Puerto Rico has 11 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 1 of the 11 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 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.
Puerto Rico BSW programs at a glance
11
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, accredited since
1
Offer an online option
1
At an R1 or R2 research university
Puerto Rico's 11 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2018, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico at 7.6 out of 10. The newest, Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Cupey, earned accreditation in 2018. Among the Puerto Rico programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $4,776 to $5,520 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Puerto Rico earns a median of $43,620 a year, 27% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 11 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Puerto Rico
Every one of these BSW programs in Puerto Rico 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
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico
Ponce, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in Ponce, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. Departmental objectives put explicit weight on critically analyzing how social welfare policy plays out in Puerto Rico, and on research training that spans quantitative and qualitative methods with the technologies used to carry them out. Intervention skills are taught for the micro, mezzo and macro levels with diverse, oppressed and vulnerable populations. The generalist bachelor's is taught on three campuses, Ponce, Mayagüez and Arecibo, and the course sequence is built so students finish in four years with the supervised practicum included. The department has held accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education since 1974. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$5,520 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Ponce, PR (1974-present); Mayaguez, PR (1974-present); Bo Santana Arecibo, PR (2023-present)
Visit the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Metropolitano
San Juan, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · Online or On-Campus
7.6
Online or On-Campus Full-time 2 campuses + online Accred. since 1975Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in San Juan, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Metropolitano is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. The 120-credit degree runs either in person with synchronous class meetings or fully online and asynchronous. Courses are taught laboratory-style in sections capped at 25 students, and the program does not substitute academic credit for work or life experience. Getting into the major is a separate step from getting into the university. Applicants file a BATS program form, hold at least a 2.25 college grade point average, and must have passed Introducción al Trabajo Social, SOWO 1503, with a grade of B or better. CSWE accreditation dates to 1975, 51 years of unbroken standing, above the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,848 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
San Juan, PR; Orlando, FL; Online (2021-Present)
Visit the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Metropolitano BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras
San Juan, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.3
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras teaches the BSW in San Juan, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Puerto Rico. Coursework moves through professional ethics, diversity, populations at risk, human behavior and the social environment, social welfare policy, research and supervised practice, with students expected to question power structures and read Puerto Rico's own history rather than absorb technique alone. Policy formulation and advocacy are treated as practice, not electives. The department runs a Title IV-E social work training program and publishes a separate supervised practice manual for students entering placements. It also offers a minor pairing social work with cooperativism, and an international student exchange option. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,024 · Out-of-state $5,024 / year
Locations
San Juan, PR (1974-present)
Visit the Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #4
Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao
Humacao, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao teaches the BA in Humacao, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Puerto Rico. Practica run as two courses across both semesters of the senior year at a single agency, two days or 15 hours a week, totaling 400 hours and eight credits. Placements have included work with survivors of gender violence, older adults with Alzheimer's, people experiencing homelessness and people living with HIV. No credit is granted for prior work or life experience. The department runs its own service center for people experiencing homelessness in Humacao, operated with the municipality's federal programs office on Community Development Block Grant funds, where students in training carry case management under supervision. The program's stated service area is the eastern region of Puerto Rico. CSWE accreditation dates to 1977, 49 years of unbroken standing, above the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $5,024 · Out-of-state $5,024 / year
Locations
Humacao, PR (1977-present)
Visit the Universidad de Puerto Rico en Humacao BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Arecibo
Arecibo, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 1987 · On-Campus
6.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1987Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Arecibo teaches the BASW in Arecibo, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Puerto Rico. The program has sat in the Social Sciences Department since 1974, began offering the full bachelor's in 1980, and counts as one of six accredited bachelor's programs on the island. Faculty had the nine competencies translated into Spanish and reviewed in 2023 so they could be taught in the language students will practice in. Assessment results are published competency by competency for every year back to 2018-19. Program goals also commit to moving students toward graduate study and to drawing on alumni and professional organizations across the Arecibo region for input into the curriculum. CSWE accreditation dates to 1987, 39 years of unbroken standing, above the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,848 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Arecibo, PR (1987-present)
Visit the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Arecibo BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Gurabo
Gurabo, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2012 · On-Campus
5.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 8 campuses Accred. since 2012Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in Gurabo, Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Gurabo is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. The program also taught in Dallas until 2022, and now runs from Gurabo, Yabucoa and Cayey, PR. CSWE accreditation dates to 2012, 14 years of unbroken standing, below the Puerto Rico median of 18 years. Published tuition is $4,920 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Puerto Rico median of $4,920. The Board on Accreditation last reaffirmed the program in October 2019 and set the next review for October 2028. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Puerto Rico.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,920 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Gurabo, PR (2012-present); Yabucoa, PR (2012-present); Cayey, PR (2012-present); Ponce, PR (2012-present); Orlando, F (2012-present); Miami, FL (2012-present); Tampa, FL (2012-present); Dallas, TX (2012-2022); Barceloneta, PR (2025- Present)
Visit the Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Gurabo BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.2
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Cupey
Cupey, San Juan, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2018 · On-Campus
4.9
