Texas · BSW programs by city
Best BSW Programs near Dallas, TX (2026)
Published · Last updated
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Dallas, Texas (population 1,302,868) has 1 CSWE-accredited BSW program based in the city , with 6 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 Dallas, TX
Dallas gives BSW students access to one of the largest and most varied social-service economies in the South. The city pairs a major corporate and healthcare sector with a deep public safety-net, anchored by Parkland Health and Metrocare Services, so almost every field of practice is represented within the metro.
For a baccalaureate student, that means field placements and entry-level jobs across hospitals, the county mental-health authority, child-welfare agencies, schools, and a large nonprofit sector, often with quick movement from placement into a paid role. Bilingual Spanish-speaking graduates are in steady demand.
Dallas and the surrounding metroplex host several CSWE-accredited BSW programs, and many more are a short drive away in Arlington, Denton, and Fort Worth, giving students a dense network of campuses and field sites.
Best BSW programs in Dallas, TX
Accredited programs with a campus in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX
East Texas A&M University
Commerce, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1978 · On-Campus
7.4
On-campus Full-time 1 certificate Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Dallas
East Texas A&M University teaches the BSW in Dallas itself. The degree runs 120 credit hours over four years with no foreign language requirement and no minor, which leaves 18 to 21 hours of electives outside the major. Two specific courses are locked in beyond the 42-hour Texas core, MATH 1342 and SOC 1306, along with three lower-division social work courses. The Commerce schedule is set rather than chosen: four courses a semester, two face-to-face and two online, with the in-person classes meeting only on Tuesdays in a nine to noon block and a one to four block. Applicants who fall short of the criteria can be admitted conditionally on a readiness plan. In-state tuition runs $4,790 a year against $17,390 for nonresidents, below the local median of $8,319.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.7
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 5.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 6.0
- Program breadth (11%) 5.0
Best BSW programs near Dallas, TX
Accredited programs whose nearest campus is within about 60 miles of Dallas, TX, ranked by our five-factor model. Each card shows the campus city and straight-line distance from the city center.
- #1 Arlington · ~22 mi
University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1982 · Online or On-Campus
8.4
Online option Full or part-time 1 certificate Carnegie R1Why it ranks near Dallas
University of Texas at Arlington teaches the BSW in Arlington, TX, about 22 miles from Dallas. The degree runs 120 credit hours, 60 of them in social work coursework including social work specific electives. Students can start in fall, spring or summer, and the same curriculum is delivered in person and online. Every undergraduate logs a minimum of 400 practicum hours through a social work internship, which the school calls the signature experience of the degree. BSW students also earn credit toward the master's while finishing the bachelor's. In-state tuition runs $12,208 a year against $27,494 for nonresidents, above the local median of $8,319.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 10.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 5.0
- #2 Fort Worth · ~34 mi
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1977 · On-Campus
8.1
On-campus Full or part-time 2 certificates Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Dallas
Texas Christian University teaches the BSW in Fort Worth, TX, about 34 miles from Dallas. Practicum runs across the senior year as a paired sequence, Practicum Seminar 1 in the fall and Practicum Seminar 2 alongside Practicum Education 2 in the spring. Students are judged on an integrative paper scored by the Director of Practicum Education and seminar instructors, plus a skills evaluation completed by the practicum instructor on a four-point scale. Social work sits inside the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences rather than a liberal arts unit, and the department frames its teaching around trauma-informed practice and the analysis of structural inequities. Faculty carry active research agendas, including a 2026-27 Fulbright award for work in India. Published tuition is $57,130 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the local median of $8,319.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.8
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 8.5
- #3 Fort Worth · ~34 mi
Tarleton State University
Bryan, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1980 · On-Campus
7.9
On-campus Full or part-time Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Dallas
