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Misericordia University
Dallas, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses 2 certificates Accred. since 1975Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Dallas, Misericordia University is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Entering the university is not the same as entering the major. Students apply formally to the Social Work Program during the second year or the start of the third, reviewing the application with an advisor before it reaches the program chair. Transfers typically need 15 college credits and a 2.0 GPA, and the university stays test-blind through the 2027-28 entering class. An accelerated track aimed at working adults delivers most courses online in half-semester blocks, starts a cohort each fall and can be finished in roughly two years, with fieldwork sites arranged for evenings and weekends. Articulation agreements with Marywood and Monmouth give graduates advanced placement into those MSW programs. Published tuition is $36,400 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$36,400 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Dallas, PA (1975-present); Nanticoke,PA (1975-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #7
West Chester University
West Chester, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.8
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in West Chester, West Chester University is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Practicum adds up to 672 hours, 224 in the spring of junior year and 224 in each senior semester, at deliberately different sites for the two years. The practicum director makes the first contact with agencies, students may not approach sites themselves, and because placements span urban, suburban and rural settings, refusing one over location is not accepted. Progression depends on Candidacy, a formal application every major must clear before entering practicum courses, with an April 1 junior deadline. Students also sit a competency exam in the fall of the third year, and entry to field rests on passing it, plus a 2.5 GPA and no incomplete grades in social work courses. In-state tuition runs $7,716 a year against $19,290 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,716 · Out-of-state $19,290 / year
Locations
West Chester, PA (1974-present); Philadelphia, PA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Alvernia University
Reading, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · Online or On-Campus
7.4
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1997Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Alvernia University teaches the BSW in Reading, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Students apply to the major only after finishing 45 credits, and admission turns on a departmental application plus an interview with a social work faculty member. From junior status onward a 2.5 overall GPA is required to stay in good standing, and only one social work course may be repeated. The 2022-23 cohort of 46 students cleared the 85 percent benchmark on all nine competencies, reaching 100 percent on ethical behavior, human rights and assessment. Results are reported separately for the two face-to-face sites, Reading with 26 students and Philadelphia with 20. CSWE accreditation dates to 1997, 29 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$41,060 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Reading, PA (1998-present); Elkins Park, PA (2012-present); Online (2024-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.6
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 9.5
- #9
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.4
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Allentown, Cedar Crest College is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Field education is concentrated in the senior year as one full year placement worth nine credits, with a faculty mentor helping choose the agency and two field seminars running alongside. Sites include a homeless shelter, a domestic violence shelter, adoption agencies, foster care and child and adolescent behavioral health centers. This is one of the oldest CSWE accredited BSW programs in the country, and every faculty member teaching in it is a licensed social worker. Majors can dual major in psychology or criminal justice, or add a child welfare certificate on top of the degree. Published tuition is $44,334 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$44,334 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Allentown, PA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #10
Marywood University
Scranton, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Marywood University teaches the BSW in Scranton, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. The 120-credit plan opens with Foundations of Social Work in the first fall and concentrates practice in the junior year, with separate courses in neighborhood and community organizations, crisis intervention, group work, and individuals and families. Three diversity, equity and inclusion electives are required, and support courses include anatomy and physiology, developmental psychology, social problems and statistics. Three placements run through the degree rather than one. A one-credit introduction to field experience sits in the freshman fall, a two-credit junior placement follows, and the senior year opens with a 450-hour block placement worth nine credits taken alongside a three-credit integrative seminar. Published tuition is $37,700 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$37,700 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Scranton, PA (1974-present); Pocono, PA (former); Lehigh Valley, PA (former)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 8.5
- #11
Gannon University
Erie, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · Online or On-Campus
7.3
Online or On-Campus Full-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Erie, Gannon University is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Field placements sit with health and human services agencies around Erie, some of them within walking distance of campus, and the program notes that many are paid. One recent graduate placed with the Erie County Office of Children and Youth. Gannon reports that 98 percent of its social work graduates who apply to graduate school are accepted. Alumni have gone on to Columbia, the University of Pittsburgh, Case Western Reserve's Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the University at Buffalo. CSWE approved the online option in 2026, the most recent online approval among the 8 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$36,865 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Erie, PA (1977-present); Online (2026-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #12
Shippensburg University