On-Campus Full & part-time 3 campuses Accred. since 2018Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in Cupey, Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Cupey is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. Cupey offers the bachelor's in both a regular modality and an accelerated modality, each carried under the Liberal Arts academic division. The department also runs master's degrees in clinical, forensic and family social work, which are separate credentials. The Cupey bachelor's is accredited as a single program covering teaching locations at Bayamon, Aguadilla and Jayuya, so the degree can be completed away from the main campus. The program lists its practicum coordinators and publishes several successive years of student learning outcome assessments. CSWE accreditation dates to 2018, 8 years of unbroken standing, below the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,920 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Cupey, San Juan, PR (2018-present); Bayamón, PR (2018-present); Aguadilla, PR (2018-present); Jayuya, PR (2018-2022)
Visit the Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Cupey BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.3
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Fajardo
Fajardo, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2008 · On-Campus
4.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2008Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in Fajardo, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Fajardo is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. Majors can add a minor in education, which qualifies them for school social work and can be completed online through the Arecibo campus while they study at Fajardo, or minors in criminal justice and psychology taught in Fajardo. The Puente Comunitario project brings non-profit agencies onto campus to deliver services students can take part in. Social work is licensed at the bachelor's level in Puerto Rico, so graduates take a provisional license from the Departamento de Estado, practice for three years and then hold a permanent license. Placements and hiring run through social welfare agencies, hospitals, schools and Head Start, the courts, youth prevention programs and community housing projects. Published tuition is $4,848 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Puerto Rico median of $4,920.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,848 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Fajardo, PR (2008-present)
Visit the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Fajardo BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.9
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #9
Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Carolina
Carolina, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2016 · On-Campus
4.6
On-Campus Full-time 3 campuses Accred. since 2016Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Carolina teaches the BSW in Carolina, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Puerto Rico. Coursework builds generalist competencies around named emphases on gender equity, service learning, interdisciplinary method and the use of technology, and it points students toward settings marked by discrimination, poverty and exclusion. The closing stretch of the sequence is given over to a full year of field practice. The practicum year sits at the end of the curriculum and is governed by a supervised practice manual written for the bachelor's program, separate from the one covering the master's. The campus publishes its own assessment of student learning outcomes for the BSW as well. CSWE accreditation dates to 2016, 10 years of unbroken standing, below the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,920 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Carolina, PR (2016-Present); Santa Isabel, PR (2016-Present); Cabo Rojo, PR (2016-Present); Barceloneta, PR (2016-2025)
Visit the Universidad Ana G. Mendez, Recinto de Carolina BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.6
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2016 · On-Campus
4.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 2016Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Aguadilla teaches the BSW in Aguadilla, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Puerto Rico. The degree runs 117 credits, 54 of them in the concentration, and includes courses other programs rarely require on their own: case record writing, the communication and interview process, and an introduction to the administration and supervision of social agencies. Twelve related credits are fixed as biology, political science, statistics and a sociology course on diversity and marginality. Students enter provisionally for at least one semester, meet the coordinator for an orientation, then take SOWO 2503 before applying formally. Official admission requires a 2.25 grade average and a B or better in that course, an interview at which an essay may be requested, and a written recommendation from the program coordinator. CSWE accreditation dates to 2016, 10 years of unbroken standing, below the Puerto Rico median of 18 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,848 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Aguadilla, PR (2016-Present)
Visit the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto Aguadilla BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #11
Universidad Central de Bayamón
Bayamón, PR · CSWE-Accredited since 2013 · On-Campus
4.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2013Why it ranks in Puerto Rico
Based in Bayamón, Universidad Central de Bayamón is a private university offering a BSW in Puerto Rico. Entry runs through general university admission rather than a separate screening into the major, weighing the academic index together with College Board PEAU results, and SAT scores are accepted from applicants whose first language is English. Some programs additionally require an interview with the director of the academic college. Teaching is framed within the university's Catholic and Dominican tradition, and the program names Christian as well as professional ethics among its formative aims. The credential is awarded as a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in social work, housed in the College of Liberal Arts, Humanities and Education. CSWE accreditation dates to 2013, 13 years of unbroken standing, below the Puerto Rico median of 18 years. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Puerto Rico.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$4,776 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Bayamón, PR (2013-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.1
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Puerto Rico
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Puerto Rico'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, Puerto Rico's 11 accredited programs are based across 21 cities, including Ponce, Mayaguez, Bo Santana Arecibo, San Juan, Orlando, Humacao, and others, 1 offering an online option. 1 is hosted at a Carnegie research university (R1 or R2), which adds research and teaching-hospital placements to the local training pipeline. CSWE standards require supervised field education, so programs build placement partnerships with local agencies, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits, which makes the state's campuses a training and hiring pipeline into the surrounding Puerto Rico 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 1.42 in Puerto Rico, meaning the occupation is 42% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 3.6 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Puerto Rico, social workers held about 4,920 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 PR | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 3,370 | $43,620 | $45,460 | $29,880 to $61,720 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,200 | $36,050 | $39,280 | $24,540 to $58,980 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 350 | $26,500 | $30,280 | $21,840 to $43,920 |
| Social workers, all other | Not disclosed | $47,580 | $52,920 | $32,640 to $93,850 |
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 Puerto Rico; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Puerto Rico
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
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.