San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University conferred 21 bachelor's degrees in social work in the most recent reporting year, ranking #279 among the 587 colleges nationally that award the degree. That is a mid-sized program — large enough to sustain a dedicated field placement office, small enough that faculty tend to know students by name.

59.6% 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. Transfer students actually outperform first-time entrants here (72.5% vs 56.0%), which is a good signal if you are coming from a community college.

The average student pays $13,168 a year after grants and scholarships — $2,355 below the $15,523 median across the 25 BSW colleges in California. 51.0% 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.