Tennessee has 17 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of Memphis, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. 5 of the 17 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 2 are hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very high research) university and 3 at a Carnegie R2 (high research) university.
Each program below is scored on the same five-factor model used in our national ranking, so the order reflects accreditation longevity, delivery and schedule flexibility, program breadth, and the institution's Carnegie research tier, all applied identically nationwide. A program marked National # ranks among the top 20 of all 535 accredited BSW programs in the country, per our five-factor scoring method.
Tennessee BSW programs at a glance
17
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, University of Memphis, accredited since
5
Offer an online option
5
At an R1 or R2 research university
Tennessee's 17 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2016, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Memphis at 9.0 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, Tennessee Wesleyan University, earned accreditation in 2016. Among the Tennessee programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $7,008 to $39,400 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Tennessee earns a median of $56,310 a year, 5% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 17 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Tennessee
Every one of these BSW programs in Tennessee holds current CSWE accreditation. Status, dates, campus locations and online options come from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs, and each card cites its own sources inline. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1 National #6
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
9.0
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 2 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Tennessee
University of Memphis teaches the BSW in Memphis, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. Since the 2025-2026 year every social work major must carry a concentration, choosing among generalist, child welfare and school social work. The school social work track runs 41 hours and additionally requires admission to the Teacher Education Program to earn the Licensed School Social Worker credential. The child welfare track produces Child Welfare Certification from the Tennessee Department of Children's Services alongside LBSW eligibility. Qualifying adds a 2.6 overall GPA, fingerprinting and a background check, a valid driver's license, and a B- or better in SWRK 4934 and 4935. CSWE accreditation dates to 1974, 52 years of unbroken standing, above the Tennessee median of 34 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,256 · Out-of-state $15,960 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · memphis.edu
Locations
Memphis, TN (1974-present); Online (2020-present); Lambuth/Jackson, TN (1974-2025)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #2 National #14
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · Online or On-Campus
8.7
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus + online 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Tennessee
East Tennessee State University teaches the BSW in Johnson City, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. Interns complete 430 hours across two semesters, always concurrent with classes rather than as a block placement. Sites sit within a 50 mile radius of whichever campus the student attends, every student is assigned a social work field instructor, and a weekly seminar has interns comparing what they are seeing across agencies. The department works as a regional program in the southern Appalachians, partnering with service providers across northeast Tennessee, western North Carolina and southwest Virginia, and has held accreditation since 1974. Beyond the main campus it also delivers the BSW as a cohort in Sevierville. CSWE approved the online option in 2023, the most recent online approval among the 5 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,994 · Out-of-state $15,194 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · etsu.edu
Locations
Johnson City, TN (1974-present); Online (2023-present); Abingdon, VA (1974-2020); Sevierville, TN (1974-2025)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 8.0
- #3
University of Tennessee at Martin
Martin, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
8.3
On-Campus Full & part-time 5 campuses 2 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Martin, University of Tennessee at Martin is a public university offering a BSW in Tennessee. The degree runs at five approved sites, Martin, Jackson and Parsons, TN among others. The degree embeds two certificates, in Child Welfare and School Social Work. The Board on Accreditation last reaffirmed the program in June 2019 and set the next review for June 2028. Both full-time and part-time plans of study are approved, as they are at 10 of the 17 programs on this list. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the BSW programs in Tennessee.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $10,824 · Out-of-state $16,878 / year
2025-26 tuition & fees · utm.edu
Locations
Martin, TN (1974-present); Jackson, TN (1974-present); Parsons, TN (1974-present); Selmer, TN (1974-present); Ripley, TN (1974-present)
Visit the University of Tennessee at Martin BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.0
- #4
Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.8
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public university offering a BSW in Tennessee. This is the only public baccalaureate social work program in Nashville, taught on a hybrid delivery model at a historically Black university and accredited since 1974. The program frames its purpose around a service area of roughly 1.1 million people across Metro Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Seniors assemble and defend a portfolio under the university's Portfolio Review and Evaluation Process, sit a senior exit examination and take the ACAT standardized test. They also join the Tennessee chapter of NASW and carry liability insurance while in placement. In-state tuition runs $7,320 a year against $21,036 for nonresidents, below the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,320 · Out-of-state $21,036 / year
Locations
Nashville, TN (1974-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #5
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Knoxville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1983 · Online or On-Campus
7.6
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1983Why it ranks in Tennessee
University of Tennessee at Knoxville teaches the BSSW in Knoxville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. Field totals 500 hours split across both years, 100 junior hours at 8 to 10 a week, then 400 senior hours at 14 to 15 a week, or a spring block placement at 27 to 30 hours a week. Juniors address four competencies, seniors all nine, and every student gets at least an hour of weekly agency supervision. Graduates can add the State of Tennessee school social work license through the college, qualifying either with a K-12 field placement of at least 400 clock hours during the BSSW or two years of practice with children and families afterward. The application also requires a school social work course passed within the past five years. In-state tuition runs $11,332 a year against $29,522 for nonresidents, below the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $11,332 · Out-of-state $29,522 / year
Locations
Knoxville, TN (1983-present); Online (2018-present)
