Pennsylvania · BSW programs by city
Best BSW Programs near Philadelphia, PA (2026)
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (population 1,550,542) has 4 CSWE-accredited BSW programs based in the city , with 6 more accredited programs within about 60 miles. For Philadelphia residents who need to study from home, 8 Pennsylvania programs also run an online option. Every program on this Philadelphia page is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), which is what Advanced Standing admission to an MSW depends on.
Studying Social Work in Philadelphia
Philadelphia gives BSW students one of the most concentrated social-work markets on the East Coast. With more than 1.5 million residents, it is the largest city in Pennsylvania, and because the city and county are the same government, a single set of public departments runs child welfare, behavioral health, homeless services, and public health for the whole population.
For a baccalaureate student, that structure means field placements and entry-level jobs across city agencies, large academic hospitals, the School District of Philadelphia, and one of the densest nonprofit sectors in the country. It also means daily exposure to the issues that define urban practice in the Northeast: deep neighborhood poverty, the opioid crisis, housing instability, and a growing immigrant population.
Philadelphia is also a center of social work education, with CSWE-accredited BSW programs at Temple University, La Salle University, Eastern University, and West Chester University’s Philadelphia site, so local agencies host a steady flow of students and hire many of them after graduation.
The Best BSW Programs in Philadelphia, PA
Accredited programs with a campus in Philadelphia, ranked by our five-factor model. A Philadelphia program shows a national or online rank badge only if it places in that list's top 25.
- #1 In Philadelphia
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · CSWE-accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.9
On-campus Full or part-time Carnegie R1Why it ranks near Philadelphia
Temple University teaches the BSW in Philadelphia itself. Field practicum runs 16 hours a week across both senior semesters for a minimum of 400 hours, with a concurrent capstone seminar each term. Placements sit in the five-county Philadelphia area and span aging services, child abuse and foster care agencies, probation and parole, community living arrangements, legal aid and domestic violence programs. The Capital Semester sends students to Harrisburg for a fall term in a government internship. Separately, the Child Welfare Education for Baccalaureates program places students inside a child welfare agency in Philadelphia or a surrounding county, drawing on more than 500 partner organizations in the region. In-state tuition runs $21,023 a year against $36,280 for nonresidents, below the local median of $35,515.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 10.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2 In Philadelphia
West Chester University
West Chester, PA · CSWE-accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.8
On-campus Full or part-time Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Philadelphia
West Chester University teaches the BSW in Philadelphia itself. Practicum adds up to 672 hours, 224 in the spring of junior year and 224 in each senior semester, at deliberately different sites for the two years. The practicum director makes the first contact with agencies, students may not approach sites themselves, and because placements span urban, suburban and rural settings, refusing one over location is not accepted. Progression depends on Candidacy, a formal application every major must clear before entering practicum courses, with an April 1 junior deadline. Students also sit a competency exam in the fall of the third year, and entry to field rests on passing it, plus a 2.5 GPA and no incomplete grades in social work courses. In-state tuition runs $7,716 a year against $19,290 for nonresidents, below the local median of $35,515.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3 In Philadelphia
Eastern University
St. Davids, PA · CSWE-accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.1
On-campus Full-timeWhy it ranks near Philadelphia
Eastern University teaches the BSW in Philadelphia itself. Once admitted to the professional phase, students begin three semesters of internship supervised by professional social workers while coursework continues, drawing on sites across the greater Philadelphia area. Placements outside Pennsylvania cannot be guaranteed, and students credentialing in other states have to satisfy those local placement rules themselves. Declaring the major is only the first step. Students apply to the professional program in the spring of sophomore year, or the fall of junior year for transfers, and the department starts the process, which takes a resume, essays, recommendations and an interview. Published tuition is $36,760 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the local median of $35,515.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 6.0
- Program breadth (11%) 4.5
- #4 In Philadelphia
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA · CSWE-accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-campus Full or part-timeWhy it ranks near Philadelphia
La Salle University teaches the BSW in Philadelphia itself. Three schedules lead to the same 45-credit major: full-time day on the Philadelphia campus, part-time across fall, spring and summer, and a 16-month accelerated completion track for students who already hold most of their general education credits. The accelerated version runs in hybrid 4 to 6 week modules. The practicum totals 600 hours spread across three semesters, attached to Introduction to Practicum and then Generalist Practicum Parts A and B at 200 hours each. The Office of Field Education works with students to secure the placement. Published tuition is $34,270 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, in line with the local median of $35,515.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
Accredited Campuses Within 60 Miles of Philadelphia
6 accredited programs with a campus within about 60 straight-line miles of central Philadelphia, ranked by our five-factor model. The full profile for each school sits on the page of the city its campus is in, or in the Pennsylvania ranking.