Shippensburg, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Shippensburg University teaches the BSW in Shippensburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Fifty-two required credits carry the major inside a 120-credit degree, opening with a Human Relations Lab and moving through a four-step practice sequence: individuals, groups, families, then organizations and communities. Understanding Human Diversity for Social Justice and Gender Issues for Helping Professionals are required, and the single elective slot takes child welfare, substance use, health care or aging. Graduates who register with Pennsylvania's State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Licensed Professional Counselors and pass the ASWB exam can hold the Licensed Bachelor of Social Work credential. Alumni careers cluster in child welfare, behavioral health, substance use, school settings and older adult programs. In-state tuition runs $9,570 a year against $11,574 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,570 · Out-of-state $11,574 / year
Locations
Shippensburg, PA (1974-present); Harrisburg, PA (1974-2025)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #13
Eastern University
St. Davids, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.1
On-Campus Full-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Eastern University teaches the BSW in St. Davids, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Declaring the major is only the first step. Students apply to the professional program in the spring of sophomore year, or the fall of junior year for transfers, and the department starts the process, which takes a resume, essays, recommendations and an interview. Department alumni turn up at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, the Philadelphia Children's Alliance, Women Against Abuse, MissionKids, Bethanna and Esperanza Health Center, in roles from child forensic interview specialist to foster care supervisor. One graduate went on to serve as president and CEO of the Council on Social Work Education. Published tuition is $36,760 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$36,760 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
St. Davids, PA (1974-present); Philadelphia, PA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #14
Widener University
Chester, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1979Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Widener University teaches the BSW in Chester, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Field placement runs through the senior year at two full days a week across fall and spring, totaling 420 hours. Students meet individually with the field director in the spring of junior year to plan it, and during the field year they take a practice class each semester with the same faculty member, who folds field discussion into the class. Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates takes applications in the junior year and places accepted students in a public child welfare agency for senior field. Pennsylvania pays their senior-year tuition and a stipend, and in return graduates commit to at least one year working in a public child welfare agency. Published tuition is $52,598 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$52,598 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Chester, PA (1979-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.5
- #15
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1981 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1981Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Huntingdon, Juniata College is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Students may enroll in Pennsylvania's Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates program, which covers senior-year tuition and fees, pays $600 a month for eight months, and reimburses LBSW exam fees in exchange for county child welfare work. A 4+1 agreement reserves eight seats at La Salle University. About 75 percent of graduates go on to Master of Social Work degrees, and the department reports that advanced standing often halves the time and cost of that degree. The program has held accreditation since 1981. Published tuition is $55,322 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$55,322 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Huntingdon, PA (1981-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #16
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
La Salle University teaches the BSW in Philadelphia, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Three schedules lead to the same 45-credit major: full-time day on the Philadelphia campus, part-time across fall, spring and summer, and a 16-month accelerated completion track for students who already hold most of their general education credits. The accelerated version runs in hybrid 4 to 6 week modules. The practicum totals 600 hours spread across three semesters, attached to Introduction to Practicum and then Generalist Practicum Parts A and B at 200 hours each. The Office of Field Education works with students to secure the placement. Published tuition is $34,270 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$34,270 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Philadelphia, PA (1983-Present); Plymouth Meeting, PA (2014-2019)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #17
Slippery Rock University
Slippery Rock, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Slippery Rock, Slippery Rock University is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Every major completes a supervised internship, and BSSW placements run through nursing homes, hospices, home care agencies, substance abuse and mental health services, vocational rehabilitation, community action agencies and county children and youth offices. The department maintains relationships with hundreds of agencies and uses video streaming to open placements beyond the immediate region. Graduates have taken caseworker jobs with the Butler, Beaver and Venango county children and youth agencies, child protective services in Lawrence County, Jameson Hospital and the local Area Agency on Aging. Internship sites feeding those hires include Butler Memorial Hospital, the Child Advocacy Center in Butler and the City of Erie School District. In-state tuition runs $7,716 a year against $11,574 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,716 · Out-of-state $11,574 / year
Locations
Slippery Rock, PA (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
- #18
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Elizabethtown, Elizabethtown College is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Field work builds in three stages: 45 hours of service learning spread across three introductory courses, a 40-hour shadowing internship in each junior semester, and a 600-hour senior internship split 200 hours in the fall and 400 in the spring. Graduates leave with more than 700 hours. Seniors may complete the fall half of their internship overseas, with past placements in Fiji, England, Ecuador and New Zealand. Domestic sites have included Children and Youth Services in Lancaster, Masonic Village, the Milton Hershey School, Dauphin County prison and York Hospital. Published tuition is $36,166 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$36,166 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Elizabethtown, PA (1977-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #19
