Rhode Island has 3 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Providence College, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1976. None of the 3 record an online option, all are campus-based.
Each program below is scored on the same five-factor model used in our national ranking, so the order reflects accreditation longevity, delivery and schedule flexibility, program breadth, and the institution's Carnegie research tier, all applied identically nationwide.
Rhode Island BSW programs at a glance
3
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1976
Oldest, Providence College, accredited since
0
Offer an online option
0
At an R1 or R2 research university
Rhode Island's 3 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1976 to 1984, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Rhode Island College at 7.1 out of 10. The newest, Salve Regina University, earned accreditation in 1984. Among the Rhode Island programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $9,481 to $59,830 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Rhode Island earns a median of $69,870 a year, 17% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 3 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Rhode Island
Every one of these BSW programs in Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI · CSWE-Accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
7.1
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1977Why it ranks in Rhode Island
Rhode Island College teaches the BSW in Providence, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Rhode Island. Placement begins in September of the senior year at 16 hours a week and runs through the fall and spring Seminar and Practicum courses. Every BSW intern must be supervised by an MSW, and a student seeking placement at their own employer has to submit a proposal approved by the chair and the practicum director. The School of Social Work houses the Atrévete Center of Excellence for Latinx/Hispanic Social Work Practice and the Center for First Generation Social Work Student Success, which offer specialized pathways and financial support. RIC also runs the only accelerated BSW-to-MSW option in New England, letting majors finish both degrees in as little as five years. In-state tuition runs $9,481 a year against $25,014 for nonresidents, below the Rhode Island median of $47,180.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,481 · Out-of-state $25,014 / year
Locations
Providence, RI (1977-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Providence College
Providence, RI · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Rhode Island
Providence College teaches the BA in Providence, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Rhode Island. The major is built on 13 required social work courses covering human behavior across the life span, social problems and the forces shaping policy, work with diverse and at-risk populations, the nature of the professional helping relationship, and research methods for evaluating practice and programs. Each student is assigned a departmental faculty advisor on entering the major. Internships total 600 supervised hours spread across the junior and senior years and run alongside classroom seminars. Students can work with at-risk children and youth, homeless families, survivors of domestic violence, people with developmental delays and older adults, with emphasis on counseling, service coordination, community organizing and advocacy. Published tuition is $59,830 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Rhode Island median of $47,180.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$59,830 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Providence, RI (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
- #3
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI · CSWE-Accredited since 1984 · On-Campus
6.2
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1984Why it ranks in Rhode Island
Based in Newport, Salve Regina University is a private university offering a BSW in Rhode Island. Fieldwork totals at least 660 hours and starts with community based service learning in the first year. Juniors carry three to five client systems and practice intake, assessment, home visits and outreach, while seniors handle five to eight clients through case management and group work and also track legislation and testify on it. Acceptance into the program is gated on two first year courses, SWK-120 Social Problems taken with a grade of C or higher and its service learning companion SWK-120S, which must be passed. Majors then have to earn a C or higher in every social work course to stay in. CSWE accreditation dates to 1984, 42 years of unbroken standing, below the Rhode Island median of 49 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$47,180 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Newport, RI (1984-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.7
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Rhode Island
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Rhode Island'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, Rhode Island's 3 accredited programs are based across 2 cities, including Providence, Newport, all campus-based. 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 Rhode Island social-service economy.
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 1.93 in Rhode Island, meaning the occupation is 93% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 4.9 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Rhode Island, social workers held about 3,970 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 RI | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 2,450 | $69,870 | $70,810 | $42,560 to $97,730 |
| Healthcare social workers | 630 | $75,390 | $73,020 | $48,070 to $96,840 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 800 | $60,990 | $76,970 | $42,900 to $135,200 |
| Social workers, all other | 90 | $111,590 | $109,640 | $91,560 to $126,920 |
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 Rhode Island; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Rhode Island
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LCSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LICSW). A CSWE-accredited BSW also qualifies graduates for Advanced Standing admission to a master's program.
How We Ranked These Programs
Every program is scored on the same five-factor model used in the national ranking, with no state-specific adjustments. Four factors are drawn from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; prestige uses the institution's 2025 Carnegie research classification.
- Accreditation longevity (40%): years of continuous CSWE accreditation.
- Delivery flexibility (22%): online option and number of approved campus locations.
- Prestige (15%): 2025 Carnegie research tier (R1, R2, or baseline).
- Schedule flexibility (12%): full-time and part-time plans of study.
- Program breadth (11%): embedded certificates and dual-degree options.
For the full model, see our ranking methodology.