Top 15 Affordable Online Master of Social Work Programs 2024

By Adam Birch
December 2023

Editor's Choice Badge — High Resolution Badge

Are you wrapping up your bachelor’s in social work degree and looking for a high quality, quick, and (most of all) affordable MSW? Then congratulations! You’ve found the perfect ranking. Everyone knows social workers don’t make a lot of money. And once you get far enough along in your BSW program, you learn that you’re gonna need a master’s to do a lot of social work jobs. There’s a good reason for this. Social work is a broad and complex field and it has a massive impact on the lives of millions of people. Anyone doing a high stakes, high impact job should have the best training possible. So here you are with a bachelor’s degree, probably some student loans, and you start looking for an MSW. And you find that many of these degrees can cost upwards of $40k per year! That’s a lot of money. But don’t despair! We’ve dug around and rooted out the most affordable online MSW programs in the country. All of these programs are CSWE-accredited (the importance of this is highlighted in our methodology section. They’re all delivered 100% online. And if you have a CSWE-accredited BSW, each of these programs has an advanced standing track that allows you to earn your MSW in a year or less. The shortest in our ranking is eight months! Or, if you’d rather earn your MSW part-time while working, the advanced standing track allows you to do that in two years or less. So go ahead and check them out! We’ve got some great online MSW programs here for you that won’t cost an arm and a leg!

Featured Programs

Methodology

We devised this ranking by first creating a list of all online MSW programs. All of the programs featured in our ranking are 100% online. No required residencies. No required travel for placements. Everything in each of these degrees can be completed at home. We then eliminated all degrees not accredited Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). CSWE is the professional accreditation for the social work profession. A CSWE degree is pretty much required to work any significant job in social work. Further, we required each program featured to have an advanced standing track.

Advanced standing basically cuts 18-30 credits out of the MSW degree. At CSWE-accredited schools, advanced standing is only available to those who hold a CSWE-accredited bachelor’s in social work degree. Usually there are some additional grade requirements placed on students who want to enter advanced standing. Now, each of these colleges and universities also offers a traditional 60-credit track. This track is open to all students who don’t have a CSWE-accredited BSW degree. We included the full cost of the program for both the traditional track and the advanced standing track. The colleges in this ranking are ranked by the affordability of the advanced standing track. One of the reasons for this is that the costs of an advanced standing degree can differ more than that of the traditional degree. Traditional MSW programs are all 60 credits. But advanced standing programs can range between 30 to 45 credits.

The tuition figures featured in this article are out-of-state tuition when applicable. The good news is that if you live in the same state as one of these programs, it’s probably even cheaper!

#1. Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University offers, by a significant margin, the cheapest advanced standing, and standard MSW degree. Arkansas State includes fees in the per-credit cost of tuition, meaning there are no surprises. The low numbers you see here are the actual cost of the full program. In this program you will learn to apply evidence-based theories and approaches to serve diverse clients in a variety of settings.

Full Program Tuition: $24,480
Advanced Standing Tuition: $12,240

#2. Western New Mexico University

Western New Mexico University has offered some of the cheapest online degrees for over a decade. Their MSW program is no exception. The tuition for this program may be slightly cheaper or more expensive. Numbers are based on a tuition calculator provided by the university. We used the calculator to derive the per-credit cost for a full-time student and extrapolate the full cost of the program. Any potential variance won’t change that this is one of the cheapest online MSW degrees you’ll find.

Full Program Tuition: $29,100
Advanced Standing Tuition: $14,550

#3. University of North Alabama

Advanced Standing students who already have their BSW will do one internship in this program. Traditional students without a BSW will do two internships. Either way the internships are designed to help you gain hands-on experience in different areas of social work. This program is all about you gaining practical experience, leaving you prepared to work in micro, mezzo, and macro practice. As an advanced generalist degree, it delivers broadly applicable training.

Full Program Tuition: $29,700
Advanced Standing Tuition: $14,850

#4. University of St. Francis

The concentrations offered in this online MSW are advanced generalist and school social work. The program also offers optional post-masters certificates in forensic social work and school social work. And a graduate certificate in gerontology. St. Francis also offers social work students child welfare classes through a direct partnership with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. These courses are designed to grant students the specialized knowledge they will need to begin working in DCFS immediately upon graduation and licensure. That’s a lot of great options for social work students at a great price.

Full Program Tuition: $32,640
Advanced Standing Tuition: $17,408

#5. Campbellsville University

When you graduate with your bachelor’s degree, it’s common to feel a bit lost. People get into social work to make a difference, and you likely feel the same. But social work is a huge field, with a lot of variance between job types and specialties. Campbellsville University’s online MSW wants to help you identify your own strengths, and determine how they can be most effectively utilized in the social work field. They’ll connect you with the resources you need to become the force for change you want to be in the world. Campbellsville offers concentrations in clinical social work, addiction, and as a Christian university, also offers a faith-based area of focus.

Full Program Tuition: $36,000
Advanced Standing Tuition: $18,000

#6. The University of Alabama

Most advanced standing programs are 30 credits. The one at the University of Alabama is 42. This makes the program a bit more expensive for advanced standing students, though it’s still quite affordable. The per-credit cost of the program is still relatively low. Making this one of the cheapest degrees in our ranking for students who are looking for a full 60-credit social work program. The University of Alabama offers a couple rare dual degree programs you might be interested in. The first is an MSW/JD dual degree. Social work and law intersect often and there is endless potential with this pairing. The second is a MSW paired with a Master’s in Public Health. The clients social workers work with are often immensely affected by matters of public health. Having a solid grounding in both fields is a powerful combination. The MSW also offers a couple family oriented concentrations. One focuses on children, adults, and their families. The other focuses simply on adults and their relationship to their families.

