The Master of Social Work is designed to prepare individuals for advanced social worker positions.
You can get a license, be a clinical social worker, work on research and hold leading positions in various sectors.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), public institution programs are the most affordable.
With tuition rates continuously increasing, most of the graduate students work 30 hours or more each week to cover the cost of advanced education.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), public institutions’ graduate degrees are the most affordable.
For example, for 2018-19, the average tuition fee in public institutions was $12,171, while in private schools it was $27,776.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported a median annual salary of $51,760 for social workers as of 2020.
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Average Costs
At the University of Michigan, tuition and fee expenses are $31,114 for Michigan residents; $49,562 for non-residents for two semesters of full-time on-campus enrollment.
The University of Texas at Austin charges tuition of $7,054 for Texas residents and $13,533 for non residents, per semester in 2021/22.
A private Boston University applies tuition of $37,096 per year for Master in Social Work in 2021/22 academic year.
The University of New England charges $980 per credit hour.
Students must take 64 credits to complete the M.S.W. program.
Students also need to pay $720 for general service fee, $50 for malpractice insurance.
In fact, total direct costs are estimated about $32,000.
Online MSW programs align the skills of emotional intelligence, communication, organization, and problem solving with a passion for helping individuals, groups, and communities.
Most online MSW programs offer supervised internships and internship opportunities.
The difference between the most expensive and cheapest online MSW programs can be more than $96,000.
If you are willing to improve your clinical and management skills and work on creating credentials for diagnosing and treating the disorder, consider each block to make that dream a reality.
According to the GetEducated, the least expensive tuition has Western New Mexico University, about $19,537.
Most expensive is University of Southern California with price of $115,905.
Additional Costs
Indirect costs are not included in the tuition but significantly affect finances during the degree of social work.
According to research, students may need more than $20,000 for room, board, healthcare and books.
For example, University of New England lists $12,150 for room and board, $3,600 for transportation, and $2,250 for other personal expenses for fall and spring semesters.
University of Michigan lists additional $172 for fees, $626 for books and supplies, $8,924 for room and board, and $3,334 for personal expenses in fall 2022, for 16-months program.
Discounts
While a social work degree is a worthwhile investment, funding can be very challenging.
For this there are many organizations that offer scholarships, grants, and loan programs to help students during their education.
The School of Social Work provides most full-time students with need-based and/or merit-based scholarships and/or grants.
For example, Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship offer up to 10 scholarships of up to $4,000 each are awarded to master’s degree candidates in social work.
Students must be an NASW member and have applied to or been accepted to an accredited MSW program.
Also, most universities offer financial aid to students and they usually state this on their websites.
The Columbia School of Social Work awards scholarships, typically ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, to full-time students who demonstrate financial need.
Scholarship awards are usually renewed in the second year of study, as long as certain eligibility requirements are met.
