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Social work instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a social work instructor. Social work instructors usually study social work, psychology, or sociology. 47% of social work instructors hold a master's degree, and 45% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 331 real social work instructor resumes to see exactly what social work instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for social work instructors are the The University of Alabama and the The University of Alabama.
There are also many online social work instructor courses to help get the education required to be a social work instructor.
What education do you need to become a social work instructor?
What degree do you need to be a social work instructor?
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 0%
What should I major in to become a social work instructor?
- Social Work, 47%
- Psychology, 13%
- Sociology, 8%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for social work instructors
| Social work instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | 7.69% |
| University of South Florida | 5.77% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5.77% |
| Wayne State University | 5.77% |
| Washington University in St Louis | 5.77% |
Best majors for social work instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Social Work | 47.0% |
| 2 | Psychology | 12.6% |
| 3 | Sociology | 7.6% |
| 4 | Business | 5.6% |
| 5 | Mental Health Counseling | 4.0% |
Best colleges for social work instructors
The best colleges for social work instructors are Case Western Reserve University, University of Southern California, and Johns Hopkins University.
A social work instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for social work instructors. 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 social work instructors.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
9. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Enrollment
7,015
10. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
20 best online courses for social work instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for social work instructors
The most affordable schools for social work instructors are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for social work instructors 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 social work instructors.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL ā¢ Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social work instructors
The hardest universities for social work instructors to get into are Case Western Reserve University, University of Southern California, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for social work instructors 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 social work instructors 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. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
5. Boston University
Boston, MA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Tulane University
New Orleans, LA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,428
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. New York University
New York, NY ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social work instructors
The easiest schools for social work instructors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, nyack college, and college of new rochelle, the.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social work instructor 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 social work instructors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Nyack College
New York, NY ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
4. Kean University
Union, NJ ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN ā¢ Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average social work instructor salary by education level
| Social work instructor education level | Social work instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $39,993 |
| Doctorate Degree | $45,017 |
Social work instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025