Texas Southern University

With 16 social work graduates in the latest year, Texas Southern University runs a small BSW cohort — #332 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.

31.5% 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. Unusually, part-time students complete at a higher rate here (37.2%) than full-time students (27.0%) — often a sign of a program built around people already working in the field. Transfer students actually outperform first-time entrants here (44.8% vs 28.3%), which is a good signal if you are coming from a community college.

The average student pays $13,584 a year after grants and scholarships — about the same as the $14,462 median across the 35 BSW colleges in Texas. 80.0% 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.