Lewis University

With 13 social work graduates in the latest year, Lewis University runs a small BSW cohort — #375 among 587 programs nationally by size. Worth asking the department how often required practice courses run, since smaller programs sometimes offer them only once a year.

55.0% of students complete their degree, close to the 50.4% median across BSW colleges nationally. Students who finish take a median of 5 years to do it. Unusually, part-time students complete at a higher rate here (58.8%) than full-time students (50.8%) — often a sign of a program built around people already working in the field. Transfer students actually outperform first-time entrants here (69.3% vs 59.7%), which is a good signal if you are coming from a community college.

The average student pays $18,959 a year after grants and scholarships — about the same as the $19,006 median across the 21 BSW colleges in Illinois. 38.0% of first-time students receive Pell Grants. Net price is the number that matters when comparing programs, not sticker tuition — and because most social work roles are with government or nonprofit employers, graduates are typically eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.