| Program | Nearest campus | Miles | Format | Natl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvernia University | Elkins Park | ~5 | Online or On-Campus | #147 |
| Cedar Crest College | Allentown | ~44 | On-Campus | #150 |
| Widener University | Chester | ~17 | On-Campus | #229 |
| Kutztown University | Kutztown | ~49 | On-Campus | #383 |
| University of Valley Forge | Phoenixville | ~22 | Online or On-Campus | #391 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | Gwynedd Valley | ~14 | Online or On-Campus | #454 |
Online BSW Programs Open to Philadelphia Students
Pennsylvania-based CSWE-accredited programs with an online option, which Philadelphia residents can complete from home. Programs based outside Pennsylvania that also take Philadelphia students are in the national online BSW ranking.
| Institution | Accredited | Format | Natl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 1977 | Online or On-Campus | #32 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | 1976 | Online or On-Campus | #41 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 1981 | Online or On-Campus | #53 |
| Alvernia University | 1997 | Online or On-Campus | #147 |
| Gannon University | 1977 | Online or On-Campus | #164 |
| Carlow University | 1997 | Online | #346 |
| University of Valley Forge | 2008 | Online or On-Campus | #391 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | 2017 | Online or On-Campus | #454 |
What Social Workers Earn in the Philadelphia Area in 2026
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sits within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the labor market that sets pay and demand for its social-service workforce. The labor market Philadelphia draws on employs roughly 13,990 social workers across the specialties , and the most common BSW-level specialty there, child, family, and school social work, pays a $55,930 median. These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program (May 2025) for the area around Philadelphia.
| Occupation | Employed | Median wage | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family & school social workers | 6,850 | $55,930 | $41,980 to $88,870 |
| Social & human service assistants (entry-level) | 12,160 | $45,370 | $36,090 to $61,600 |
| Healthcare social workers | 4,190 | $65,990 | $50,820 to $92,450 |
| Mental health & substance abuse social workers | 2,140 | $54,510 | $40,350 to $81,210 |
| Social workers, all other | 810 | $80,660 | $48,550 to $121,950 |
| Social & community service managers (macro) | 5,320 | $80,810 | $58,420 to $127,770 |
How local pay compares
Child, family & school social workers around Philadelphia earn a median of $55,930 versus $50,820 statewide in Pennsylvania and $59,550 nationally. That is at or above the Pennsylvania median.
Where do social workers work in Philadelphia in 2026?
Philadelphia’s social-work employment market is anchored by city government, which also serves as county government. The Philadelphia Department of Human Services runs child welfare and juvenile justice services, while the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services and its managed-care arm, Community Behavioral Health, fund a large network of mental-health and substance-use providers that hire case managers and outreach staff. The Office of Homeless Services and the School District of Philadelphia add roles in housing and school-based support.
The city is also one of the country’s great academic medical centers. Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, Temple University Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia employ medical and pediatric social workers and care coordinators, and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center serves the region’s veterans. Nonprofits such as Project HOME and Prevention Point Philadelphia lead much of the city’s work on homelessness and the opioid crisis, especially in Kensington.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania sits in Philadelphia County. Representative organizations in and around the city that commonly employ social workers and BSW-level human-service staff include:
- Philadelphia Department of Human Services
- Community Behavioral Health and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services
- Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, and Temple University Hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- School District of Philadelphia
- Project HOME and Prevention Point Philadelphia
An illustrative list of employers known to operate around Philadelphia, not an exhaustive or BLS-sourced one.
Beyond Philadelphia, BLS projects national social worker employment to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with healthcare and mental-health settings leading. Pay by role for Philadelphia graduates to compare against is in our salary guides.
Source for Philadelphia: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, with projections from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. The medians include every worker in each occupation, so BSW-level pay in Philadelphia usually sits toward the low end of each range.
