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BSW Cost Comparison

How Much Will a BSW Cost, and How Much Do Federal Loans Cover?

At the median public school on this site, in-state tuition and fees run $9,708 a year (2023-24, NCES), or $38,832 over four years. A dependent undergraduate can borrow $27,000 in federal Direct Loans over those four years. Pick up to four programs to compare their federal figures, published rates and loan gap side by side.

    Federal Loans Over Four Years

    $27,000

    Dependent undergraduate Direct Loan limits: $5,500, $6,500, $7,500, $7,500 by year, within a $31,000 aggregate. Independent students: $45,000 over four years.

    Add up to four programs to compare.

    How the Figures Work

    Federal tuition and fees is the 2023-24 figure each school reports to NCES College Navigator, for the in-state or out-of-state rate you choose. It's the one cost every school reports the same way, so it's the fairest way to line schools up.

    Published program rate is what the school's own program or tuition page states, with its basis (per credit, per year) and year. For degree completion programs that state both a rate and the credits taken at the school, the comparison multiplies them.

    Grants come first. A Federal Pell Grant and state grants lower what you pay and don't need to be repaid. Loans then cover part of what's left; the gap shown is before any grants or scholarships.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How Much Does a BSW Cost per Year?

    At the 306 public schools on this site, the median in-state tuition and fees figure for 2023-24 is $9,708 a year, and $19,939 for out-of-state students. At 255 private nonprofit schools the median is $35,960. These are federal NCES figures, before grants.

    How Much Can a Dependent Undergraduate Borrow in Federal Loans?

    A dependent undergraduate can borrow $5,500, $6,500, $7,500, $7,500 in federal Direct Loans across the four years, $27,000 in all, within an aggregate limit of $31,000. Independent undergraduates can borrow $45,000 over four years, within $57,500.

    Do Federal Loans Cover Four Years of BSW Tuition?

    At the median public school, four years of in-state tuition and fees at the 2023-24 figure come to $38,832, which leaves $11,832 beyond the $27,000 a dependent student can borrow, before any grants. Pell Grants and state grants don't need to be repaid and lower that figure before you borrow.

    Why Compare Online BSW Programs on the Per-Credit Rate?

    Online and degree completion programs often charge by the credit, sometimes with one rate for every state. 91 programs on this site publish a per-credit rate, and the comparison shows it with the year and residency the school states.

    Does the Comparison Include Housing, Books or Fees Beyond Tuition?

    It includes the tuition and required fees that NCES reports. It leaves out housing, food, books and transportation, which depend on where and how you live; each school's net price calculator adds them for your situation.

    More Free Tools and Guides

    Sources

    1. NCES College Navigator, tuition and fees 2023-24
    2. Official tuition and program pages of each school, reviewed September 2026
    3. Federal Student Aid: subsidized and unsubsidized loans (annual and aggregate limits)
    4. Federal Student Aid: Federal Pell Grants
    5. Federal Student Aid: Public Service Loan Forgiveness

    Every program on this site was checked against the school's own website. Accreditation status comes only from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) directory, license rules from each state's social work board, and tuition and graduate counts from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES/IPEDS). Sponsored listings are labeled and never change which programs we list or how we rank them. How we verify programs