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 Blinn, Northwest Vista College, South Texas College, and University of Houston-Downtown.
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 Texas A&M Kingsville, Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Texas Wesleyan University, and UTEP.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Texas Woman's University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Texas Southern, TAMIU, South Texas College, and Texas College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider University of Houston-Victoria, Texas Woman's University, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and Lee College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Trinity University, Texas College, and TCU.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Trinity University, Howard Payne, and Hardin - Simmons.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Trinity University, The University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Baylor.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Southwestern Assemblies of God University, Hardin - Simmons, Prairie View A & M University, and Houston Baptist.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Texas Wesleyan University, Trinity University, Texas Southern, and UTHSC-Houston.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Mary Hardin Baylor • Belton, TX
Studying Bachelor's Of Social Work - BSW (completion in 2011)
• 8/12/2011
"I appreciate the education I received from this university and the friends that I made. However, I was a little disappointed in the amount of effort the school put towards helping me find a job in the social work field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Like I said, I really appreciate the education I received! The professors were very helpful and eager to assist me in whatever I needed help in. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | In the area, we were well respected. However, being such a small school, the reputation didn't seem to go far. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I feel that I learned a lot from my program, but I've only been in the work force for a few months so I can't say how well prepared I have been. I feel very comfortable with basic social work skills, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | My feelings on instruction were mixed. It was a small program, and so there were only 3 or 4 professors. I felt that some of them did an excellent job of incorporating their experiences into the curriculum, while others were only interested in testing and tricking us. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Since I have only attended one school, I couldn't really say how easy it was, but I had an easy time throughout school. I worked hard, but always received good grades for my work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We did an internship (like all schools require, I believe) and many of our classes required practicing with each other and working with the outside population. There was also a lot of reading with great examples and effective use of Powerpoint presentations. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Again, since it was such a small school, there were limited class options. Nothing was offered online and many courses were only offered once a year. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The professors were very accessible, but there were not a lot of library resources for social workers. There was a small computer lab in the building with our classrooms, but the building itself was run down. |
| Social Life | 9 | I got very involved in residence life, and loved being a part of organizing campus activities. I really enjoyed my time there. There were also several organizations for social work students that I got involved in, such as honor societies and social work clubs. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I never used the services because I was able to obtain a job elsewhere. I don't know of anyone else's experiences either. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't had much contact with the alumni association. They don't seem to be particularly helpful, but they are small. |
Stephen F. Austin State University • Nacogdoches, TX
Studying Social Work (completion in 2011)
• 9/16/2011
"I have a good job, I passed my boards, and I don't owe a fortune in student loans. What else could a student ask for?"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is located about three hours from Dallas and two from Houston. Therefore, it is far enough away to feel away from home but at the same time close enough to see your family. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | SFA has a reputation for a fine social work program. However, they have a rather poor reputation for their students failing to pass the licensure boards. |
| Program Quality | 6 | SFA has invested a great deal in its social work program. The program has improved since I received my first degree in 2003. |
| Instruction | 6 | For the most part, the professors work hard and provide instruction that prepares you for actual practice. There is one professor who is very nice but doesn't put much effort into his lectures. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I earned a Political Science degree in 2006. The degree and curriculum were significantly more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The School of Social Work emphasized hands-on learning through field placements and volunteer opportunities. The lectures were typically lacking "book material." | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The graduate program is designed for working adults. The undergraduate program is not. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The School of Social Work is located off the main campus. It is about a 25 minute walk to access resources available to other students. |
| Social Life | 6 | The campus is beautiful. The school spirit is definitely apparent. I was pleased with my overall experience. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They provide networking opportunities and job fairs. I didn't hear much about career services programs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not involved in the alumni association. However, I receive yearly update letters. |
St. Edwards University • Austin, TX
Studying Social Work (completion in 2008)
• 9/25/2011
"Very satisfied. I would recommend this university to all I meet and especially within the social work field. If the university had offered a Master's in Social Work I would have definitely pursued it, however they do not."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would most definitely recommend it to anyone looking for education in social work. If the university had offered a Master's in Social Work I would have definitely pursued it, however they do not. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | St. Edwards has a strong reputation in the Austin area for creating competent, ethical, and prepared social workers. While looking for careers after graduating, I experienced a warm response to my undergraduate degree. |
| Program Quality | 10 | St. Edwards University provided me with a very thorough understanding of social work. Upon graduating I felt completely prepared to embark on my career as a competent social worker. |
| Instruction | 10 | The social work department at St. Edwards employed professional instructors who only accepted the nest from their students. They also provided the students with incredible adjunct professors who brought "real life" instruction to the classrooms. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The social work program pushed each student to produce high quality work. The program was designed to only graduate the best of each class by providing challenging assignments and critical thinking tasks. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A very balanced approach to learning was provided by the university. However, in my program I felt it was more hands-on due to the focus on internships. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | St. Edwards caters to an adult population by offering several evening options, summer classes, and online courses. I also played soccer for the university for four years and the classes were very flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school provided a great library, several open computer labs, and a writing center. The professors were also very accessible. |