Seton Hill University
Greensburg, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1998 · On-Campus
6.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 5 certificates Accred. since 1998Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Seton Hill University teaches the BSW in Greensburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Field learning runs 500 faculty-directed hours in a local human service organization, with another 60 hours of service learning attached to the professional practice courses. Partner organizations include the Blackburn Center, the Westmoreland County Children's Bureau, Adelphoi Village and Wesley Family Services. The Class of 2024 reported a 100 percent job and graduate school placement rate, and graduates qualify for Pennsylvania licensure once they pass the applicable ASWB examination. Seniors have carried their internship-based research to the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors' national conference. CSWE accreditation dates to 1998, 28 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$40,864 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Greensburg, PA (1998-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 10.0
- #20
Carlow University
Online · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · Online
6.3
Online Full & part-time 0 campuses + online Accred. since 1997Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Carlow University teaches the BSW in Online, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Seniors carry a 450 hour agency placement across fall and spring, each semester pairing a five credit placement with a three credit seminar, and every major also logs at least 50 hours of volunteer service. Students must clear a separate application into the upper level social work courses before they can register for field. The 18 credits of restricted electives are meant to be spent on one of four concentrations, healthcare social work, crisis and trauma, forensic social work or restorative justice. The forensic track is six criminology courses running through criminal law, crime and mental health, and newer offerings in forensic informed treatment and in testimony and attorney collaboration. CSWE accreditation dates to 1997, 29 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$33,376 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Online (2022-present); Pittsburgh, PA (1997-2025)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.6
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #21
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1987Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Messiah University teaches the BSW in Mechanicsburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Seven courses spread across the major, from SOWK 120 through SOWK 490, carry required service-learning components that together total more than 600 hours of community engagement. The sequence is staged by year: volunteering as a first-year, a preliminary placement as a sophomore, group and program development as a junior, then a community project and the senior placement. The department reports that 95 percent of Class of 2024 respondents were employed or in graduate school within six to nine months of graduating. It also posts its annual assessment of student learning outcomes publicly, with reports going back to 2023-2024. Published tuition is $39,700 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$39,700 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Mechanicsburg, PA (1987-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 4.5
- #22
Chatham University
Pittsburgh, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2001 · On-Campus
6.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 2001Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Chatham University teaches the BSW in Pittsburgh, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Seniors complete a 12-credit, 500-hour placement split across both semesters under licensed social workers and the field placement coordinator, with the integrative capstone seminar running in conjunction with it. Past sites include UPMC, VITAS Hospice, the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, Planned Parenthood and the Area Agency on Aging. Two certificates are designed to pair with the major, one in forensic social work and one in environmental social work. A 2+2 articulation agreement with the Community College of Allegheny County and Westmoreland County Community College brings transfer students in for the last two years, and the BSW director helped build a community engagement program in Costa Rica. CSWE accreditation dates to 2001, 25 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$42,250 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Pittsburgh, PA (2001-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #23
Kutztown University
Kutztown, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1996 · On-Campus
5.9
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1996Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Kutztown University teaches the BSW in Kutztown, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. The department facilitates the choice of internship site, and FBI, criminal and child abuse clearances are generally required before a student starts. Recent undergraduate placements include Northampton County Children, Youth and Family, the Allentown School District, Salvation Army Children's Services and a campus outreach center running hunger and homelessness programs. The gateway is SOWK 200, The Professional Context of Social Work Practice, which carries a 20-hour volunteer field laboratory and asks students to keep a Tuesday or Thursday block open for it. A grade of C or better in that course is required before entering the first practice course. In-state tuition runs $7,716 a year against $12,220 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,716 · Out-of-state $12,220 / year
Locations
Kutztown, PA (1996-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #24
University of Valley Forge
Phoenixville, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2008 · Online or On-Campus
5.8
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2008Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Phoenixville, University of Valley Forge is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. The degree totals 121 credits, 69 in the major and 52 in the university core. The major carries a three-course social work practice sequence, two human behavior courses, social welfare history and policy, ethics and practice, and research design, plus an economics course and statistics. Students declare social work when they enter UVF, but formal admission to the program is a separate step taken during the first semester of the junior year. That application process is set out in the Social Work Student Handbook. CSWE accreditation dates to 2008, 18 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$23,100 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Phoenixville, PA (2008-present); Online (2018-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.9
