Texas · BSW programs by city
Best BSW Programs near Austin, TX (2026)
Published · Last updated
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Austin, Texas (population 979,882) has 2 CSWE-accredited BSW programs based in the city , with 3 more accredited programs within about 60 miles. 6 Texas programs also offer an online option. Every program below is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the requirement for baccalaureate social work education and for Advanced Standing admission to an MSW.
Studying for a BSW in Austin, TX
Austin offers BSW students something no other Texas city can: the social-work and policy ecosystem of a state capital. State agencies headquartered here, including the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services, sit alongside a fast-growing metro with its own county, hospital, and nonprofit employers.
For a baccalaureate student, that means field placements and entry-level jobs that range from direct practice to state-agency program and policy work, a combination that is rare for an entry-level workforce. Austin’s rapid growth has also sharpened need around housing and behavioral health.
Austin hosts well-regarded CSWE-accredited BSW programs at the University of Texas at Austin and St. Edward’s University, with Texas State’s program a short drive south, feeding graduates into both local agencies and state government.
Best BSW programs in Austin, TX
Accredited programs with a campus in Austin, TX, ranked by our five-factor model. National and online rank badges appear only for programs in the top 25 (nationally, or among online programs).
- #1 In Austin, TX
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.4
On-campus Full-time Carnegie R1Why it ranks near Austin
University of Texas at Austin teaches the BSW in Austin itself. The degree requires 122 credit hours plus two separate experiential requirements, 400 clock hours of practicum internship and 30 clock hours of service learning in a community agency. Service learning begins in the first semester rather than waiting for the upper-division years. The school runs its own DiNitto Career Center for social work students and alumni, with career coaching, a resume and interviewing library, and Thursday walk-in advising. It also maintains Texas licensure guidance for the LBSW, LMSW and LCSW plus exam preparation resources. In-state tuition runs $11,678 a year against $42,778 for nonresidents, in line with the local median of $11,678.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 10.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 6.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2 In Austin, TX
St. Edward's University
Austin, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
6.9
On-campus Full-time 1 certificateWhy it ranks near Austin
St. Edward's University teaches the BA in Austin itself. Professors run active research on human trafficking, immigration detention and LGBTQIA+ youth in foster care, and undergraduates work alongside them on it. The program also hosts continuing education for licensed practitioners on Texas specific issues such as Operation Lone Star and SB 4, and offers a standalone minor in Social Welfare. Graduates have taken social work roles at Integral Care, Communities in Schools, Austin Independent School District, Lifeworks, Jolt and Con Mi Madre, while others served with the Peace Corps or as Fulbright English teaching assistants. Alumni have gone on to graduate study at Washington University, Columbia and UT Austin. Published tuition is $50,484 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the local median of $11,678.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 6.0
- Program breadth (11%) 5.0
Best BSW programs near Austin, TX
Accredited programs whose nearest campus is within about 60 miles of Austin, TX, ranked by our five-factor model. Each card shows the campus city and straight-line distance from the city center.
