New York’s Most Affordable Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Programs

A bachelor’s degree is the necessary first step toward a profession in social work. It’s a field that draws on expertise in communication, in social studies, knowledge of history, empathy, and problem-solving. A four-year degree, with its combination of built-in liberal arts and humanities education and specific coursework in the elements of social work, is perfectly suited to preparing you for entry-level roles in a complex field.

College is expensive, though, and social work is a field that delivers its greatest returns in the satisfaction the work brings.

A BSW is itself a way to make the path to professional social work more affordable. By qualifying you for a one-year advanced-standing MSW program, it shaves a full year off of graduate degree costs.

So naturally, we wanted to put together a list that shows a snapshot of tuition costs for Bachelor of Social Work programs offered at New York universities. All of them meet the important requirements you need to either start work immediately in an unlicensed position or to move you even further toward the goal of earning a Master of Social Work.

As College Costs Climb, Affordable BSW Programs in New York Become Increasingly Important

Your social work career doesn’t really start with a bachelor’s degree.

It started some time ago. You watched, perhaps, as classmates from marginalized groups worked twice as hard for half the opportunities. Maybe you started to wonder why some people had food and clothes in abundance while others relied on school lunch programs and wore hand-me-downs all the time.

You have the inspiration. All you need now is an affordable way to get the tools it takes to get the work done.

In one way or another, the injustice that stains our world got your attention. And that’s most likely to happen when you are in the thick of it. That’s why people drawn to social work don’t always come from neighborhoods where going to college is a given.

You’re here because life has taught you that everyone deserves a hand. And it’s your turn now to get a lift toward your career goals from colleges that deliver the education you need at a price you can afford.

Keeping Quality at the Top of the List With CSWE Accredited New York BSW Degrees

One thing you definitely need is a school that hits all the highest standards for social work education today. We know these degrees meet those standards because we have exclusively selected programs that have been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

CSWE evaluates and accredits programs based on a stringent set of the most up-to-date expectations in social work education and practice. Their stamp of approval is a must-have for licensure as a social worker in New York. That means it’s also critical if you plan to eventually take your education to the next level with an MSW.

CSWE accreditation is how you and anyone reading your resume know that you got a first-rate education in social work, no matter how much you saved on your degree program. And CSWE-accredited BSW programs are all you will find on this list.

How We Present New York’s Most Affordable BSW Programs on This List

Our process for identifying affordable BSWs in New York was straightforward. You don’t have to look hard to find them here.

First, we calculate the total cost of each BSW program the same way:

Total number of credits 

X

In-state cost per-credit 

_____________________________

Total estimated tuition cost.

With schools sometimes showing semester or annual tuition rates, and with some slight variation in the number of total credits a program requires, this simple formula ensures we’re always presenting an accurate estimated total and using a common data point (per-credit cost) for our comparisons.

Then, we split public university programs from those offered by private colleges. That ensures an apples-to-apples comparison for costs.

In New York, public universities are dominated by schools in the SUNY or CUNY systems. Since they are state or city run, despite being at different campuses, they all have more or less identical per-credit costs. Although some differences in total cost of attendance emerge due to different curriculum requirements, these are all eminently affordable and so all of them make the grade here. They are simply presented here in ascending order based on those very slight differences in total cost.

The average total cost of a CSWE-accredited BSW through schools in New York State’s public university system is north of $28,000.

Private schools have a different cost structure and different revenue generators. Without the large scale and public subsidies of state schools, they tend to be more expensive overall… but also frequently offer more specialization, small class sizes, and elite reputations in the field.

For private BSW degrees, then, we took the average cost of all private schools of social work in the state, and include those that are below that line. 

The average total cost of a CSWE-accredited BSW through New York’s private universities is more than $170,000. If it’s a private college BSW program and its total cost is below that, then it made the list.

That’s all there is to it.

Finding a BSW Degree That Helps You Achieve Your Goals is One Way to Speak Your Truth

No matter where you are headed, public or private, you’re probably not making your decisions based on cost alone. So we give you enough information about each affordable program to help narrow down your choices based on your own unique inspiration and goals.

That means additional important details on each school that made the list, including points like: