Looking to grow as a professional social worker? Interested in the social work field professionally, but don't have much money to spend or the ability to pack up and move away for school?
Look no further than College Choice's easy to understand rankings lists, where we scour the academy and the Internet for information on the most affordable online MSW programs. We also have a ranking dedicated to the Most Affordable Online Master's Programs.
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What are the Most Affordable Online Master's in Social Work?
If you're looking for a cheap online Master's in Social Work, then you already know the professional path to take. Let College Choice help make that decision a bit easier by rooting through the data to find you a cheap online MSW that you can afford and get excited to attend.
Our rankings are made using data from extensive studies published from the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA where students rated their college experiences in a variety of areas including tuition expenses, financial aid coverage, academic reputation, and after-college job placement. In addition, we've compared that data to other public sources like U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics, and PayScale.com.
Check Out our Most Affordable Master's in Social Work Programs
See our rankings methodology page.
How much money can you make with an Online Master's in Social Work?
Social workers are the unsung heroes of society. Sometimes the profession gets saddled with unfairly low compensation for high-stress work. But you can actually find quite a bit of work out there that pays well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers typically make anywhere from $48k to $79k per year.
It's no surprise that there is a steady demand for the work. And it looks as though that demand will increase by over 16 percent over the next eight year. The largest demand is for healthcare social workers and substance abuse social workers.
What can you do with an Online Master's in Social Work?
Our communities are in dire need of healthy, constructive ways to relate to one another. Social workers are working hard to be the leaders in this change. We need social workers in virtually all sectors of society. Here are a few areas in which you could use your degree:
Child and Family Social Workers
Healthcare Social Workers
Mental Health Social Workers
School Social Workers
Substance Abuse Social Workers
What are the requirements for an Online Master's in Social Work?
While all of these program share in their ultimate focus of an affordable online Master's in Social Work, they all have slight differences. Being aware of what you're looking for can help you select the program that's perfect for you.
Most of the programs will cover 50 to 70 credit hours in total. Curricula will vary between them. Some put emphasis on a specific area of social work—like clinical social work or school social work. Others require a hands-on practicum to prepare you for licensing. The best thing you can do is thoroughly research the top three programs on your short-list and see what fits your schedule and budget.
