Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Family And School Social Workers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Community College of Philadelphia, Penn State, Slippery Rock University, and Drexel.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Philadelphia Biblical University-Langhorne, Mansfield, La Salle, and Valley Forge Christian College.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bryn Mawr, Cedar Crest, and Carlow.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Community College of Philadelphia, UPenn, Bryn Mawr, and Eastern University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Eastern University, Carlow, Cedar Crest, and Widener University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bryn Mawr, UPenn, Bucknell, and Villanova.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Valley Forge Christian College, Juniata, Messiah College, and Bucknell.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UPenn, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Villanova.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at UPenn, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Villanova.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bryn Mawr, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Westminster College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Lock Haven University Of Pennsylvania • Lock Haven, PA
Studying Social Work (completion in 2004)
• 9/20/2011
"Lock Haven is a small university. I was very happy with my education, but would have enjoyed more extra curricular or school pride functions."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | A degree from Lock Haven University is well-respected. I have met many alumni who have had positive experiences at LHU. I feel that my course work adequately prepared me for life as a professional. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Lock Haven maintains a positive perception within the social work field. Lock Haven graduates have demonstrated an ability to meet the needs of the community within various social service capacities. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Lock Haven University has competent instructors with years of field experience. They assist students in understanding the core concepts of child-welfare while providing real world experience. |
| Instruction | 7 | My professors were open and honest regarding the challenges of being a child welfare professional. They spent equal time on the principles of social welfare and practical applications. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The social worker curriculum was not especially difficult. As a student with a positive work ethic, I was able to perform well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A major focus of the social work curriculum was spending time in the field and gaining experience. I had the opportunity to worker with various community based programs during my time at LHU. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Class schedules were very flexible. All students have the opportunity to chose their own schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | All students have a host of resources at their disposal. Libraries, labs, and electronic data is made readily available. |
| Social Life | 6 | Lock Haven is a small school. There are not many activities to participate in. As a member of a local Greek organization, we had a sense of spirit and camaraderie. Outside of the Greek network, there were few available activities. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Lock Haven has a job placement office. I did not have any contact with the program. I was able to move into a child welfare position immediately following my internship. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The LHU alumni are very close. They maintain a positive network of peer support with easy access through social media. |
Temple University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Master Of Social Work (completion in 2007)
• 9/21/2011
"I received an excellent, well-rounded education at Temple University. I would recommend their Social Work Master's program to anyone. It was a very positive experience academically, professionally and socially."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Temple University is the place to go for individuals wanting to enhance their understanding of social work and apply this to practical careers in the profession. The professors, learning materials and experiences are crucial to making someone a professional, independent, effective social worker. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Temple University's MSW (Master's of Social Work) program has an excellent reputation. They have numerous branch campuses around the state which have developed very good programs identical to that of the main university's. Graduates of the program seem to get competitive jobs throughout the various specialties of the social work field. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I feel that I received an excellent education in Social Work at Temple University. The classes were small and it became a very cohesive program that challenged and strengthened each student in the practice. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had knowledgeable professors who are experts in their field. I had a good balance of practical and theoretical training. Most of the curriculum is relevant to what I am doing now. |
| How Difficult | 5 | At times, the workload felt overwhelming when balanced with my full-time job, internship, life and family commitments. However, the academic challenge was vital in receiving a good education. Some redundant assignments could have been eliminated returning adult-learners who had been in the field at least 10 years. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Temple University offered a great balance of theoretical, book teaching and practical hands-on experiences. Our textbooks were cutting edge, new resources. They were very useful in passing licensing tests. The practical experience really challenged us to further explore an area we were already working within or to step out of our current area of work and learn through interning at an organization different from where we did our paid employment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Classes were fairly flexible in that they were offered in evenings, Saturdays and in the summer. No online options were available. The professors set many of the hours to suit their schedules, but were fairly easy to negotiate with. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Excellent library resources were available once we were one semester into the program. Because I participated at a branch campus there were some glitches initially the first semester in accessing library resources, but the school administrator found alternatives until the situation was resolved. After that, the library services were excellent and easily accessible even from our own personal computers at home (to access online academic journals). Classroom space and laboratories were excellent and some of the best the hosting university had to offer. My advisor was also my practicum supervisor, so she was very helpful. |
