Rust College

With 8 social work graduates in the latest year, Rust College runs a small BSW cohort — #464 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.

31.7% of students complete their degree, below the 50.4% median across BSW-awarding colleges — worth asking the department about directly. Students who finish take a median of 5 years to do it. Unusually, part-time students complete at a higher rate here (42.6%) than full-time students (25.8%) — often a sign of a program built around people already working in the field. First-time entrants complete at 41.3% against 21.3% for transfers — worth checking how transfer credits map onto the practice sequence.

The average student pays $12,037 a year after grants and scholarships — $3,008 below the $15,045 median across the 11 BSW colleges in Mississippi. 67.0% of first-time students receive Pell Grants, a high share that usually reflects a student body with substantial financial need — and a financial aid office practiced at handling it. 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.