Tennessee State University

With 13 social work graduates in the latest year, Tennessee State University runs a small BSW cohort — #382 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.

42.5% 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. Transfer students actually outperform first-time entrants here (49.3% vs 33.3%), which is a good signal if you are coming from a community college.

The average student pays $14,586 a year after grants and scholarships — $3,449 below the $18,035 median across the 19 BSW colleges in Tennessee. 55.0% 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.