| Social Life | 9 | The social experience was great. The athletic spirit was well above average. |
| Placement Services | 9 | St. Edwards provided comprehensive job fairs regularly during my study. Upon moving back into the Austin area after a short stint at a graduate school in Chicago, St. Edwards also continued to provide me with job placement and career services. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni network is above average, but not entirely connected. I graduated 3 years prior, but have never felt the need or any push to engage in the alumni network. |
Texas A&M University • College Station, TX
Studying Psychology (completion in 2009)
• 10/28/2011
"It is a great place to discover who you are as a person."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | You must have the right heart to be in this field. It is not always easy, but it is the most rewarding thing you can do. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school was more known for agriculture and engineering. The psychology dept was very small. |
| Instruction | 8 | You learn more in the setting then you do in training. Training cannot prepare you for the things you will hear from a child. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I loved the program so it came easy for me because I always wanted to read and learn more. I have considered going back to receive further instruction. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Very little hands on work unless you're in a lab setting. Many labs consisted of students just sitting in front of computers. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | There were classes for ALL schedules. I was fond of summer classes and day classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | GREAT place to study on campus was the upstairs SCC. The campus life in study areas was always great. |
| Social Life | 10 | WHOOP. Aggie pride is very prevalent all the time. I wore an A&M shirt every day for 4 years. |
| Placement Services | 2 | Never heard of it and participated in it at school. Would have liked it to have been more prevalent. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Best in the nation. You can find Aggie Alumni Associations on every continent. |
University Of Texas • Austin, TX
Studying Sociology (completion in 2011)
• 11/5/2011
"I'm very satisfied with my school choice and am proud to have graduated from the university that I did. I think I gained an excellent education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend my school for any major. I believe it is a well respected institution that truly offers the best. We are ranked highly, especially for masters and PhD programs. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school overall has a good reputation. I believe my major does as well. We have some great sociologists working in the department. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school offered many classes in my major in many different areas. There were not only many class options, but also organizations catered toward sociology majors. |
| Instruction | 7 | I'm very happy with how my instructors taught their classes. I feel that I have developed useful writing and critical thinking skills which will help me in the future. I also feel that my professors made a good effort to explain their own personal views and the opposition's. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work load was fairly light, though many classes require a lot of reading. The only class I had issues with was Statistics because I'm not strong math-wise. In relation to other UT majors, I believe mine was one of the easier ones. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a mix of hands on and book learning. Lectures were often very hands on, but not in every class. Textbooks were used in each class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Class schedules were usually flexible. I only had a few required classes so I was allowed to choose classes of interest. There are limited night/weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The UT academic facilities are wonderful. If needed, there was always someone somewhere that I could talk to. Advisers were available and our media labs and libraries are really great. |
| Social Life | 5 | My social experience was fine. It could have been better or more active if I had made more effort, but I enjoyed my time and have few regrets. There are organization options for absolutely everyone. |
| Placement Services | I don't know how good the job placement services are at my school because I never took advantage of them. I do know people who have and they have good things to say. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | As far as I know, UT has a very active alumni system. I have not looked into it nor have I tried to take advantage of potential connections. |
St. Philips College • San Antonio, TX
Studying Child Development (completion in 2010)
• 11/8/2011
"It was a school that gave me the education I needed to get ahead in life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on what a person is looking for. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I really don't know - this is my opinion and I can't speak for anybody else. |
| Program Quality | 5 | |
| Instruction | 5 | You get what you pay for. If the instructors liked their jobs or got paid better, then I think they would have taught better. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I mean it was easy considering it's what I wanted to do. There was nothing hard about it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was mostly books. Hands on work came at the very end. I could have used more. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It was flexible enough to for me to handle 4 kids - and keep in mind, I am a single mother. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | We had the resources needed when we needed them. I guess it's probably like any other school. |
| Social Life | 4 | It was very boring - no school teams or anything. Everybody was basically there to get an education, not to party. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I got placed in a very good job. What else can I say? |
| Alumni Network | I really don't know too much about the alumni. |
Stephen F. Austin State University • Nacogdoches, TX
Studying Sociology (completion in 2006)
• 12/16/2011
"I wish I had explored more options before settling on sociology. I also wish the career center had been more involved with students selecting majors."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program prepared me for social work. I would recommend it to others. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | While my school is known as a smaller party school, the professors I worked with have excellent reputations in their fields. The school's reputation is low. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My school had an excellent sociology program. The class sizes were small and I had access to professors. |
| Instruction | 9 | My professors were willing to work directly with me. They had a wide range of knowledge that prepared me for a variety of post-collegiate options. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Sociology is interesting to me and I did not find it difficult. While the workload was high, I liked doing it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was in a liberal arts program and was required to do a lot of reading. I feel there weren't many hands-on options available. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Very few online classes were offered. Several nighttime courses were available, but nothing on the weekend. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities were excellent. The library was extensive and class sizes were small. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was a small school and I was able to connect with students and faculty very well. My social experience was great. |