Who Social Workers Serve in Philadelphia
Philadelphia social workers serve a large Black community, long-established Puerto Rican and Latino neighborhoods in North Philadelphia, and newer immigrant communities from West Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Many of the city’s neighborhoods face concentrated poverty, so benefits navigation, housing support, and family stabilization are part of almost every caseload.
The opioid crisis shapes practice across the city, most visibly in Kensington, where street outreach, harm reduction, and treatment linkage are daily work. Child welfare through the Department of Human Services, behavioral health through Community Behavioral Health, and school-based services are among the largest fields, and aging services are growing as older residents seek to remain in their homes.
Field Placements and Agencies Around Philadelphia
Because CSWE requires at least 400 hours of supervised field education, Philadelphia’s concentration of agencies within a compact, transit-connected city is a real advantage. BSW students complete placements in city departments, hospital social-work units, public and charter schools, shelters, and community nonprofits, often a short SEPTA ride from campus.
Temple University, La Salle University, and the other local programs maintain long-standing field partnerships across the city, and many placements in child welfare, behavioral health, and homeless services lead directly into first jobs. A strong placement also supplies the references and supervised experience that matter for an LBSW application or a later MSW.
Macro Social Work Jobs in Philadelphia
Philadelphia is a strong city for macro social work, practice aimed at communities, organizations, and policy rather than one client at a time. Because city and county government are combined, departments such as Human Services, Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, and the Office of Homeless Services set policy and fund programs for the entire population, and that creates roles in program coordination, contract monitoring, community engagement, and planning.
A BSW is a realistic entry point into macro work here through program-assistant, community-organizing, and outreach-coordination roles at nonprofits and city-funded providers, and the city’s many foundations and advocacy groups support this work. Senior roles such as policy analyst, program director, or agency administrator usually expect an MSW with a macro or community-practice focus, so many Philadelphia social workers start in macro support roles and advance after a graduate degree.
Can I work in harm reduction and addiction services with a BSW in Philadelphia?
Yes, and Philadelphia is one of the places where this work is most visible. The city’s response to the opioid crisis, concentrated in Kensington, relies on outreach workers, case managers, and recovery support staff employed by the city, by treatment providers under contract with Community Behavioral Health, and by nonprofits such as Prevention Point Philadelphia and Project HOME.
BSW graduates in these roles connect people to treatment, housing, and medical care, often on the street or in drop-in settings. It is demanding work with real responsibility from the first day. Prescribing, diagnosing, and providing psychotherapy for substance use disorders require further credentials, but bachelor-level outreach and case management are the backbone of the response.
Can I go from a BSW to an MSW in Philadelphia?
Yes, and the region makes it unusually convenient. Philadelphia and its suburbs host several graduate social work programs, so a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program positions you well for Advanced Standing, which lets recent BSW graduates skip the foundation year of an MSW.
Many Philadelphia social workers hold an LBSW, work in a city-funded or hospital role, and complete an MSW part-time. The master’s opens the LSW and, after supervised practice, the LCSW, which is the credential for independent clinical work in Pennsylvania.
Can I get a Social Work license with a BSW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania licenses social workers statewide, so the rules a Philadelphia graduate follows are the state's, taken here from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) regulatory database as captured in 2026.
Yes. A Philadelphia BSW graduate can apply for Pennsylvania's bachelor-level license (LBSW), and the degree that license is built on is a CSWE-accredited BSW, which is why accreditation carries the most weight in how we rank the programs on this page.
| License | Name | Exam | CSWE BSW required |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBSW | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker | ASWB Bachelors exam | Yes |
From a Philadelphia BSW, the license ladder continues to the master's level (LSW) , and the clinical, independent-practice level (LCSW). A recent BSW from an accredited Philadelphia-area program also opens Advanced Standing admission to a master's.
Common Questions About BSW Programs in Philadelphia
How many CSWE-accredited BSW programs are in Philadelphia?
How much do social workers earn in Philadelphia?
Can I earn a BSW online from Philadelphia?
Do I need a license to work with a BSW in Pennsylvania?
BSW programs in other Pennsylvania cities
Sources
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs for the accreditation, campuses, and structure of each Philadelphia-area program.
- U.S. Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer and Population Estimates Program for Philadelphia's coordinates and population.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2025) for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD wages; ASWB regulatory database for Pennsylvania license requirements.
This Philadelphia page was published 2026-10-05 and last updated 2026-10-05. "Near" means a campus within 60 straight-line miles of central Philadelphia.