2024 Best Accredited Online Colleges for Social Work

SOCIAL WORK DEGREES

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES

College students majoring in social work are ubiquitous. Each concentration gives out about 6,200 four-year degrees a year; 22,681 students completed a college degree in social work last year, making it the 26th most popular concentration nationally. 234 of those students came out of Grand Canyon University, which has the biggest department in the USA. 1,523 of those degrees were earned at schools in Texas.

Choosing the right fit will probably be hard, considering bachelor's degrees in social work are available at 602 institutions across the country. Undergraduate degrees in social work are offered at 3.1 times more colleges than the average subject, making it the 32nd most widely available area of study in America.

GRADUATE DEGREES

While a little less than 3/7ths of degrees in social work last spring were four-year degrees; 58% were advanced degrees. Social work is the 6th most popular master's or doctor's degree in the United States, with 31,849 degrees granted. For some context, postgraduate degrees in social work are 11.5 times more popular among graduate students than the average major.

In Total, 54,530 students received a bachelor's or higher in social work last spring.

ONLINE SOCIAL WORK DEGREES

5,559 of those 54,530 alumni (10.2%) were awarded their degrees online - 915 undergrad students and 4,644 postgrad students. As you likely can tell, social work is a relatively in-demand online area of study. It is currently the 36th most popular remote degree, and 90.1% north of the US average of 481 students per concentration. For master's or doctor's students, it's ranked 10th, with 7.5 times the average number of postgrad students per field (481).

Grand Canyon University​ awarded more online four-year degrees in social work than any other institution in America (159). Last fall, 40,001 college students were enrolled in the college completely remotely, 68% of their student body. They offer 38 online concentrations, which is 61% of their subjects.

Further, Colleges from Indiana conferred the most online undergrad degrees in social work last May (224). The state alone accounts for 24% of the discipline's online students.

Only 4% of all undergrad degrees in social work are completed in an online program, (14.6% for advanced degrees). Brescia University's​ last undergraduate class contained a higher percentage of online social work majors than any other school in the United States of America (15.07%). 26 students in their 171 student class were conferred an online college degree in social work. They offer 7 subjects entirely remote, and had 345 enrolled online undergrads last fall. That's 37% of the student body.

51 colleges around the country have bachelor's degrees through online programs, making it the 32nd most widely offered remote degree. 8% of schools handing out the degree even have a remote option, and roughly 55% of the colleges furnishing the degree online are public. Kentucky heads up the country in providing remote options, with 4 of the programs based there.

If you wish to study social work and like the comfort of home, we recommend you check out Rutgers University-New Brunswick, as it has the 2nd best social work program in the nation. They also grant an additional 32 degrees online, so their systems are likely dialed. Furthermore, there are 626 online undergrad students attending, which is 2% of the enrolled students.

PARTIALLY ONLINE SOCIAL WORK DEGREES

• Social work is the 21st most popular partially online bachelor's degree in the United States
• Bachelor's degrees in social work are offered partially online at 529 schools in the country
• 27.53% of all undergraduate degree in social work are done partially online
• Arizona State University-Downtown Phoenix​ granted more partially online undergrad degrees in social work than any other U.S. school (111)
• Last year, about 5 in every 8 partially online degrees in social work were undergraduate degrees; 38% were advanced degrees
• The average partially online major confers 1,683 annual bachelor's degrees or higher

IN-PERSON SOCIAL WORK DEGREES

• Social work is the 26th most common in-person undergrad degree in the United States
• Social work is the 87th most universally offered completely in-person college degree in the nation
• 68.44% of all undergrad degree in social work are done entirely in-person
• 26.67% of Keuka College's​ last undergraduate class majored in social work in-person, higher than any other U.S. college
• New York graduates more social work majors totally in-person than any other state (1,023 undergraduate degrees granted last May)
• The average in-person major grants 6,102 yearly bachelor's degrees or higher

SOCIAL WORK OVERVIEW

You can earn a social work degree from a reputable online school and enjoy a fulfilling career in roles like:

• Social Workers
• Care Managers
• Community Development Worker
• Family Support Worker
• Behavior Analyst

Social workers are essential in societies as they help connect individuals to necessary services and assist them with major life changes. Their median annual salaries range from $50,000 to $70,000.

Top-paying roles like social work professors may require an advanced license or other credentials.

The Labor Department estimated a 12% growth in social work roles by 2030, with over 70,000 job opportunities yearly.

Like most careers, social workers’ salaries depend on education levels, employment settings, and geographic location. States like California and Connecticut have the highest-paid social workers.

Other industries that employ social workers include:

• Insurance carriers
• Hospitals and outpatient healthcare services
• Government agencies
• Professional organizations and advocacy groups

Social workers’ roles have grown over the last few years to include crisis management, empowerment, and advocacy. These skill sets have evolved to match the rapid changes in societies.

Social workers' active roles in communities usually impact health statistics, school attendance, employment, and crime rates. You can play an active role in improving the quality of life of high-risk neighborhoods and cities.

With a social work degree from an accredited online school, you can help different types of people, including:

• Disabled individuals
• Domestic abuse victims
• Homeless youths, and
• The less-privileged

Keep reading to discover the best online accredited programs that let you earn a degree in social work.