Tarleton State University teaches the BSW in Bryan, TX, about 34 miles from Dallas. Coursework pairs a liberal arts base with professional classes in human behavior, crisis intervention, client case management, interviewing strategies, race and ethnic relations and cultural anthropology, plus a service learning research project. Students pick between a general track and a child welfare concentration. The child welfare concentration points students toward child protective services and carries a stipend for up to four semesters that helps cover tuition and living expenses during the internship. Two endowed scholarships, the Donald Cawley and the Herbert H. Jarrett, are restricted to social work majors, and students can join Advocacy Day in Austin or study abroad in Costa Rica. In-state tuition runs $4,416 a year against $14,496 for nonresidents, below the local median of $8,319. It carries the lowest published in-state tuition among the programs within reach of Dallas, TX.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 9.4
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4 Denton · ~36 mi
Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1974 · On-Campus
7.8
On-campus Full or part-time 1 certificate Carnegie R2Why it ranks near Dallas
Texas Woman's University teaches the BSW in Denton, TX, about 36 miles from Dallas. The Orien Levy Woolf Division reports more than 20,000 hours of student community service in a single year, and a federally funded Title IV-E child welfare training program places students with CPS. Student life centers on the Beta Sigma chapter of Phi Alpha and the Child Abuse Prevention Society. Practicum students finish with a capstone presentation demonstrating mastery of the nine social work competencies, scored by a panel of faculty reviewers. Recent placements that produced award-winning work included CitySquare walk-in case management, the Volunteers of America Resolana program for incarcerated women, and a geriatric site. In-state tuition runs $5,712 a year against $15,792 for nonresidents, below the local median of $8,319. No other program among the programs within reach of Dallas, TX has held CSWE accreditation longer.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 7.5
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 5.0
- #5 Denton · ~36 mi
University of North Texas
Denton, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 1975 · On-Campus
7.7
On-campus Full-time 1 certificate Carnegie R1Why it ranks near Dallas
University of North Texas teaches the BSW in Denton, TX, about 36 miles from Dallas. An advisory council of working practitioners both recommends curriculum changes and instructs students during field placements. Its members come from Denton ISD, United Way of Denton, Communities in Schools of North Texas, the Denton County District Attorney's office and area hospice, probate court and psychotherapy practices. A Title IV-E grant from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services funds a final-semester stipend, paid for a field placement inside a Child Protective Services conservatorship unit and a signed contract to work for the agency after graduation. Participants take SOWK 4700, Child Welfare Theory, and clear Child Abuse Registry and driving record checks. In-state tuition runs $8,319 a year against $18,399 for nonresidents, in line with the local median of $8,319.
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%) 5.0
- #6 Waxahachie · ~29 mi
Nelson University
Waxahachie, TX, TX · CSWE-accredited since 2018 · Online or On-Campus
5.1
Online option Full or part-timeWhy it ranks near Dallas
Nelson University teaches the BSW in Waxahachie, TX, about 29 miles from Dallas. The degree is 120 credit hours over four years and runs both on campus and fully online, with flexible scheduling for students working alongside classes. Online students get the same support and career services as residential ones. Applicants need a 2.0 minimum GPA, standardized test scores and a personal statement, plus recommendations from a church or ministry leader, which is a requirement most social work programs do not carry. Published tuition is $17,650 a year at one rate for residents and nonresidents, above the local median of $8,319.
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (40%) 3.3
- Delivery flexibility (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (15%) 5.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- Program breadth (11%) 3.0
Online BSW programs available in Dallas, TX
Texas-based CSWE-accredited programs with an online option, which Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX in 2026?
Dallas, Texas sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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 10,460 social workers , and child, family, and school social workers, the most common BSW-level specialty, earn a $57,080 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 | 4,480 | $57,080 | $40,650 – $75,970 |
| Social & human service assistants (entry-level) | 4,140 | $46,850 | $31,530 – $61,310 |
| Healthcare social workers | 2,630 | $75,930 | $45,440 – $100,110 |
| Mental health & substance abuse social workers | 2,720 | $47,390 | $37,440 – $72,500 |
| Social workers, all other | 630 | $98,670 | $47,790 – $149,240 |
| Social & community service managers (macro) | 3,390 | $80,480 | $51,710 – $128,690 |
How local pay compares
Child, family & school social workers around Dallas, TX earn a median of $57,080 versus $55,680 statewide in Texas and $59,550 nationally. That is at or above the Texas median.