| Social Life | 7 | I was part of a group of adult learners who all had experience in the field. The group of 22 adults really formed a cohesive group that worked well together. We did some informal socializing and studying together which was helpful. Because some of us drove almost 3 hours round trip for classes, a lot of additional socializing and school activities were not really feasible. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I don't have a lot of knowledge about the career services assistance as I already was employed before, during, and after obtaining my degree. I did use a branch of the placement services as part of the requirement in solidifying the practicum internships and they were somewhat helpful. Although, again, I had already made many of my own contacts. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The school alumni network appears to be fairly good. I live a considerable distance now from the university's center, so I feel somewhat disconnected, but I do get written and email alumni newsletters and have library privileges. |
Millersville University • Millersville, PA
Studying Bachelor Of Social Work (completion in 2010)
• 9/22/2011
"Millersville gave me the education that I needed to pursue my passion of helping at-risk youth, so I am very satisfied with the program. I am considering doing my Master's there as well because I am so pleased with my undergraduate education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The Bachelor of Social Work program is an essential program if you want to be respected as a Social Worker. Millersville has a very good program that is well-respected by former students so I think it is a very good program for someone who wants to pursue this career. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The Bachelor's of Social Work program at Millersville is not well-known but it is a quality program. All the students who have done this program can attest that it is an excellent course of study. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Millersville is not one of the most popular schools but it is a very distinguished institution. The lecturers are very knowledgeable, helpful, and dedicated. The classes are small so I was able to interact with my lecturers better than if I had gone to a larger college. The only downside is that the wealth of information to digest can be burdensome. |
| Instruction | 9 | Almost all of the information that I obtained in my classes are applicable to life at work. I am able to apply the information when I am working with my students to assist them in the best way possible. We were given practicums so I understood what was expected of me before I began working. |
| How Difficult | 9 | One must continuously study and read to ensure that you retain all of the information. There is a lot of work to be done so it is not an easy program. It was absolutely worth it though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a combination of reading and practical learning in the program. We had practicums where we would get practical training in our areas of interest and we got theory instruction. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I was able to take classes in the morning and in the evening so it was flexible enough for me. There is also some summer offerings so I think the schedule is flexible enough. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There is an extensive collection of reading material in the library and we were given free access to some online peer-reviewed journals. Lecturers assigned office hours so we could meet with them individual for further assistance with projects and papers. Also, the computer labs are equipped with many machines and printers for student use. |
| Social Life | 6 | Social life at Millersville is existent but not superb. There are clubs and societies so that students can hone their leadership skills and volunteer in the town. There are parties pretty much every weekend but, to me, they are not that great. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I did not receive much assistance from Career Services when I needed it. They tried but I was not able to get a job via their assistance, I had to seek on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I can't really give a reasonable rating for the school's alumni association because I have not been active in it. I do know the group is active and trying to give back to the school in whatever way the can. |
Temple University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Social Work (completion in 2001)
• 10/7/2011
"I am satisfied with my school. I am happy with my decision to study there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school made me into a successful worker. I could not have made it in the real world without my school. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school's social work program is not well respected. Many students pass over the program to attend other schools. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program was excellent. It prepared me for a successful career. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was perfect. I could not have asked for better teachers. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The program was grueling. I loved it because I liked challenges. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a balance between types of learning. There was hand-on learning but book learning was important as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | There were very limited course times offered. I could not work part time and attend class. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities and resources were second to none. I felt that they were perfect. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had excellent experiences there. I wish I could live there forever. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They helped me to find a job immediately. I am very satisfied with their help. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni network is good but not great. I am partially satisfied with the program. |
