10 Affordable Online Social Work Degrees (2025)
Ready to help people in difficult life situations work toward a better future? Check out these affordable online social work degree programs to get started.
If you're an empathetic person, you may be looking for a job that lets you help and connect with people. This means working through a degree program related to a community-supporting career, such as social work.
But how can you afford to get an online bachelor's degree in social work?
Take a look at 10 of the most affordable online social work degree programs in the United States to get started on your journey toward helping improve the lives of others in your community today.
List of Affordable Social Work Degrees Online
Here are some of the most affordable online social work degree programs that are available in the United States.
1. University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC) is the oldest public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. It's accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
UC's online Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) teaches students how to support their community members through issues like poverty, discrimination, and domestic violence with care and consideration for the person in their current environment.
To apply for this online program, students must have some form of prior social work or pre-social work college instruction - this can include a free targeted open online course (TOOC) from the university.
2. University of Utah
The University of Utah is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah that's accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
The BSW program offered by the University of Utah is only 48 credit hours and can be completed entirely online.
The program includes courses in behavioral, physical science, and humanities areas in order to give students a wide knowledge foundation for future employment in social work.
3. Appalachian State University
Originally founded as a teacher's college, Appalachian State University (App State) is now a full public university in Boone, North Carolina with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Available part-time and full-time online, App State's social work degree is all about becoming a champion for others and honing your passion for social justice to benefit the community through instruction that focuses on researching, understanding, and influencing social policy.
The program is 120 credit hours and includes courses like 'Social Justice Practice Across the Profession' and 'Human Behavior and the Social Environment.'
4. The State University of New York at Plattsburgh
The State University of New York at Plattsburgh (SUNY Plattsburgh) is a public university in Plattsburgh, New York that's part of the State University of New York system. It's accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
SUNY Plattsburgh's Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Social Work is a 120 credit hour course offered online for students who want to learn about human behavior, social welfare policy, and research methods.
Online classes are available with live instruction from the same faculty that teaches on SUNY Plattsburgh's campus.
5. Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) is a public university in Richmond, Kentucky that offers more than 40 online undergraduate and graduate degree programs. It's accredited by the SACSCOC.
EKU offers an online BSW program with eight-week classes that allow you to focus on only two classes at a time while still taking a full-time course load. Students who want to learn how to help vulnerable members of their community can use the BSW as a springboard for their careers.
To help reduce costs for students, EKU offers free applications, free textbooks, and free tutoring - including online tutoring - for all students.
6. Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University(GCU) is a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona that primarily serves students online and has accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.
Students who want to learn how to become social workers without necessarily getting their licensure immediately can benefit from GCU's BSW program.
The online format of the program provides flexibility for students, while the program's content teaches them skills related to cultural competency and advocacy for vulnerable individuals in need of the help social workers provide.
7. Capella University
Capella University is a private online university with a headquarters in Minnesota. It offers more than 40 degree programs and 1,500 online courses and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Capella University teaches you how to become an effective leader, researcher, educator, or practitioner within the social work industry through its online BSW program.
This program is designed to be able to be completed online with some in-person experience opportunities and can be completed faster than the average bachelor's program.
8. University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky that's part of the Kentucky State University system and accredited by the SACSCOC.
The online BSW program offered by UofL's Kent School of Social Work is designed to provide students with a high-quality social work education without the campus requirement that usually holds them back.
In addition to emphasizing social justice issues, this program helps students gain critical thinking, communication, planning, and implementation skills that will help them in their careers.
9. Limestone University
Limestone University is a private Christian university in Gaffney, South Carolina that has multiple campuses throughout the state. It's accredited by the SACSCOC.
The Bachelor of Social Work offered by Limestone University teaches students how to address the key issues and societal ills that the general public suffers from on a regular basis with consideration and care.
The online program is the same as the on-campus one, but students attending online are able to use asynchronous courses to make the most of their time in and out of class.
10. Methodist University
Methodist University is a private university that is affiliated with the North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, it's accredited by the SACSCOC.
Methodist University is teaching students how to become social workers using a foundational basis of psychology, sociology, American government, and applied statistics in its social work bachelor's program.
This 124 credit hour online program can be completed in 3.5 years and allows up to 93 credit hours to be transferred.
How Much Does an Online Bachelor's Degree in Social Work Cost?
According to the U.S. News and World Report, most affordable online social work degrees have a per-credit cost between $400 and $500, meaning most students will pay between $48,000 and $53,000 in tuition for the entire program.
Many of the programs listed above fall within this range or are even cheaper.
How To Make an Online Social Work Degree Affordable
You can make an already-affordable online social work degree even more of a bargain by:
- Taking Classes Full-Time: Some schools offer reduced tuition rates for full-time students compared to part-time ones.
- Apply for Scholarships and Grants: You usually don't have to pay these types of financial aid back, so you save more by paying tuition with them.
- Transfer Credits and Experience: Find a school that will apply work or volunteer experience toward degree requirements. The more credits you have going in, the less you have to spend on tuition for classes.
Is an Online Social Work Degree Worth It?
An affordable online social work degree is definitely worth it. Not only do you save time and money with an online degree, but social work degrees are able to open the door for people to work in the justice system, the medical field, or as community leaders.
With an online social work degree, you can increase your career options by pursuing your passion and backing it up with higher education - there's nothing worth more than that.
Find an Affordable Degree in Social Work Online Near You
Now that you know about the affordable online social work degree programs available to you, the average cost of a bachelor's in social work, and ways to save yourself even more money during your program, it's time to find the online degree in social work that works for you today.
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