- #1 Round Rock · ~15 mi
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1978 · Online or On-Campus
8.3
Online option Full or part-time Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Austin
Texas State University teaches the BSW in San Marcos, TX, about 15 miles from Austin. Phase III is one block internship, SOWK 4975 at nine credits and 420 contact hours, taken with the three-credit SOWK 4374 integrative seminar across roughly fifteen weeks. The Office of Field Education arranges every placement and asks students not to contact partner agencies themselves. The school runs a Title IV-E Child Welfare Partnership with a separate track for people already working at CPS, and keeps a virtual reality technology lab and the Richter Research Institute in house. Graduation requires a 2.50 university GPA plus a 2.75 average in social work and supportive courses. In-state tuition runs $8,606 a year against $20,366 for nonresidents, below the local median of $11,678. It operates more approved teaching sites than any of the programs within reach of Austin, TX.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 8.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2 Belton · ~55 mi
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Belton, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1994 · On-Campus
5.5
On-campus Full-timeWhy it ranks near Austin
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor teaches the BSW in Belton, TX, about 55 miles from Austin. Majors complete a 450-hour field placement in a local agency, with course-based service learning and community volunteering running alongside it. Recent placements include Family Promise of East Bell County, and the program frames its training inside what it calls a Christ-centered learning community. Social work shares a department with criminal justice inside the College of Humanities and Sciences, a unit that also teaches core curriculum courses for the wider university. The department is based in Belton and chaired by Dr. Christine Nix. Published tuition is $30,600 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the local median of $11,678.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 7.1
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 6.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3 Killeen · ~57 mi
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Killeen, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 2014 · On-Campus
4.7
On-campus Full or part-timeWhy it ranks near Austin
Texas A&M University-Central Texas teaches the BSW in Killeen, TX, about 57 miles from Austin. The program sits in the College of Arts and Sciences at the Killeen campus, with faculty housed in the Humanities department and a small student to instructor ratio. Advising emphasizes the transition from lower to upper division coursework, and Transferology lets incoming students check course equivalencies against a database of more than 46,000. Stipend candidates must already be admitted to the BSW major, carry at least a 2.5 GPA, have finished SOWK 4311 Child Welfare, and have attended both the social work new student orientation and the field orientation. Fingerprinting and an FBI background check are required, and DFPS interviews each applicant before deciding on placement. CSWE accreditation dates to 2014, 12 years of unbroken standing, below the local median of 48 years. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the programs within reach of Austin, TX.
Visit the Texas A&M University-Central Texas BSW program site
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 3.9
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
Online BSW programs available in Austin, TX
Texas-based CSWE-accredited programs with an online option, which Austin, TX residents can complete from home. See the full online BSW ranking for national options.
| Institution | Accredited | Format | Natl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of the Lake University | 1974 | Online or On-Campus | #10 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | 1982 | Online or On-Campus | #30 |
| Texas State University | 1978 | Online or On-Campus | #38 |
| Abilene Christian University | 1982 | Online or On-Campus | #65 |
| Angelo State University | 2010 | Online or On-Campus | #407 |
| Nelson University | 2018 | Online or On-Campus | #460 |
What can you earn with a BSW in Austin, TX in 2026?
Austin, Texas sits within the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, the labor market that sets pay and demand for its social-service workforce. Across the social-work specialties, the area employs roughly 3,790 social workers , and child, family, and school social workers, the most common BSW-level specialty, earn a $58,640 median. Figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program (May 2025).
| Occupation | Employed | Median wage | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family & school social workers | 1,670 | $58,640 | $45,790 – $77,420 |
| Social & human service assistants (entry-level) | 2,470 | $49,150 | $37,280 – $60,160 |
| Healthcare social workers | 1,010 | $76,020 | $39,150 – $100,050 |
| Mental health & substance abuse social workers | 860 | $47,740 | $37,730 – $77,630 |
| Social workers, all other | 250 | $61,690 | $43,850 – $128,940 |
| Social & community service managers (macro) | 1,580 | $80,030 | $54,990 – $127,840 |
How local pay compares
Child, family & school social workers around Austin, TX earn a median of $58,640 versus $55,680 statewide in Texas and $59,550 nationally. That is at or above the Texas median.
Where do social workers work in Austin, TX in 2026?
As the state capital, Austin offers something other Texas cities do not: a concentration of state-government social-service and policy jobs. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services are headquartered here, so Austin draws social workers into program, policy, and statewide-administration roles alongside direct practice.
Locally, Integral Care serves as Travis County’s mental-health authority, and hospital systems including Dell Children’s Medical Center, Ascension Seton, and St. David’s HealthCare hire medical and behavioral-health social workers. The Austin Independent School District and nonprofits such as SAFE Alliance and Caritas of Austin add school and community roles in one of the country’s fastest-growing metros.
Austin, Texas sits in Travis County. Representative organizations in and around the city that commonly employ social workers and BSW-level human-service staff include:
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission and DFPS (state headquarters)
- Integral Care, Travis County’s mental-health authority
- Dell Children’s Medical Center, Ascension Seton, and St. David’s HealthCare
- Austin Independent School District
- SAFE Alliance and Caritas of Austin
- Travis County Health and Human Services
Representative local employers known to operate in the area; illustrative, not an exhaustive or BLS-sourced list.
