Best online colleges for social work

Social work is a dynamic profession focused on promoting social justice, individual and community wellbeing, and advocating for the rights and needs of vulnerable populations. A bachelor’s in social work (BSW) allows you to pursue direct services basic care roles in non-clinical settings like schools, nonprofit organizations, correctional facilities, and government agencies. Earning your social work degree online is a great option if you need flexible learning, but you may need to complete practical components like field experience in person. Worried about the quality of an online education? Three years after finishing college, graduates from online BSW programs earn an average of $35,589 – just $1,233 less than on-campus graduates. Here, we rank the best accredited online colleges for social work to help you find high-quality programs. For more on how we rank schools, check out our methodology.

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#1 in Social Work
Economic score 2.82

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $10,775

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $39,508

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 46%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#2 in Social Work
Economic score 2.92

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $3,743

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $31,834

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 56%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#3 in Social Work
Economic score 3.04

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $12,498

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $42,444

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 58%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#4 in Social Work
Economic score 3.05

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $12,689

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $41,427

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 53%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#5 in Social Work
Economic score 3.19

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,313

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $46,764

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 43%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#6 in Social Work
Economic score 3.36

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $7,089

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $32,717

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 57%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#7 in Social Work
Economic score 3.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $16,065

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $42,030

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 44%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#8 in Social Work

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Economic score 4.21

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,184

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $37,743

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 42%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#9 in Social Work
Economic score 4.42

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $10,094

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $35,533

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 48%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#10 in Social Work

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Economic score 4.42

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,887

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $38,716

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#11 in Social Work

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

Economic score 4.44

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,355

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $36,559

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#12 in Social Work
Economic score 4.56

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,872

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $39,947

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 52%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#13 in Social Work

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

Economic score 4.58

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,572

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $39,541

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 75%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#14 in Social Work

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Economic score 4.61

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,904

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $36,629

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 58%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#15 in Social Work

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Economic score 4.83

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $16,033

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $41,318

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 52%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#16 in Social Work

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

Economic score 4.84

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $16,966

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $42,646

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 62%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#17 in Social Work

Brescia University

Owensboro, Kentucky

Economic score 5.09

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $13,831

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $35,714

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 39%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#18 in Social Work

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas

Economic score 5.21

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $14,339

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $38,289

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 57%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#19 in Social Work

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Economic score 5.41

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $20,371

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $40,204

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 63%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

#20 in Social Work

Keuka College

Keuka Park, New York

Economic score 5.49

Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.

Cost $25,797

The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.

Earnings $43,415

Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.

Graduation rate 59%

Graduation rates below average for online schools nationally (48%) are show in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (34%) are not ranked and are displayed at the end of the ranking list.

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How long does it take me to repay an online bachelor's degree in social work?

Years

8.1 years

The cost of the average online bachelor's degree in social work is covered by the new earnings of graduates in 8.1 years.

How much do graduates with an online bachelor's degree in social work earn?

Salary

$35,589

The median online bachelor's degree in social work graduate earns $35,589 3 years after graduating.

How much does an online bachelor's degree in social work cost?

Net cost

$17,321

The average annual cost of an online bachelor's degree in social work is $17,321. This is the net cost and considers only students that have received Title IV funds.

How do online earnings compare to campus earnings?

Earning difference

- $1,233

The median earnings for an online bachelor's degree in social work is $35,589, while the median earnings for a campus-based bachelor's degree in social work is $36,822.