Visit the University of Tennessee at Knoxville BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 8.9
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1976 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1976Why it ranks in Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State University teaches the BSW in Murfreesboro, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. The 120-hour degree is taught on ground through the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, with no online option. Completing it meets the educational requirement to sit the Association of Social Work Boards exam and license as a Baccalaureate Social Worker in Tennessee. Alumni have been hired by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, Rutherford County and Murfreesboro City Schools, the Nashville Vet Center, the Child Advocacy Center, drug and mental health courts, and the ACLU of Tennessee. Work settings range from hospice and nursing homes to vocational rehabilitation and legal services agencies. In-state tuition runs $7,536 a year against $27,072 for nonresidents, below the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,536 · Out-of-state $27,072 / year
Locations
Murfreesboro, TN (1976-present)
Visit the Middle Tennessee State University BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Union University
Jackson, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1998 · Online or On-Campus
6.6
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses + online Accred. since 1998Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Jackson, Union University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. Coursework is taught from Christian conviction, and the practice settings the department points students toward include missions and community ministry next to the more usual child welfare, school social work, healthcare and mental health. The university publishes a state-by-state licensure disclosure for the BSW, naming the credential each jurisdiction grants, from the Tennessee LBSW to Nebraska's certified social worker and Oregon's registered baccalaureate title. It also flags the states with no bachelor-level license at all, among them California, Florida, Georgia, New York and Washington. CSWE approved the online option in 2023, the most recent online approval among the 5 online programs on this list.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,476 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Jackson, TN (1998-present); Germantown, TN (2010-present); Online (2023-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.5
- Delivery (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #8
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1981 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1981Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Henderson, Freed-Hardeman University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. Field education is concentrated in a single nine-credit Senior Social Work Practicum, the largest course in the major by a wide margin, listed alongside a three-credit Seminar in Social Work Practice. The department publishes a separate field manual and student handbook. The Behavioral Sciences Bridge program lets BSW students substitute 13 hours of graduate coursework for elective requirements, and those same courses later count toward Freed-Hardeman's M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling if the student is admitted. Recommended electives include Crisis Intervention, Child Welfare I and Childhood Disorders. Published tuition is $25,000 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$25,000 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Henderson, TN (1981-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #9
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1989 · On-Campus
6.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1989Why it ranks in Tennessee
Austin Peay State University teaches the BSW in Clarksville, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. The practicum, SW 4410 and 4411, is close to full time: students work full days at an agency four days a week and attend a three-hour field seminar on the fifth, and may not register for any other course except Senior Seminar. They provide their own transportation, join NASW and purchase liability insurance. Declaring the major is separate from admission to the program, which requires two of SW 2110, SW 3410 and SW 3420, a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and a faculty judgment of suitability. Applications are read twice a year against a rubric each faculty member completes, there is no cap on how many are accepted, and late applications are not reviewed. In-state tuition runs $7,008 a year against $12,552 for nonresidents, below the Tennessee median of $19,476. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the BSW programs in Tennessee.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,008 · Out-of-state $12,552 / year
Locations
Clarksville, TN (1989-present); Springfield, TN (1989-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.9
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #10
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1998 · On-Campus
5.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1998Why it ranks in Tennessee
Southern Adventist University teaches the BSW in Collegedale, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. A senior-year policy study tour to Washington, D.C. is a requirement for BSW majors, and further tours to New York City and, when offered, Europe can carry course credit. The school also hosts Mu Chi, Southern's chapter of the Phi Alpha national social work honor society. The bachelor's program has held accreditation for 25 years and is approved through 2033. It is not divided into specialization tracks; the dean describes graduates as generalists able to move among mental health work, case work, advocacy and administration, taught through an openly faith-based lens. Published tuition is $24,350 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$24,350 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Collegedale, TN (1998-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #11
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1992 · On-Campus
5.7
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1992Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Nashville, Lipscomb University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. A 500-hour supervised internship in an approved Metro Nashville agency anchors the degree. Placement sites run through government agencies, medical settings, rehabilitation facilities, adoption and foster care programs and non-profits. Graduates are eligible to sit for the LBSW licensure exam in Tennessee, and the program reports a 98 percent job placement rate. One recent alumna now directs victim witness services for the Nashville District Attorney's Office. Published tuition is $35,848 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$35,848 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Nashville, TN (1992-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #12
Belmont University
Nashville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1999 · On-Campus
5.4
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 1 certificate Accred. since 1999Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Nashville, Belmont University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. There is no separate screening application for the major. Students admitted to the university declare social work once enrolled, with no prerequisites specific to the program beyond the university's own admission requirements. Recent alumni employers include the Office of Family Safety in Nashville, Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Youth Villages and Centerstone Mental Health Services. A professional development course pairs career advising with workshops led by practicing social workers and community leaders. Published tuition is $39,400 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$39,400 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Nashville, TN (1999-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.3