Nationally, BLS projects social worker employment to grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, driven by demand in healthcare and mental-health settings. Social and human service assistant roles, a common BSW entry point, are projected to grow alongside them. See pay by role in our salary guides.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) for Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX; employment projections from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Wages are annual medians for all workers in each occupation; BLS does not break pay out by degree, and BSW-level roles typically fall toward the lower end of each range.
Who do social workers serve in Austin, TX?
Austin social workers serve a fast-growing and economically divided population, where a booming technology economy sits beside rising housing costs and displacement. Homelessness and housing instability have become central concerns, pulling social workers into outreach, navigation, and supportive-housing roles.
The city also has growing Latino and immigrant communities and a large student population, and as the state capital it concentrates the people who shape and deliver Texas social policy. Child welfare, behavioral health, and family-violence services round out the major fields.
What are the social work field placements and experience in Austin, TX?
With CSWE’s 400-hour requirement, Austin students train across Integral Care, Dell Children’s and Ascension Seton, Travis County agencies, school districts, and nonprofits, plus state agencies that offer placements in program and policy settings.
The University of Texas at Austin, St. Edward’s University, and nearby Texas State maintain field partnerships across the metro, and a placement in a state agency or capitol-adjacent nonprofit can build policy experience that is hard to find elsewhere in Texas.
Can I work in macro social work in Austin, TX?
Austin is the strongest place in Texas for macro social work, the level focused on policy, advocacy, community organizing, and systems change. As the state capital, it concentrates the agencies, advocacy organizations, and coalitions that shape Texas social policy, from the Health and Human Services Commission to statewide nonprofits.
A BSW, and the Texas LBSW, can open the door to macro work through legislative and advocacy-support, program-assistant, and community-organizing roles. Lead macro positions, such as policy analyst or program director, usually call for an MSW with a macro concentration, so Austin is an ideal place to start macro practice at the BSW level and advance with a graduate degree.
Can I work in social work policy or state government with a BSW in Austin, TX?
Yes, more so than anywhere else in Texas. Austin is the seat of state government, and agencies like the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services hire bachelor’s-level staff for program, eligibility, and caseworker roles, while advocacy organizations and the legislature draw social workers into policy support.
A BSW and an LBSW qualify you for many of these entry-level program and casework positions. The most senior policy and analyst roles often prefer or require an MSW with a macro focus, but Austin lets you build policy and systems experience at the bachelor level that is genuinely hard to get in other Texas cities.
Is a BSW worth it in Austin, TX?
For many students, yes, though Austin’s rising cost of living is a real consideration. Texas licenses at the bachelor level, so an Austin BSW leads directly to the LBSW credential and to jobs across state agencies, the county, hospitals, and nonprofits, with state positions offering stable pay and strong public-sector benefits.
Because Austin housing costs have climbed quickly, BSW-level pay can feel tight, so some graduates rely on public-sector benefits or plan an MSW to raise their earning ceiling. For students who want to combine direct practice with exposure to state policy, though, Austin offers opportunities that are hard to match.
Can I get a Social Work license with a BSW in Austin, Texas?
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Texas 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 (LMSW, LMSW-AP), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LCSW). A CSWE-accredited BSW also qualifies graduates for Advanced Standing admission to a master's program.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CSWE-accredited BSW programs are in Austin, TX?
How much do social workers earn in Austin, TX?
Can I earn a BSW online from Austin, TX?
Do I need a license to work with a BSW in Texas?
BSW programs in other Texas cities
Sources
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs for program accreditation, campuses, and structure.
- U.S. Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer (city coordinates) and Population Estimates Program (population).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2025) for metro wages; ASWB regulatory database for Texas license requirements.
Published 2026-06-29; last updated 2026-08-05. "Near" means a program campus within 60 straight-line miles of the city center.