Social Work Education Website Publishes Detailed Rankings of the Top 50 MSW Programs in America

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Best MSW Programs (http://www.bestmswprograms.com), an online guide to education in the field of social work, has published a ranking of the top 50 Master of Social Work programs for 2014-2015. The University of Chicago takes first place in the list, followed closely by Columbia University and the University of Michigan in second and third place, respectively. The complete rankings can be viewed at http://www.bestmswprograms.com/msw-program-ranking/.

Other schools on the list, in alphabetical order:

Arizona State University 
Boston College 
Boston University 
Bryn Mawr College 
Case Western Reserve University 
Catholic University of America 
Florida State University 
Fordham University 
Howard University 
Hunter College -- City University of New York 
Indiana University -- Purdue University Indianapolis 
Michigan State University 
New York University 
Ohio State University 
Portland State University 
Rutgers University 
Saint Louis University 
Smith College 
Tulane University 
University of Albany 
University of Buffalo 
University of California at Berkeley 
University of California at Los Angeles 
University of Connecticut 
University of Denver 
University of Georgia 
University of Houston 
University of Illinois at Chicago 
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
University of Iowa 
University of Kansas 
University of Louisville 
University of Maryland 
University of Minnesota 
University of North Carolina 
University of Pennsylvania 
University of Pittsburgh 
University of Southern California 
University of Tennessee 
University of Texas at Austin 
University of Utah 
University of Washington 
University of Wisconsin 
Virginia Commonwealth University 
Washington University in St. Louis 
Wayne State University 
Yeshiva University 

The schools considered were limited to those accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CWSE), which has given their accreditation to over 230 graduate programs across the country. Criteria for this ranking included the number of specialization and concentration options within each program, the presence of new and innovative approaches and ideas, and the overall sense that the social work program is important to each university as a whole. Two previous rankings were also taken into account: one by U.S. News and World Report, which has ranked graduate social work programs since 1993, and the other from The Gourman Report on Graduate Schools.

The youngest MSW programs in the rankings were accredited 40 years ago in 1974, and many of the programs have been accredited for over 80 years, points out Julian Schroer, lead editor for the ranking. "Age alone is no guarantee of a great program, but many of these older programs have had a chance to work out the kinks and really begin to expand into a variety of specializations, which means there is a rich and varied educational experience for their students." Schroer goes on to say that "One thing this list offers is a starting point for comparing the strengths and specialties of the best MSW programs in the country."

Best MSW Programs (bestmswprograms.com) is an independent online guide to finding the best Master's in Social Work degree programs. We offer expert reviews and rankings of campus-based and online MSW programs, as well as information on scholarship opportunities for MSW students, careers in social work, salary and job prospects, and much more.

Contact:

Julian Schroer 
Site Editor, Best MSW Programs 
479-841-8450 
Email

SOURCE BestMSWPrograms.com