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #13
King University
Online · CSWE-Accredited since 2014 · Online
5.4
Online Full & part-time 0 campuses + online 1 certificate Accred. since 2014Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Online, King University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. The major is 52 semester hours across eleven courses, out of 124 needed to graduate. Human Behavior and the Social Environment is split into a person-in-environment course and a life course course, and a dedicated Writing for Social Workers course covers literature searching, APA formatting and professional documentation. Coursework is fully online with most classes running five weeks, and the major can be finished in as few as 16 months of full-time study at a stated total of $16,000. Entering the major itself takes 45 completed semester hours; applicants with fewer are admitted as pre-social work while they finish general education. Published tuition is $32,902 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$32,902 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Online (2018 - Present); Abingdon, VA (2017 - 2022); Bristol, TN (2014-2020)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.9
- Delivery (22%) 6.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 5.0
- #14
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 2006 · On-Campus
5.2
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 2006Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Chattanooga, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university offering a BSW in Tennessee. Getting into the major means a separate application with a personal narrative, a 2.0 cumulative GPA, a 2.5 GPA in social work courses, and a C or better in Intro to Social Work and Interviewing Skills. A criminal background check is required, and applicants short one requirement can be admitted conditionally with a plan of correction. Teaching follows an ability-based learning design rather than a lecture model, with team learning, interviews, guest speakers and field trips written into courses. Assignments feed a core e-portfolio that carries students' self-assessment and reflection work, supported by ability seminars and the integrative field seminars. In-state tuition runs $8,232 a year against $16,296 for nonresidents, below the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $8,232 · Out-of-state $16,296 / year
Locations
Chattanooga, TN (2006-present)
Visit the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.2
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #15
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 1999 · On-Campus
5.2
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1999Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. Classes average 14 students. Undergraduates take on original research, and past students have won Appalachian College Association awards for work on children's hunger relief in East Tennessee, services for children aging out of foster care, and the cost of medications for senior citizens. Graduates have typically found jobs within six months of finishing, and the degree makes them licensure eligible in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and surrounding states. Those who continue on qualify for accelerated master's programs at regional universities. Published tuition is $25,680 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$25,680 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Harrogate, TN (1999-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.3
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #16
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 2016 · On-Campus
4.8
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 3 certificates Accred. since 2016Why it ranks in Tennessee
Tennessee Wesleyan University teaches the BSW in Athens, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Tennessee. The field practicum is 400 on-site hours in an approved setting, compressed into a single semester and taken together with the Integrative Practice seminar. Major content courses can be finished in three semesters, so the whole professional sequence fits inside about a calendar year plus the practicum. The BSW runs a separate application from the university's, and applicants must already be admitted or enrolled at TWU. Starting the major takes 45 to 60 completed semester hours; students transferring in with fewer are admitted as pre-SWK while they finish general education and electives. CSWE accreditation dates to 2016, 10 years of unbroken standing, below the Tennessee median of 34 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$28,014 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Athens, TN (2016-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 3.6
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 9.0
- #17
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN · CSWE-Accredited since 2011 · On-Campus
4.4
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2011Why it ranks in Tennessee
Based in Nashville, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private university offering a BSW in Tennessee. A course cross-listed with history, Power to the People, traces United States social movements to show how change starts with people organizing rather than with legislation. The program states its purpose in Christian terms while naming anti-racist, anti-oppressive and trauma-informed practice as what graduates should be able to do. A 2019 alumni survey found 56 percent of social work graduates earning more than $36,000 a year and 23 percent above $50,000. More than half of the program's undergraduate alumni are working toward or have already earned an advanced degree. Published tuition is $28,590 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Tennessee median of $19,476.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$28,590 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Nashville, TN (2011-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 4.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Tennessee
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Tennessee'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, Tennessee's 17 accredited programs are based across 18 cities, including Memphis, Johnson City, Martin, Jackson, Parsons, Selmer, and others, 5 offering an online option. 5 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 Tennessee 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 0.95 in Tennessee, 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 Tennessee, social workers held about 17,970 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 TN | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 7,870 | $56,310 | $57,350 | $39,650 to $77,230 |
| Healthcare social workers | 5,970 | $61,240 | $62,750 | $41,120 to $83,280 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 2,220 | $46,500 | $50,000 | $38,320 to $68,430 |
| Social workers, all other | 1,910 | $51,460 | $63,150 | $31,920 to $111,570 |
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 Tennessee; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Tennessee
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Tennessee 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 (LAPSW, LMSW), 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.