Messiah College • Grantham, PA
Studying Human Development And Family Science (completion in 2009)
• 10/31/2011
"Messiah College provided me with exceptional knowledge and experiences to prepare me for social work. I had once in a lifetime opportunities at Messiah to study in Africa that gave me invaluable experience. I was provided excellent instruction that gave a sound background for work in almost any social service field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Messiah gave me the perfect background to do all sorts of social services work with people of all sorts of backgrounds. I was given rigorous academic instruction and once in a lifetime hands on experiences. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Messiah has a good reputation as a rigorous school that produces good social workers. Inside of Messiah, the Human Development and Family Science department is building up a good reputation. It used to have a reputation as the "mommy major" because many young women who were at college simply to meet a husband chose this program of study. However, it is building a reputation now for creating great social workers, therapists, and social services workers. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Messiah did a great job of providing me with a broad human services education covering abnormal psychology, development across the lifespan, interpersonal communication, and diversity studies. Additionally, at Messiah I gained firsthand experiences through multiple practicums, volunteer experiences, an internship in foster care, and a study abroad semester in Africa. In my first position out of college, I felt very prepared for my work and was often praised by my supervisor for being well prepared. |
| Instruction | 9 | Messiah's curriculum was extremely relevant to social services and provided broad training that can apply to many social service fields and populations. The professors are exceptional in their own experiences and in their knowledge. Professors continually discussed career options and students were given the opportunity to explore different careers through panels, guest speakers, shadowing opportunities, practicums, and internships. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Messiah's program is very rigorous. I personally found that to get the most out of my classes, I needed to put at least 10 hours of outside work into each class each week. You are expected to have read the class material, processed the material, and thought about it critically before attending class. Projects and papers are not simple but are very relevant and get the students to delve deeper into the material. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Messiah is very book heavy and rigorous. However, it is also very, very hands on if the student chooses to access that part of the school. Many classes provide volunteer opportunities in the community and require papers or projects regarding this experience. Students can also access practicums, study abroad opportunities, and internships. I personally had two practicums, one in a church setting and one in a rural African village. I also studied abroad for a semester in Uganda and Rwanda and had a semester long internship at a foster care agency. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Messiah offers day and evening courses, but it would be extremely challenging to attend the school if you could only attend night classes. Messiah recently has started online courses, however I did not utilize these as a student. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Messiah College's facilities are exceptional. The library and computer labs provide everything that is needed. The school provides many online academic journal databases which is very important to the Human Development and Family Science program, as well as the other social services programs. Professors are very accessible and know almost all their students by name and have a personal relationship with them. There was never a time that I as a student felt I needed more assistance from a professor and was unable to get it. Professors met with me one on one when I requested and shifted their teaching methods to meet all the students' needs. |
| Social Life | 7 | Messiah always had a variety of events going on for students. I personally am not interested in athletics so for the most part I socialized with my friends in the dorms. Messiah has a strict visitation policy between opposite sexes, so this puts a damper on opposite sex friendships and relationships. Students are only allowed in the dorms of the opposite sex during specific times. Students who wished to spend time with the opposite sex outside of these times, like my friend group, needed to meet in the public lounges or academic buildings. |
| Placement Services | 8 | All students are provided many opportunities to interact with the local job community through volunteer experiences, panel discussions, job fairs, practicums, internships, and an online job database. When I was about to graduate, I utilized all of these resources and was able to get several job offers upon graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I personally have not interacted much at all with Messiah's alumni network since graduating two years ago, with the exception of networking with my friends who I keep in touch with. Messiah does have alumni events and an online alumni network but I have not participated in these events. |
The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA
Studying Social Work (completion in 2001)
• 1/21/2012
