Washington has 7 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is Eastern Washington University, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. None of the 7 record an online option, all are campus-based. 1 is hosted at a Carnegie R1 (very 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.
Washington BSW programs at a glance
7
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1974
Oldest, Eastern Washington University, accredited since
0
Offer an online option
1
At an R1 or R2 research university
Washington's 7 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1974 to 2013, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Washington at 8.4 out of 10, a Carnegie R1 research university. The newest, Saint Martin's University, earned accreditation in 2013. Among the Washington programs we have verified tuition for, published in-state tuition runs from $7,294 to $53,235 a year. A child, family, and school social worker in Washington earns a median of $74,480 a year, 25% above the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 7 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Washington
Every one of these BSW programs in Washington 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
University of Washington
Tacoma, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
8.4
On-Campus Carnegie R1 Full-time 2 campuses 2 certificates Accred. since 1975Why it ranks in Washington
Based in Tacoma, University of Washington is a public university offering a BSW in Washington. Social welfare coursework accounts for 67 of the 180 credits needed to graduate, built on a Social Welfare Practice sequence that moves from micro to mezzo to macro work alongside Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Cultural Diversity and Social Justice, and Social Welfare Policy. Senior year adds group work practice, chemical dependency assessment and treatment, and a capstone seminar. Seniors spend two full days, 16 hours, each week at a field site through autumn, winter and spring quarters, supervised by an MSW and building skills at all three practice levels. A three credit fieldwork seminar and a one credit skills lab run alongside the placement. In-state tuition runs $13,406 a year against $44,460 for nonresidents, below the Washington median of $31,899.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $13,406 · Out-of-state $44,460 / year
2026-27 tuition · washington.edu
Locations
Tacoma, WA (2002-present); Seattle, WA (1975-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 10.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 10.0
- #2
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.5
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1975Why it ranks in Washington
Pacific Lutheran University teaches the BSW in Tacoma, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Washington. Students can declare the social work major at any point in their academic career by meeting with the undergraduate program chair. The practicum application comes in the fall of junior year and requires a criminal background check, and staying in the program takes a 2.75 GPA in social work courses plus a 2.50 overall. Course content covers cultures both in the United States and abroad, and students can complete field learning in other countries as well as study away. The department leans on Tacoma's diversity and the university's Pacific Rim position, and the bachelor's program has held its accreditation since 1975. Published tuition is $49,472 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Washington median of $31,899.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$49,472 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Tacoma, WA (1975-Present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 6.0
- #3
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus 3 certificates Accred. since 1974Why it ranks in Washington
Eastern Washington University teaches the BASW in Cheney, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Washington. Undergraduate placements generally run a full year at one agency, with a field instructor who holds at least two years of post-degree experience providing weekly supervision, a learning contract and an evaluation every quarter. Students headed for child welfare go through the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program. Interns staff the Spokane Public Library's Welcome Team at the Central Branch, part of a national push to put social workers in libraries, and others work with the Spokane Fire Department's social work team reaching isolated residents. Practicum sites run throughout the state. In-state tuition runs $7,294 a year against $24,833 for nonresidents, below the Washington median of $31,899. No other program among the BSW programs in Washington has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Annual tuition (not factored)
In-state $7,294 · Out-of-state $24,833 / year
Locations
Cheney, WA (1974-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 9.0
- #4
Walla Walla University
College Place, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1979 · On-Campus
6.5
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1979Why it ranks in Washington
Walla Walla University teaches the BSW in College Place, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Washington. Field education runs 400 hours, and students can spread it across a full academic year, compress it into two quarters, or take it as a single-quarter block placement. Weekly supervision comes from a BSW or MSW with at least two years of post-degree experience. A current employer can serve as the site, and international placements are approved through Student Missions. The placement network reaches far past College Place, into the Tri-Cities, Yakima and Spokane, eastern Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota and a dense cluster around Billings and Bozeman. Named sites include the Washington State Penitentiary, Yakama Nation Behavioral Health Services, the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Hospital and the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition. Published tuition is $31,899 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the Washington median of $31,899.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$31,899 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
College Place, WA (1979-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.5
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #5
Heritage University
Toppenish, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · On-Campus
6.0
On-Campus Full & part-time 2 campuses Accred. since 1997Why it ranks in Washington
Based in Toppenish, Heritage University is a private university offering a BSW in Washington. The BSW is taught at both the Toppenish main campus and Heritage's Tri-Cities locations, so students across the Yakima Valley and Central Washington can study without relocating. The department keeps its own field practicum director to place them. The program is built around multicultural and rural communities in Central Washington, and treats a student's own culture and life experience as working material rather than background. Alongside the degree, the department runs a Behavioral Health Aide certificate designed as an Indigenous education pathway for tribal nations. Published tuition is $19,920 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, below the Washington median of $31,899.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$19,920 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Toppenish, WA (1997-present); Pasco/Tri-Cities, WA (1997-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 6.6
- Delivery (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #6
Seattle University
Seattle, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 2002 · On-Campus
5.0
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2002Why it ranks in Washington
Seattle University teaches the BSW in Seattle, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Washington. The major totals 70 credits and moves through a three-part practice sequence, individuals and families, then groups, then organizations and communities, alongside human behavior, human development, US social welfare policy and advocacy and activism. Research runs three courses to a capstone, and eight elective credits can come from Juvenile Justice, Politics of Homelessness, Queer Social Movements or Global Migration. The department publishes a two-year plan for transfer students entering with junior standing, compressing the full sequence into four terms plus the practicum year. Seattle University moves from quarters to semesters in summer 2027, so incoming and continuing students follow different published degree plans. Published tuition is $53,235 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the Washington median of $31,899.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$53,235 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Seattle, WA (2002-present)
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 5.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #7
Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 2013 · On-Campus
4.3
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 2013Why it ranks in Washington
Saint Martin's University teaches the BSW in Lacey, one of the CSWE-accredited BSW programs in Washington. Internships run three semesters for 600 hours total, 150 in the spring of junior year, 200 in the fall of senior year and 250 in the spring. Sites sit across Thurston, Pierce and Lewis counties, including Community Youth Services, SafePlace, the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy and the Juvenile Justice Rehabilitation Administration. The department reports an acceptance rate above 85 percent for graduates applying to graduate school. Alumni have gone on to the University of Washington at Seattle and Tacoma, Columbia, Smith, Michigan and the University of Southern California. CSWE accreditation dates to 2013, 13 years of unbroken standing, below the Washington median of 47 years.
Annual tuition (not factored)
$43,600 / year (private, one rate for all students)
Locations
Lacey, WA (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 Washington
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Washington'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, Washington's 7 accredited programs are based across 7 cities, including Tacoma, Seattle, Cheney, College Place, Toppenish, Pasco/Tri-Cities, and others, 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 Washington 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 1.20 in Washington, meaning the occupation is 20% more concentrated than the national average. The state supports roughly 3.0 of these jobs per 1,000 jobs statewide.
In Washington, social workers held about 20,180 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 WA | Median | Mean | 10th to 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 10,720 | $74,480 | $74,100 | $48,750 to $98,100 |
| Healthcare social workers | 5,180 | $78,570 | $81,040 | $48,390 to $124,360 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 3,490 | $70,460 | $71,710 | $46,790 to $102,680 |
| Social workers, all other | 790 | $102,520 | $97,200 | $55,450 to $125,840 |
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 Washington; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Washington
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 (LASW, LSWAA), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LICSW, LSWAIC). 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.