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #25
Pennsylvania State University
McKeesport, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2022 · On-Campus
5.4
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 2022Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in McKeesport, Pennsylvania State University is a public university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. The campus sits just outside Pittsburgh, one of Pennsylvania's largest employment markets, which puts internship sites and regional partners across Allegheny County within reach while class sizes stay small. About 88 percent of students there receive financial aid. Greater Allegheny in McKeesport is the only campus in the Penn State system where students can complete the Bachelor of Social Work. The program earned accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education's Board of Accreditation in March 2026, which opens bachelor's-level licensure in Pennsylvania to its graduates. In-state tuition runs $20,468 a year against $42,860 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $20,468 · Out-of-state $42,860 / year
2025-26 tuition, University Park · psu.edu
Locations
McKeesport, PA (2022-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 2.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #26
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2017 · Online or On-Campus
5.2
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 2017Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Gwynedd Mercy University teaches the BSW in Gwynedd Valley, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Beyond the practice and human behavior sequence, the required list includes Counseling and Communication Skills, Marriage and Family Systems, Mental Health Practice, and a policy and administration course where students design an agency and work through hiring, budgeting and fiscal management. Two electives come from a set covering trauma-informed care, death and dying, gerontology, addictions and case management. Seniors complete 400 hours through two five-credit placement courses, each carrying a one-credit seminar. Recent sites include Diakon Adoption and Foster Care, Montgomery County Human Services, Lenape Valley Foundation, Peace Valley Recovery Center and Jefferson Health, and the program requires a criminal background check plus immunizations and other clearances before placement. CSWE approved the online option in 2026, the most recent online approval among the 8 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$37,825 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Gwynedd Valley, PA (2017-present); Online (2026-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.4
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #27
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2012 · On-Campus
5.1
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 2012Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania teaches the BSSW in East Stroudsburg, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. The 400-hour field experience falls in the senior year, and the department maintains close to 200 affiliation agreements across a wide geographic area to place students. Sites include mental health and substance abuse treatment programs, child welfare and domestic violence agencies, hospitals and hospice, school social work and homeless assistance. The program is an affiliate of Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates, a cooperative effort of the federal Administration for Children and Families and Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services, which child welfare-bound students can apply to. It shares a department with sociology and criminal justice, so double majors are straightforward, and a Crisis Intervention Certificate is run jointly with psychology. In-state tuition runs $7,716 a year against $15,432 for nonresidents, below the Pennsylvania median of $33,376.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,716 · Out-of-state $15,432 / year
Locations
East Stroudsburg, PA (2012-present)
Visit the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #28
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2013 · On-Campus
4.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2013Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Lancaster Bible College teaches the BSW in Lancaster, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Pennsylvania. Foundation courses in introduction, policy, diversity and human behavior come first. Students admitted to the practice level then take two semesters of junior practicum attached to Practice with Individuals and Practice with Families and Groups, add electives such as child welfare and addictions, and move through statistics, research design and practice with organizations and communities. Placement, counted as employment in the field or graduate study within a year of graduating, has averaged 86 percent since 2010 and hit 100 percent in both 2014 and 2015. Five MSW programs sit within 50 miles of campus, including Millersville and Shippensburg, Kutztown, West Chester, Temple Harrisburg and Widener. CSWE accreditation dates to 2013, 13 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$29,990 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Lancaster, PA (2013-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.1
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #29
Grove City College
Grove City, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 2017 · On-Campus
4.1
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2017Why it ranks in Pennsylvania
Based in Grove City, Grove City College is a private university offering a BSW in Pennsylvania. Students can shape the degree around a concentration in psychology and mental health, global studies, healthcare or ministry, or pair it with a second major in areas like biblical and theological studies, pre-law, business or Spanish. An affiliation agreement with Dordt University in Iowa gives graduates a direct route into an online MSW. The college reports that 100 percent of its 2025 social work graduates entered full-time employment or graduate study within six months. Recent graduates have been admitted to MSW and related programs at Pittsburgh, Case Western Reserve, Michigan, Columbia, Boston College and North Carolina. CSWE accreditation dates to 2017, 9 years of unbroken standing, below the Pennsylvania median of 45 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$20,890 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Grove City, PA (2017-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
What Does a BSW Cost in Pennsylvania in 2026?