| Placement Services | 2 | The career center was little help to me. The center had few resources. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I am a lifetime alumni association member. I receive a monthly magazine and insight into how my alma mater is faring. |
University Of Texas • Arlington, TX
Studying Social Work (completion in 2008)
• 12/24/2011
"I wouldn't change where I went to grad school. It was exactly the educational experience I was hoping to achieve, and I learned so much. I still draw on the skills and knowledge I learned there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely. I can think of no other school that could better equip you for a job in social work. While obtaining my degree, I studied a variety of subjects that covered everything from psychology and counseling, to social welfare policy, to statistics and research. It really arms you with all the knowledge and skills necessary to be a competent and empowering social worker. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I believe that UTA has an excellent reputation for their social work program. They have a strong commitment to social work values and ethics, and this is evident in the quality of their curriculum and classes. |
| Program Quality | 10 | UTA's social work program was challenging and informative. I learned so much! I particularly loved how you could focus your studies on your particular areas of interest. I focused on child welfare. |
| Instruction | 8 | The majority of the teachers and professors were OUTSTANDING. However, there were a couple of the tenured professors who I found to be tedious. They lacked passion in their teaching and tended to play favorites. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Depends on the professor. Typically, though, I found the classes to be appropriately challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was a perfect mix of hands on and book learning. In addition to learning from the book, we had numerous class discussions, presentations, and internships as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I was able to work full-time and still take every class that I wanted. They offer a wide range of classes at various times. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | UTA offered a lot of support services. Just for the social work school alone, we had a computer lab, a student lounge and study area, and a number of areas perfect for meeting classmates and studying. |
| Social Life | It's hard for me to properly evaluate the social aspect, because I was working full-time at the time that I was in graduate school. Therefore, I was unable to participate in very many extracurricular school activities. There was a strong bond between the students in the social work program, however, and I made many lasting friendships. | |
| Placement Services | 8 | I did not use their job placement program for a job after grad school. However, I was very pleased with their placement for my internship. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't used the alumni support network myself. However, I know some of my classmates have and were satisfied with their experiences. |
Tarleton State University • Stephenvilee, TX
Studying Psych (completion in 2002)
• 4/5/2012
"I liked my school. I was happy with the experience I had there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend my school to someone looking for a degree like mine. I would recommend it also if someone wanted a smaller university |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It is a small school. It is affiliated with Texas A&M. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It was a small school. The curriculum could have been better if there were more classes offered. |
| Instruction | 4 | I had a difficult time finding a job in my field that utilizes my degree at first. I wasn't prepared ahead of graduation to find a job. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I believe it was average. I don't have any experience to compare it to otherwise. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had regular classes for book learning. We did hands on activities during labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | They mainly offered limited time slots. There were no weekend classes |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | We had adequate amenities on campus. Our library was sufficient. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was involved in campus activities. A lot more activities were offered that I didn't participate. |
| Placement Services | 2 | They did nothing to prepare us for the real world. I had difficulty knowing what to do with my degree after graduation |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I don't know much about their alumni programs or what they offer. I receive address labels stating that I'm an alumni but no support. |
University Of Texas • Austin, TX
Studying Social Work (completion in 2010)
• 4/2/2012
"I think that UT is an excellent school, especially considering the cost. Prior to attending UT I went to a state school in Pennsylvania, and I got so much more education for my money from UT. I suppose it takes not attending a good school to appreciate it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think UT was a great challenge -it certainly isn't for the faint of heart-but this profession isn't for the faint of heart. I think I learned a lot and it will make a continual impact on my life. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I think that UT has a reputation for being difficult, challenging, but also inspiring and a great place for higher education. The social work program is carefully developed and is separate - not part of another department like humanities or human services. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I liked the program and the hands on nature - I am considering graduate work there as well to enable me to gain employment where there are certifications required for employment. |
| Instruction | 8 | Professors were compassionate, knowledgeable, challenging and interesting. There was a variety of course topics and the core curriculum allowed me to learn what I need for my job as well as what interested me. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were consistently papers, exams, and elements to prepare and work for. I was taught to manage my time and balance work, social life, and intern opportunities with this and I feel that it helps me now. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I thought UT was a great mix of hands on and book learning, but it depended on the professor and the area of concentration people chose. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | I think this is one area of improvement - it was very difficult for me to work and attend class on any kind of a regular schedule. I think that UT is difficult and they want students focusing on work, but especially in this economy there needs to be consideration for work schedules, and internship opportunities. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | UT has several libraries, and their network throughout the state enabled me to have excellent online research needs as well as in print. I always had access to everything I needed and the facilities to study and work in were great. |
| Social Life | 5 | This may be my fault, but between classes and interning and working, I didn't have a great social life. It was tough to go to club meetings when they were held during work, and since I scheduled evening classes so I could work during the day, it was tough to find activities and social organizations that met when I had time. |
| Placement Services | I am sure that UT has excellent Career Services, but I was able to use an internship opportunity to gain employment post-graduation. I sought a new opportunity for advancement after some time of being employed full time in my field. Because of this I can't really judge the career services, but I am aware that they are offered. | |
| Alumni Network | 9 | There are great alumni networks for UT both in Texas and around the country/world. Being that I am employed in the same city as the university, there continues to be a series of networking and connecting opportunities for me. People are also very familiar with the program and the skill level required versus comparable state institutions. |
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