South Carolina has 5 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Winthrop University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. None of the 5 record an online option, all 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.
South Carolina BSW programs at a glance
5
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Winthrop University, accredited since
0
Offer an online option
1
At an R1 or R2 research university
South Carolina's 5 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 1990, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is Winthrop University at 7.2 out of 10. The newest, South Carolina State University, earned accreditation in 1990. Among the South Carolina programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $9,528 to $15,980 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in South Carolina earns a median of $51,800 a year, 13% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 5 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in South Carolina
Accreditation status, dates, locations, online option, and program details are sourced directly from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
Winthrop University has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Rock Hill, SC). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $15,306 · Out-of-state $29,636 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Rock Hill, SC (1974-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
Columbia College
Columbia, SC · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · On-Campus
7.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1979Why it ranks here
Columbia College has held CSWE accreditation since 1979, 47 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Columbia, SC). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$15,980 / year (private, one rate for all students)
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Columbia, SC (1979-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Benedict College
Columbia, SC · CSWE-Accredited since 1980 · On-Campus
6.9
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 2 certificates Accred. since 1980Why it ranks here
Benedict College has held CSWE accreditation since 1980, 46 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Columbia, SC). The program runs on a full-time plan of study. It records 2 embedded certificates (Child Welfare, Gerontology).
Annual tuition (not factored)
$15,400 / year (private, one rate for all students)
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Columbia, SC (1980-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #4
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
6.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1974Why it ranks here
University of South Carolina has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, 52 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Columbia, SC). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$13,725 / year (private, one rate for all students)
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Columbia, SC (1974-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC · CSWE-Accredited since 1990 · On-Campus
6.2
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1990Why it ranks here
South Carolina State University has held CSWE accreditation since 1990, 36 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Orangeburg, SC). The program runs on a full-time plan of study. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R2 classification for high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $9,528 · Out-of-state $20,218 / year
2023-24 published tuition (IPEDS) · IPEDS / NCES
Locations
Orangeburg, SC (1990-Present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in South Carolina
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for South Carolina'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, South Carolina's 5 accredited programs are based across 3 cities, including Rock Hill, Columbia, Orangeburg, all campus-based. 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 South Carolina 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 0.95 in South Carolina, meaning the occupation is 5% less concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 2.4 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In South Carolina, social workers held about 9,780 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 SC | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 5,520 | $51,800 | $53,860 | $38,530 to $77,390 |
| Healthcare social workers | 3,100 | $60,840 | $62,020 | $40,450 to $83,990 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 720 | $39,930 | $43,820 | $30,250 to $63,970 |
| Social workers, all other | 440 | $96,350 | $92,120 | $43,860 to $118,580 |
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 South Carolina; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in South Carolina
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
South Carolina licenses social workers at the bachelor level, so a CSWE-accredited BSW is the degree requirement for an entry-level license here. That makes program accreditation, the basis of our ranking, a direct licensing prerequisite.
| License | Name | Exam | CSWE BSW required |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBSW | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (LISW-AP, LMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LISW-CP). 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.