University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs for a masters in social work.
A master’s degree in social work is an advanced program that students can pursue after completing their bachelor’s degree. It can take as few as 30 but as many as 60 credit hours to complete a social work master’s degree, but individual program requirements may vary across institutions even if they offer the same final degree. Regardless, most master’s degrees take only two years for full-time students to complete. One notable exception is a law degree, which takes three years to complete.
These days, there are endless variations on how students can pursue graduate school. There are more and more accelerated master’s programs that allow undergraduate students to begin their graduate work along with their bachelor’s degree coursework. For students who work hard, these programs can be completed in a mere five years all together, rather than four for the bachelor’s and two for the master’s, thus expediting the master’s degree at a reduced cost.
Another new development in graduate studies is the dual degree program. This is most often found when degrees are combined with an MBA degree program. Even a master’s degree in social work may be combined with MBA studies, though this may be rather rare. A more likely pairing might be public administration and a MSW or a sociology MS combined with social work.
Featured Online Programs
Top 25 Best Online Masters in Social Work Programs
Regis College
Score: 79.91
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $23,688
- Out-of-State: $23,688
- Net Price: $30,014
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 3,230
- Undergrad Students: 1,121
- Graduate Students: 2,109
- Grads Salary: $100,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
University of South Florida
Score: 79.61
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,350
- Out-of-State: $19,048
- Net Price: $11,004
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 49,600
- Undergrad Students: 38,047
- Graduate Students: 11,553
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
University of St. Francis
Score: 79.11
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,382
- Out-of-State: $14,382
- Net Price: $18,560
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 3,297
- Undergrad Students: 1,414
- Graduate Students: 1,883
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Yeshiva University
Score: 78.52
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $34,800
- Out-of-State: $34,800
- Net Price: $35,912
- Acceptance Rate: 63%
- Retention Rate: 92%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 6,056
- Undergrad Students: 2,866
- Graduate Students: 3,190
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
Auburn University
Score: 78.41
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,692
- Out-of-State: $32,076
- Net Price: $25,271
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 31,764
- Undergrad Students: 25,379
- Graduate Students: 6,385
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of Central Florida
Score: 77.88
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,916
- Out-of-State: $25,759
- Net Price: $13,108
- Acceptance Rate: 41%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 68,346
- Undergrad Students: 58,662
- Graduate Students: 9,684
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 29:1
George Mason University
Score: 77.63
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,726
- Out-of-State: $35,677
- Net Price: $18,479
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 39,049
- Undergrad Students: 27,014
- Graduate Students: 12,035
- Grads Salary: $82,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
University of Utah
Score: 76.98
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,353
- Out-of-State: $25,961
- Net Price: $12,399
- Acceptance Rate: 89%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 34,734
- Undergrad Students: 26,355
- Graduate Students: 8,379
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Tulane University of Louisiana
Score: 76.42
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $63,814
- Out-of-State: $63,814
- Net Price: $50,263
- Acceptance Rate: 11%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 87%
- Total Enrollment: 14,027
- Undergrad Students: 8,785
- Graduate Students: 5,242
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 8:1
University of Oklahoma-Norman
Score: 76.08
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,903
- Out-of-State: $25,163
- Net Price: $22,601
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 28,308
- Undergrad Students: 21,282
- Graduate Students: 7,026
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Howard University
Score: 75.81
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,334
- Out-of-State: $37,334
- Net Price: $28,279
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 88%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 12,886
- Undergrad Students: 9,809
- Graduate Students: 3,077
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
University of New Hampshire
Score: 75.77
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,170
- Out-of-State: $27,810
- Net Price: $24,507
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 13,953
- Undergrad Students: 11,512
- Graduate Students: 2,441
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Simmons University
Score: 75.54
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,500
- Out-of-State: $28,500
- Net Price: $24,423
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 74%
- Total Enrollment: 5,710
- Undergrad Students: 1,788
- Graduate Students: 3,922
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Score: 75.5
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,467
- Out-of-State: $19,036
- Net Price: $13,951
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 29,551
- Undergrad Students: 23,461
- Graduate Students: 6,090
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
University of Missouri-Columbia
Score: 75.37
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,000
- Out-of-State: $30,000
- Net Price: $19,889
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 31,304
- Undergrad Students: 23,745
- Graduate Students: 7,559
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Temple University
Score: 75.27
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $21,042
- Out-of-State: $27,555
- Net Price: $23,935
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 33,196
- Undergrad Students: 24,106
- Graduate Students: 9,090
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Arizona State University
Score: 75.26
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,376
- Out-of-State: $25,722
- Net Price: $14,808
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 80,065
- Undergrad Students: 65,492
- Graduate Students: 14,573
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Score: 74.7
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,468
- Out-of-State: $29,656
- Net Price: $21,880
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 89%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 33,805
- Undergrad Students: 27,039
- Graduate Students: 6,766
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Andrews University
Score: 74.69
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $27,380
- Out-of-State: $27,380
- Net Price: $24,194
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 71%
- Total Enrollment: 2,858
- Undergrad Students: 1,295
- Graduate Students: 1,563
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Wayne State University
Score: 74.68
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $18,301
- Out-of-State: $39,639
- Net Price: $15,347
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 60%
- Total Enrollment: 23,630
- Undergrad Students: 15,958
- Graduate Students: 7,672
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Bethel University-Saint Paul
Score: 74.21
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,566
- Out-of-State: $10,566
- Net Price: $29,915
- Acceptance Rate: 72%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 3,546
- Undergrad Students: 2,592
- Graduate Students: 954
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Appalachian State University
Score: 73.69
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,081
- Out-of-State: $20,841
- Net Price: $13,084
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 75%
- Total Enrollment: 20,436
- Undergrad Students: 18,558
- Graduate Students: 1,878
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Adelphi University
Score: 73.53
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $46,575
- Out-of-State: $46,575
- Net Price: $26,953
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 7,252
- Undergrad Students: 5,055
- Graduate Students: 2,197
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Score: 73.32
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,960
- Out-of-State: $12,960
- Net Price: $24,485
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 66%
- Total Enrollment: 4,988
- Undergrad Students: 2,817
- Graduate Students: 2,171
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Louisiana State University
Score: 73.15
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,132
- Out-of-State: $9,132
- Net Price: $21,296
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 37,348
- Undergrad Students: 30,952
- Graduate Students: 6,396
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