Full Program Tuition: $26,400
Advanced Standing Tuition: $18,480

#7. Eastern Kentucky University

The advanced standing program at Eastern Kentucky University is only 30 credits. Which means it could theoretically be completed in just nine months. The courses are delivered in accelerated 8-week terms. It’s not clear how many course one can take simultaneously. So the nine-month degree might not be possible depending on how the overall program is structured. It’s important to note that active-duty military and their spouses receive a massive discount on tuition. Between 30% and 50% off depending on various factors. So if you’re active duty military, or married to someone who is, this could be one of your cheapest options.

Full Program Tuition: $38,160
Advanced Standing Tuition: $19,080

#8. Saint Leo University

If you’re going into social work to contribute to the advancement of social justice, economic justice, and human rights, Saint Leo is a great choice. The goal of the university is to help you develop the skills to do this at the local, national, and global level. The program is focused on advanced clinical social work. The program is designed to prepare you to work with a multitude of populations, including the elderly, military personnel, and marginalized groups who experience systemic oppression.

Full Program Tuition: $37,200
Advanced Standing Tuition: $19,200

#9. Concord University

This online MSW was accredited in 2015. The program is an advanced generalist approach with a specialization in rural practice. Let’s be honest, when most people think social work, they think cities. But rural areas are also in desperate need of social workers. Poor, marginalized, and vulnerable people can be found everywhere. And it’s often the case that those living in rural areas have even less access to essential services than those living in more populous areas. Concord wants to help you prepare to meet the unique needs of those living in rural areas. The generalist approach is important here because a social worker in rural areas may need to wear many hats. Rural social workers will need to engage, assess, intervene, and advocate for individuals and families in their area. This includes working and interacting with a wide variety of organizations and communities.

Full Program Tuition: $32,580
Advanced Standing Tuition: $19,548

#10. Brescia University

Brescia University-15 Cheapest Online MSW Programs

The 30-credit advanced standing program at Brescia can be completed in one year. The classes in this course are all fully online and take fifteen weeks to complete. The learning and benefits of the Brescia program don’t end at graduation. Graduates are linked up with a dynamic learning community. The community allows you to develop professionally, and nurture professional relationships after graduation. Additionally, while not required, online students may visit the physical campus in Kentucky and are encouraged to do so.

Full Program Tuition: $39,900
Advanced Standing Tuition: $19,950

#11. Tarleton State University

One thing that might concern you as an MSW student is whether or not your program prepares you well for the licensing exam. After all, once you graduate, you need to secure licensure. Good news for anyone who graduates with a Tarleton MSW, it is often the case that 100% of graduates who take it pass the license exam. Of course this statistic is for the Texas licensing exam. It’s unclear what the stats might be for students taking the program in other states. However social work standards tend to be pretty uniform from state to state. This is because the major professional organizations are national. Still, it’s not a bad idea to do some research about requirements in your state, and whether or not your online program of choice will meet them. Tarleton’s program is delivered in both synchronous and asynchronous formats, and a hybrid of the two. This allows you to tailor the experience according to your needs. The advanced standing track allows students to complete their MSW online in just eight months.

Full Program Tuition: $40,920
Advanced Standing Tuition: $20,460

#12. University of Oklahoma

The MSW at the University of Oklahoma brings a lot to the table. Small class sizes mean you get more individual attention. It also gives you the opportunity to interact with your fellow students in a more personal way. The program also features immersive simulations designed to bring theory to life. This is a rare thing to find in an online program and is usually reserved for the face-to-face format. The simulations use actors to portray clients and give you hands-on experience in a safe environment. Students can also choose to earn an embedded Certificate in Social Work with American Indians. The University of Oklahoma is fully dedicated to bringing the traditional MSW experience to the online format.

Full Program Tuition: $37,500
Advanced Standing Tuition: $20,625

#13. Minnesota State University-Moorhead

While a generalist MSW is a powerful tool, specializations are powerful in their own right. If you already have a bachelor’s degree in social work, specialization might be what you’re aiming for. Minnesota State University at Moorhead offers two great specializations. The first is a multicultural clinical emphasis. The United States is incredibly culturally diverse. As a social worker you can count on interacting with clients from numerous backgrounds. The multicultural clinical emphasis takes extra steps to prepare you to be effective when relating to and advocating for a diverse array of clients. The other specialization is in social change and leadership. If the past decade and more of activism has shown us anything, it’s that change isn’t easy. Activists and advocates for change can benefit from a deep understanding of community and organizational change.

Full Program Tuition: $37,050
Advanced Standing Tuition: $21,450

#14. University of Missouri

The University of Missouri offers two MSW concentrations. The first is a clinical concentration. The clinical concentration is for students who want to work with individuals, families, small groups, and communities. It’s focused on working within the context of social services organizations. The second concentration is in policy, planning, and administration in human services. This is a concentration focused on the macro-system level. It’s about policy making, and advocacy in social services organizations, and political and government settings. It’s also got a focus on administration and is a good program to choose if you’re aiming for leadership positions within social work.

Full Program Tuition: $34,500
Advanced Standing Tuition: $22,425

#15. University of Memphis

The online MSW at the University of Memphis offers a specialization in advanced practice across systems. The goal of this program is to provide you with the strong generalist foundation you will need while allowing you to use electives and certificates to tailor the program to meet your goals. In this case certificates serve as a somewhat more powerful form of specialization. The certificates offered are school social work, clinical social work, substance abuse, and play therapy.

Full Program Tuition: $37,380
Advanced Standing Tuition: $23,051

Methodology

The tuition figures featured in this article are out-of-state tuition when applicable. The good news is that if you live in the same state as one of these programs, it’s probably even cheaper!

Related Articles:

This concludes our article on the top affordable online MSW programs.

Find Your Degree!