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Senior social worker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior social worker. Senior social workers usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 47% of senior social workers hold a master's degree, and 47% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,906 real senior social worker resumes to see exactly what senior social worker education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior social workers are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.
There are also many online senior social worker courses to help get the education required to be a senior social worker.
There are certain senior social worker certifications that you should consider. These senior social worker certifications include Diplomate in Clinical Social Work (DCSW) and Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW).
What education do you need to become a senior social worker?
What degree do you need to be a senior social worker?
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a senior social worker?
- Social Work, 55%
- Psychology, 13%
- Sociology, 6%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for senior social workers
| Senior social worker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | 14.75% |
| New York University | 12.33% |
| Fordham University | 8.04% |
| Adelphi University | 7.51% |
| Alabama A & M University | 7.24% |
Best majors for senior social workers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 55.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.6% |
| 3 | Sociology | 5.6% |
| 4 | Mental Health Counseling | 4.3% |
| 5 | Human Services | 3.2% |
Best colleges for senior social workers
The best colleges for senior social workers are Boston College, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A senior social worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior social workers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior social workers.
1. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Enrollment
7,015
6. Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$7,879
Enrollment
6,768
7. University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$15,887
Enrollment
23,202
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Enrollment
23,265
20 best online courses for senior social workers
Advertising disclosure
1. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...
2. Strategies for Senior Housing Communities during COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, poses a high risk for senior housing communities and the people who live and work there. The COVID-19 response has largely focused on nursing homes, leaving independent living communities serving older adults in the United States with fragmented guidance on how to respond to COVID-19 challenges. This course provides comprehensive instruction and resources for property owners and managers, senior housing staff, service coordinators and providers,...
3. The Communication Skills and Social Intelligence Masterclass
An essential guide to cultivating influential people skills, communication skills and street-smart social intelligence...
4. Social Media Monitoring and Privacy Law
Learn to monitor social networks without violating privacy rights in this course on lawful social media surveillance...
5. Social Determinants of Health: Vulnerable Populations
This second of five courses focuses on how social determinants of health affects vulnerable populations. Focusing on four groups of vulnerable populations, students will examine how social determinants of health contribute to the poor health outcomes experienced by these populations. The topics of this course include: 1. Poverty 2. Women’s Health 3. Gender and LGBTQI+ Health 4. Family Health 5. Data Applications: t-test Analysis and Box Plot Visualization...
6. The Influence of Social Determinants on Health
Why are some groups healthier than others, and how do these differences emerge and persist over a lifetime? How do social policies on housing, transportation, and employment relate to health and health inequalities?\n\nThis specialization will examine social, behavioral, economic, political, and structural factors that contribute to health inequalities, and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health to achieve health equity.You will learn,\n\n-Use conceptual models to understand...
7. Communication & Social Skills
Learn to become more confident and effective when speaking, listening, or writing...
8. Social Media Crisis Prevention
Get practical skills to protect your reputation and your organization against a social media meltdown...
9. Social Determinants of Health
This is an introductory course on social determinants of population health with a focus on the United States. The course will introduce you to, or reinforce your knowledge of, issues related to health that consider behavioral, psychological and structural factors in population health beyond the healthcare system. We will examine social, economic, and political factors that contribute to health inequalities and suggest innovative ways to reduce disparities in health when the goal is to achieve...
10. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...
11. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...
12. Crisis Intervention Seminar
The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...
13. Social Media for Healthcare Providers
Social media and HIPPA compliance training for covered entities that transmit health information...
14. Selling Social Media to Your Boss
Win Buy-In and Resources from Senior Business Decision Makers and Potential Clients...
15. Conflict Resolution for Co-Workers
You'll learn diagnosis and resolution techniques for tense, sensitive conflicts with your co-workers, manager or peers...
16. Develop Amazing Social Skills & Connect With People
Develop Amazing Social Skills, Social Confidence, Communication Skills, Self Esteem, Charisma, Self confidence...
17. Introduction to Solution Focused Therapy
Learn Solution Focused Therapy To Empower Clients & Improve Outcomes Ideal For Social Workers, Coaches & Therapists...
18. Social Media Monitoring
Our new course on Social Media Monitoring in a post Google Reader World is coming soon...
19. The Legal Implications of Social Media in the Workplace
Regulatory and Case Law Considerations for Employers' Social Media Policy Development...
20. Social Media Ethics
Just because you can tweet it, doesn't mean you should. Learn to do the right thing on social media...
Top 10 most affordable universities for senior social workers
The most affordable schools for senior social workers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for senior social workers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior social workers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior social workers
The hardest universities for senior social workers to get into are Boston College, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for senior social workers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior social workers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior social workers
The easiest schools for senior social workers to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior social worker without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior social workers.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
7. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
8. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
Average senior social worker salary by education level
| Senior social worker education level | Senior social worker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,541 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,513 |
Senior social worker education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025