Sticker prices for a Pennsylvania BSW span an enormous range. At the bottom, West Chester publishes in-state tuition of $7,716, a figure matched by Slippery Rock, Kutztown and East Stroudsburg. At the top, Juniata College lists $55,322. The public side is not one number: Shippensburg and Millersville publish $9,570, Pennsylvania Western $11,075 and Commonwealth University $11,858, while the three big research universities sit near or just above $20,000. Treat each published rate as its own fact, look up the current figure for the campus you are considering, and remember these are 2023-24 published prices before any aid is applied.
Grove City College is the number that breaks the usual pattern. Its published price of $20,890 is the lowest of any private BSW option in the state, and it lands almost level with the University of Pittsburgh at $20,154, Penn State at $20,468 and Temple at $21,023. The usual assumption, that a private college will cost roughly double a research university's in-state rate, would steer you wrong here. If a small private campus appeals to you but the $40,000 tier of privates does not, Grove City belongs on your comparison list beside the big publics rather than in the private column at all.
Sticker is where the comparison starts, not where it ends. Private colleges commonly award institutional aid that brings the price a student actually pays well below the published figure, which means a $37,700 listing at Marywood or a $33,376 listing at Carlow is an opening number, not a bill. Request a net price estimate from every program on your shortlist before ruling anything out on cost, and weigh those estimates against what four years of debt would mean on a social work salary. If the aid offers disappoint, the four campuses publishing $7,716 keep a CSWE-accredited degree within reach for Pennsylvania residents at one of the lowest published rates in this ranking.
What Can You Do With an LBSW in Pennsylvania in 2026?
Most states offer no social work licence at the bachelor's level. Pennsylvania offers one at every level of the profession, a three-rung ladder that is genuinely rare in American social work regulation. The first rung, the Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, has two requirements under 49 Pa. Code Chapter 47, the board's regulations: a bachelor's degree from a CSWE-accredited social work program and a passing score on the ASWB bachelor's-level examination. Finish an accredited Pennsylvania BSW, pass one national exam, and you hold a state credential before your first professional job. In most of the country a graduate waits years, and a master's degree, for anything comparable.
Watch the naming as you climb. Pennsylvania calls its master's-level credential the LSW, not the LMSW used in most states, and the State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors grants it on a CSWE-accredited master's or doctoral degree plus the ASWB master's-level examination. No supervised experience is required for the LSW itself. That detail matters for planning. A BSW graduate who moves into an Advanced Standing MSW, an option a CSWE-accredited bachelor's unlocks and one that can shorten the master's by up to a year, can reach the second rung of the ladder unusually fast.
Be clear about the ceiling. Pennsylvania law limits diagnosis and independent practice to the LCSW level, and reaching that level takes a CSWE-accredited master's or doctoral degree, the ASWB clinical examination, and at least 3,000 hours of post-master's supervised clinical experience over a minimum of two years. The LBSW is a real credential for supervised generalist work, not a shortcut to a clinical caseload of your own. Treat it as what it is: state recognition of an accredited education and a passed national exam, and the first step on a ladder Pennsylvania makes visible from the very beginning of a career.
How Pennsylvania's 2022 University Mergers Changed BSW Options in 2026
Six university names disappeared from Pennsylvania higher education on July 1, 2022, and two took their place. Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities integrated as Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, and California, Clarion and Edinboro merged into Pennsylvania Western University, known as PennWest. Both new institutions hold CSWE-accredited BSW programs, both record an online option, and both publish mid-range public tuition, $11,075 at Pennsylvania Western and $11,858 at Commonwealth. The result is something no other state ranking on this site has to explain: an applicant in 2026 applies under an institutional name only a few years old while joining a social work program with a lineage running back decades.
That lineage is documented campus by campus. Commonwealth University's BSW carries forward delivery at Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield, with campus accreditation dates reaching back to 1977 at Lock Haven, 1983 at Mansfield and 1988 at Bloomsburg. PennWest's accredited BSW is delivered at its California and Edinboro locations, where accreditation reaches back to 1976 and 1986 respectively. In practical terms the youngest thing about these programs is the letterhead. The mergers changed the name on the door of social work education that has been running in these towns since the 1970s and 1980s, and a student weighing either institution should read the program's age, not the university's, as the meaningful number.
The practical homework is confirming where your program actually happens. A merged university's BSW is not automatically delivered at every campus carrying the university's name: PennWest's accredited listing names the California and Edinboro locations. Check the CSWE directory for campus-level detail, then ask admissions directly which campus or online format your cohort would join, where your advisers sit, and where field placements are coordinated from. A program spread across several delivery sites is a genuine advantage if you live near one of them. It becomes a logistical problem only if you assumed everything happens at the campus pictured in the brochure.
