Editor’s Choice: Our Top Picks for the Very Best CSWE-Accredited MSW and BSW Degrees in Florida

One thing you know going into the profession of social work is that people need you. That means you’re naturally drawn to training that offers the sort of skills you need to handle any kind of personal or family crisis, any kind of social injustice, and any sort of obstacle that prevents people from living their best lives. You feel it’s your mission to help fix the things that cripple communities and prevent people from being their own best versions of themselves.

When you have a commitment to justice that runs that deep, your commitment to preparation and education will be just as strong.

So to do your part in fixing the societal problems Florida’s communities and marginalized individuals are experiencing, there’s no doubt you want to know about the very best social work programs available in the state.

We’ve got a selection of programs we feel fit that description right here, from the BSW degree you might be pursuing as a way to get started, to the MSW you need to become licensed by building on the bachelor’s you might already have.

How We Selected the Schools Offering the Finest Social Work Degrees in Florida

You are probably already aware that you have a lot of choices when it comes to schools of social work in Florida. There are fifteen schools offering CSWE (Council for Social Work Education) accredited programs available in the state.

As you can imagine, with just 15 total schools to start with, selecting our top picks meant trimming that down to a pretty short list – just four universities.

Holding CSWE-accreditation already speaks to a certain standard of excellence; without it, you can’t enter an advanced standing MSW or get your license as an LCSW in the state.

But that accreditation really just sets a baseline for excellence. There is still some room to reach sky-high toward an educational experience that offers the ultimate in preparation for solving the hardest problems.

How do you measure that kind of quality? We start with these factors.

Instructors Who Teach From the Perspective Of Their Own Lived Experience in Florida Social Work

Social work is a field that brings gritty evidence to the table and polishes it up into advanced technique and theory to guide the creation of programs designed to help people.

So the best possible professors for this work are those who have seen both sides of the table: put in their time engaged in practical, meaningful, on-the-ground social work, and then strapped on the tool belt to get to work on researching and analyzing trends and treatments.

Instructors at the best schools bring academic rigor together with the proven practicality of working professionals. They know what you are going to face and they are committed to making sure you are prepared.

Counseling and Academic Resources To Fuel Your Studies

It’s not just professors that make the educational experience, though. Academic advisors, counselors, tutors, librarians, and other professionals have a lot to do with making a school great when it comes to social work education.

The best schools can call on a deep bench of faculty to help manage research material for active projects. They have counselors who are wizards in helping you nail down class schedules that get you to the finish line while lining up the best field placements for your internship and fieldwork requirements. They even offer financial advisors who can maximize your tuition dollars at these top-flight institutions.

A History of Social Justice Activism and Community Connections Throughout Florida

Social work goes beyond other human services roles in its concern for the big picture. No justice, no peace. So schools that take it seriously have their own histories of engagement with social and economic justice work, and active programs that allow students and staff to help out in their communities.

Along with this comes deep connections to Florida’s social services professional community. With a diversity of field placement opportunities available, you can bet you’ll have a chance to work in a setting that aligns perfectly with any specialized area of practice you might be considering.

Exploring the Details That Ensure You Find the Florida Social Work School That’s Really the Best Choice for You

Only four colleges in Florida, offering either Bachelor of Social Work or Master of Social Work degrees, or both, hit all those marks.

Perhaps naturally, all of these schools are private universities. Even with few options up here at the peak of social work education, making a final decision isn’t easy. But we give you enough information to narrow down these few selections to the one choice that’s right for you.

We include details about exactly why we think each of these schools fulfills the promise implied by our selection criteria… how they intersect with specific human rights and social justice initiatives… noteworthy accolades and important points like impressive student-to-teacher ratios… and a good deal more.

Naturally, we also identify the delivery methods available for each degree, whether on-campus, online, or in a hybrid format that combines the two.

We also offer a little thumbnail about what it’s like to attend these schools. You will quickly see what their focus areas in social work are, whether they offering international internships, what kind of attendance options they offer, and how their faculty work to engage with and help each student prepare to make a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.

Our Top Picks for Florida’s Best CSWE-Accredited Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) Programs

Any one of these degrees will start you down the path to licensed social work in the state of Florida. More importantly, though, these top schools give you the connections, the experiences, and the education to become a truly great social worker, not just one who meets qualifications.