Where do social workers work in Dallas, TX in 2026?
Dallas combines a major corporate and healthcare economy with a deep public safety-net. Parkland Health, one of the largest public hospital systems in the country, along with Children’s Health, UT Southwestern, and Baylor Scott & White, employs medical and pediatric social workers, while Metrocare Services operates as Dallas County’s mental-health authority and the largest provider of behavioral-health services in North Texas.
Dallas County Health and Human Services, the Dallas Independent School District, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services anchor child-welfare, school, and human-services roles. A strong nonprofit sector, including Family Gateway, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, and Jonathan’s Place, hires BSW graduates into case-management and shelter roles across the city.
Dallas, Texas sits in Dallas County. Representative organizations in and around the city that commonly employ social workers and BSW-level human-service staff include:
- Metrocare Services, Dallas County’s mental-health authority
- Parkland Health and Children’s Health (Children’s Medical Center Dallas)
- UT Southwestern Medical Center and Baylor Scott & White
- Dallas Independent School District
- Family Gateway, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, and Jonathan’s Place
- Texas Department of Family and Protective 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, 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 Dallas, TX?
Dallas social workers serve a large, diverse, and growing population, including substantial Latino and immigrant communities where bilingual skills are valuable. Rapid growth and uneven prosperity drive significant need around housing, healthcare access, and family stability.
Child welfare is among the largest fields, given the size of the state’s child-protection system and the county’s safety-net hospitals, and homelessness response has grown with the metro. Medical and behavioral-health social work are well represented thanks to Parkland, Children’s Health, and Metrocare Services.
What are the social work field placements and experience in Dallas, TX?
CSWE’s 400-hour field requirement is easy to meet in Dallas, where Parkland Health, Metrocare Services, Dallas County agencies, school districts, and a large nonprofit sector all host BSW interns. The metroplex’s many campuses keep field-placement networks deep.
Programs in and around Dallas, including the East Texas A&M campus in the city and universities in nearby Arlington, Denton, and Fort Worth, maintain field partnerships across the region. Placements often lead into first jobs and supervised LBSW experience.
Can I work in macro social work in Dallas, TX?
Macro social work, the level focused on organizations, communities, policy, and systems, is well developed in Dallas. The scale of Parkland Health, Metrocare Services, and the metroplex’s large nonprofits creates roles in program coordination, community organizing, grants and development, and administration, often supported by significant corporate philanthropy.
A BSW, and the Texas LBSW, is a realistic entry point into macro work through program-assistant, outreach-coordination, and community-organizing roles at nonprofits and public agencies. Senior macro positions, such as program director or policy analyst, generally expect an MSW with a macro concentration, so many Dallas social workers begin macro at the BSW level and advance after a graduate degree.
Can I work in child welfare or CPS with a BSW in Dallas, TX?
Yes, and child welfare is one of the largest employers of BSW graduates in Dallas. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services hires bachelor’s-level caseworkers for Child Protective Services across Dallas County, and nonprofits such as Jonathan’s Place and the county’s family-services programs add child- and family-focused roles.
BSW graduates work as investigators, conservatorship and family-based-safety-services caseworkers, and case managers, supporting children and families through assessment, placement, and reunification. The work is demanding and turnover is real, but it offers early responsibility and a direct path to LBSW licensure and later an MSW.
Can I go from a BSW to an MSW in Dallas, TX?
Yes, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is one of the best places in Texas to do it. Several universities in and around Dallas offer MSW programs, and a CSWE-accredited BSW positions you for Advanced Standing admission, which lets recent BSW graduates skip the first year of the master’s.
Because clinical practice and the LCSW require a master’s in Texas, many Dallas social workers earn their LBSW, work in a county, hospital, or nonprofit role, and complete an MSW part-time. Local employers often support this path, since it strengthens their own workforce.
Can I get a Social Work license with a BSW in Dallas, 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 Dallas, TX?
How much do social workers earn in Dallas, TX?
Can I earn a BSW online from Dallas, 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.