Why Do Pennsylvania Social Work Salaries Trail the National Median in 2026?
Every social work specialty in Pennsylvania pays below its national median. Child, family and school social workers earn a median of $50,820 against a national figure of $59,550, roughly 15 percent under. Healthcare social workers earn $61,900, about 9 percent under the national median, and mental health and substance abuse social workers earn $48,290, about 20 percent under. The pattern holds across the board, so switching specialties inside Pennsylvania will not move you out from under it. What varies is only the size of the gap, smallest in healthcare and widest in mental health and substance abuse work.
Set that against how much of this work the state actually has. Pennsylvania employs healthcare social workers at 1.32 times the national concentration, the standout figure in its employment profile, and child, family and school work also runs above the national rate. Read plainly, the state relies on social workers more heavily than the country does while paying them less. That is not a market rewarding scarcity. It is a market where hospitals, schools and service systems can fill roles at the posted wage. Comparatively moderate living costs outside Philadelphia soften the arithmetic and help explain why the wages clear, but they do not turn a below-median salary into an above-median one.
For a new BSW graduate the honest framing sits lower still. BLS pools every degree level into these medians, so bachelor's-level roles cluster toward the bottom of each range, and the child, family and school distribution starts near $38,430 at its 10th percentile. The longer view is steadier. BLS projects 7 percent national growth for social workers from 2024 to 2034, and Pennsylvania's above-national concentration in healthcare and in child, family and school work means the jobs exist here in volume. Plan on modest early pay, expect it to stretch further outside Philadelphia than the raw number suggests, and use the LBSW and an eventual master's to climb rather than counting on the market to lift you.
Where Do Pennsylvania BSW Students Complete Field Placements in 2026?
Field education is where a BSW becomes real: CSWE's 2022 standards require a minimum of 400 hours of supervised field education at the bachelor's level. What those hours look like depends heavily on where in Pennsylvania you study. Students at Temple, La Salle, Widener in Chester and West Chester train inside the Philadelphia region's dense web of placement settings. Around Pittsburgh, students at Pitt, Chatham, Seton Hill in Greensburg and Penn State Greater Allegheny in McKeesport work a similarly deep urban market. Marywood places students from its Scranton base, Gannon works from Erie, and Cedar Crest in Allentown and Alvernia in Reading draw on the Lehigh Valley and Berks County.
The rural centre of the state is a different assignment altogether. Programs at Shippensburg, Millersville, Kutztown, Elizabethtown, Juniata in Huntingdon, Saint Francis in Loretto, Grove City and Slippery Rock place students across wide, thinly served territory, where a single placement can mean a long drive and a caseload spanning several kinds of need in one week. That is not a lesser experience. Generalist practice across a rural county is precisely what a BSW curriculum is built for, and much of Pennsylvania is exactly this kind of place. But budget for a car, for fuel and for distance in a way a student in Philadelphia never has to.
Delivery format adds one more variable. Eight programs record an online option in the CSWE directory, and Carlow University now runs its BSW entirely online after ending campus delivery in Pittsburgh in 2025, while Commonwealth and PennWest span multiple campuses. Before committing, put specific questions to the field office: who arranges the placement, you or the program; how far students typically travel; whether an online student is placed in their own community; and which campus the field coordinators actually work from. The 400 hours are the same everywhere. The experience of completing them is not, and the field office's answers will tell you more than any viewbook.
The Social Work Industry in Pennsylvania
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Pennsylvania'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, Pennsylvania's 29 accredited programs are based across 31 cities, including Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, California, Edinboro, Millersville, and others, 8 offering an online option. 4 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 Pennsylvania 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 1.06 in Pennsylvania, meaning the occupation is 6% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.7 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Pennsylvania, social workers held about 31,060 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 PA | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 16,200 | $50,820 | $55,330 | $38,430 to $78,470 |
| Healthcare social workers | 9,630 | $61,900 | $65,690 | $46,770 to $83,220 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 3,500 | $48,290 | $52,850 | $37,790 to $73,940 |
| Social workers, all other | 1,730 | $74,430 | $75,760 | $39,890 to $112,570 |
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 Pennsylvania; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Pennsylvania
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Pennsylvania 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 (LSW), 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.