"Overall, school was a very satisfying experience. I took a great deal into the "real world" with me. My only complaint would be that I probably did not take advantage of all the school had to offer."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Because my experience was so positive, I would highly recommend Penn State to others pursuing a career in social work. Students are given a great deal of opportunity to learn, socialize and grow into their careers. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Penn State's program is highly reputable, as are all programs at the school. Anyone with a degree from the university has doors opened for them almost automatically. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school I attended has a very reputable social work program. I believe my degree has helped open many doors. |
| Instruction | 9 | All instructors were very knowledgeable and helped all students whenever possible. The curriculum and all aspects of the program were current and relevant to preparing for a career in social work. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I believe the program was on par as far as difficulty is concerned with any other program of study. As long as one regularly attends class and keeps up with assignments, he/she would be capable of graduating. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would have to say the program is geared more toward book learning. Hands-on learning takes place outside of the classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Being a full time student, I never had a problem fitting classes into my schedule. Conversely, I have not heard of others who already had careers/families having any trouble scheduling classes either. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | All facilities are excellent. Everything is accessible to students of all programs almost twenty four hours a day. |
| Social Life | 10 | There is truly something for everyone at this university. Very diverse, upbeat atmosphere. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Job placement is not the best, as I feel it is at many other schools. Their job is to train students for work/careers, not to find jobs for them. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Our alumni network is one of the best in the nation. I never have a problem connecting with others from the program when needed. |
Shippensburg University • Shippensburg, PA
Studying Criminal Justice (completion in 2003)
• 3/1/2012
"Overall, I was satisfied with the education. I felt job placement and career guidance could be improved."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I enjoyed my time at Shippensburg and learned a lot. I feel if I had invested more time into my studies, I could've gotten more from the university. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I believe the school is above average for the major. I don't know the ranking, but I know the school as a whole is a best value for education, year after year. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Shippensburg provided me with a quality education. It provided a balance of real-life experiences and relevant theory. |
| Instruction | 7 | The quality of instruction was above average. Each instructor had previous experience working in varied fields and was able to present real-life instruction. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I don't believe criminal justice is a difficult major. The coursework is elementary, compared to some other fields of study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Throughout my time in the major, we were asked to do hands-on projects that put us in different situations. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The school has flexible scheduling and does a good job of offering courses at multiple times. It also makes sure to offer courses in each semester, to help accommodate all people in the institution. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | When I attended, I would rate the facilities as average. However, since my graduation, the university has put significant money into bettering the facilities. |
| Social Life | 7 | Social experience was above average. I believe it was a more close-knit school due to the low number of students in the student body. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I don't believe they excelled at this. I don't believe my academic advisor pushed me in the correct directions. With that said, I don't know if I made a legitimate effort to accept the help. |
| Alumni Network | I don't really participate in the alumni network. |
Pennsylvania State University • Dunmore, PA
Studying Human Development And Family Studies (completion in 2009)
• 3/6/2012
"I feel like I received a true education. I learned so much, and some of what I learned can be applied to my social and personal life as well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Because of the class sizes, a teacher gets to know you and you get to know the teacher. They learn your personality and different ways of learning. It's very helpful if a question arises about something; they can help explain it in a way that that person can better understand in their own learning way. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I stay in touch with many of the people who graduated with me in my major. Less than half are actually working in a human services field. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The courses were challenging. I learned a lot from the teachers. |
| Instruction | 8 | I think we could have been prepared a little better to go into the field. More hands-on work instead of classroom work would have been helpful. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The courses were very hard. At a smaller branch of Penn State, you have less students per class, which means the teacher will read every paper in its entirety and grade accordingly. More focus is spent on giving the students a real learning experience, with a lower teacher-to-student ratio. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I wish more hands-on time was experienced. I think it would better prepare us for what we'd actually face in a human services career. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Some classes were only offered during certain semesters, which was inflexible. There were evening, summer, and online class options, but no weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Very good in all aspects, except availability of tutors. There wasn't tutor time for the HDFS major. A lot of us relied on each other to help understand something that was confusing. |
| Social Life | 5 | I feel that it was average. If I had been at the main campus, it would have been different. They had a lot more school spirit and offered more athletics than a branch of Penn State. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I feel like Career Services was more of a walk-in service. If students wanted to get help, they would ask for it. One of my Human Development and Family Studies teachers would talk to her connections if we were interested in something. I feel like our teachers were more proactive in helping us with job placement and career services. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I receive mail from Penn State, asking me to join the alumni or send them "gifts" (money). I'm still giving them money, from my student loans! They've never contacted me to see what career I chose or to ask how they can help me find a job. |
Bryn Mawr College • Bryn Mawr, PA
Studying Clinical Social Worker (completion in 2002)
• 3/3/2012
"I was very satisfied with my school. The quality of the education and professors was outstanding and prepared me well for my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend my school to others pursuing my career. The professors and school were outstanding and the education prepared me well for my career. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The social work program at Bryn Mawr has an excellent reputation. I have been contacted by some job recruiters simply because of my degree. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was very satisfied with my program. The caliber of professors and the education provided were outstanding, as were my field placements. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors were extremely qualified. The majority were published authors in the field and were excellent at teaching the material. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program was academically challenging in the amount of reading and research required. It was also challenging in terms of the amount of fieldwork required. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was in the Clinical Social Work program, which was definitely a hands-on experience. Field placement requirements were extensive. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | BMC had a very flexible class schedule. Classes were available during the daytime, evening, weekend and summer. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Academic advisors were excellent, often published authors in their fields. They were extremely accessible to students. |
| Social Life | 5 | The graduate school did not provide much of a social experience, due to the average age of students. However, the undergraduate school is rich in traditions, school spirit and organized social events. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Job placement services and career assistance are readily available for undergrads. However, graduate students, especially those in the social work program, seemed to have a difficult time receiving such assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network is extensive and the benefits are good. There are several local and national events for alumni, and the website and electronic network are excellent. |
Bloomsburg University • Bloomsburg, PA
Studying Psychology (completion in 2010)
• 4/15/2012
"I absolutely loved my school and was very satisfied with my major, social life, etc. It was a wonderful experience and there was nothing I truly disliked about my school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The psychology program at my school was very thorough and helped me once I was out in the field. I felt they prepared me for what to expect after completing my degree. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Being a liberal arts school, I think the major has a fairly good reputation. Most students are happy with what they took away from the degree and always have positive things to say about the professors who taught them. |
| Program Quality | 8 | All of the professors in the psychology major were wonderful and motivated me to complete my degree and strongly encouraged furthering my education. They all were passionate about their field and kept you interested in what you were learning. |
| Instruction | 10 | Depending on your interests, there were always extra classes available to explore. The material in the required courses was always relevant and helped me in the post-grad work environment. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Although the material was interesting, there was a lot of terminology to memorize.. i.e., history, theories, diseases, equations, etc. The papers we were required to write were very time consuming. A few classes required a minimum grade to continue on in the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Being a liberal arts school, there was much less hands on work and more reading. Most classes were structured around chapters in the text book, and test questions were directly related to the book information. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The schedule was not always able to be flexible, especially when prerequisite classes were only offered during a certain semester. Sometimes you were on a waiting list to get into a class. Online classes were not an option. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Our school had numerous computer labs available 24 hrs. a day. The library had late night hours and tutors on call to assist students. Professors were always very accessible and would always get back to you as quickly as possible. |
| Social Life | 8 | There was a large sense of unity at my school. Everyone was very proud to be a student, involved in a sorority, or sport. They offered a lot of fun activities and there was a group for practically every interest. |
| Placement Services | 3 | My school did not reach out and actively help students to find work. Occasionally, certain professors would put in a good word for a student, but the university was not requiring that service. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Our school strongly encouraged alumni to remain in contact and return to the school to offer advice/information. They were always reaching out to past students asking for their input. |
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