Top Christian Colleges for Social Work of 2025
Discover accredited social work degree programs offered at Christian schools. Connect with programs that advance Christian community service principles while preparing you for a social work career.
Top Christian Colleges for Social Work
Dominican University
River Forest, IL- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$35,850
- Out-of-state$35,850
- In-State$19,900
- Out-of-state$19,900
- Retention Rate79%
- Acceptance Rate80%
- Students Enrolled3,424
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment73%
- AccreditationYes
St Olaf College
- Northfield, MN
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$54,650
- Out-of-state$54,650
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate91%
- Acceptance Rate52%
- Students Enrolled3,046
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment0%
- AccreditationYes
Calvin University
- Grand Rapids, MI
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$38,370
- Out-of-state$38,370
- In-State$11,880
- Out-of-state$11,880
- Retention Rate89%
- Acceptance Rate71%
- Students Enrolled3,364
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment9%
- AccreditationYes
Texas Christian University
- Fort Worth, TX
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$53,890
- Out-of-state$53,890
- In-State$33,660
- Out-of-state$33,660
- Retention Rate94%
- Acceptance Rate43%
- Students Enrolled12,785
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment3%
- AccreditationYes
Fairfield University
- Fairfield, CT
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$53,630
- Out-of-state$53,630
- In-State$20,034
- Out-of-state$20,034
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate45%
- Students Enrolled6,289
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment21%
- AccreditationYes
Boston College
- Chestnut Hill, MA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$62,950
- Out-of-state$62,950
- In-State$33,912
- Out-of-state$33,912
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate17%
- Students Enrolled14,734
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment17%
- AccreditationYes
DePaul University
- Chicago, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$42,449
- Out-of-state$42,449
- In-State$21,719
- Out-of-state$21,719
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate74%
- Students Enrolled21,348
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment60%
- AccreditationYes
Elizabethtown College
- Elizabethtown, PA
- 2 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$35,050
- Out-of-state$35,050
- In-State$35,020
- Out-of-state$35,020
- Retention Rate84%
- Acceptance Rate77%
- Students Enrolled2,152
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment25%
- AccreditationYes
Samford University
- Birmingham, AL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$35,750
- Out-of-state$35,750
- In-State$21,265
- Out-of-state$21,265
- Retention Rate88%
- Acceptance Rate82%
- Students Enrolled5,790
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment18%
- AccreditationYes
Our Ranking Methodology
Psychology.org ranks education programs using data from reputable sources like the U.S. Department of Education. Our vetting process also includes a quality assurance team that assesses datasets for accuracy.
Psychology.org reserves the right to exclude any schools that lack significant data from the rankings to ensure accurate calculations. This list is for 2025. For more about how Psychology.org evaluates and ranks education programs, visit our full ranking methodology.
What to Consider When Choosing a Christian College for Social Work
Seeking out a Christian college may be a good starting point if you’re searching for a Biblically aligned learning experience. However, you should also consider other important school and program factors that can impact your academic and professional outcomes, including accreditation, career relevance, and cost and financial aid.
Accreditation
Accredited schools meet rigorous academic quality standards determined by third-party agencies. You should only consider degree programs hosted at schools with institutional accreditations from agencies recognized by the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Social work is a regulated profession requiring state-level licensure. States mandate that social work licensure candidates hold a degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
CSWE accredits programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. You can use this directory of accredited programs to guide your research. Pay close attention to the program’s current status, as CSWE accreditations can be conditional or in the process of withdrawal.
Career Relevance
CSWE accreditation is not a guarantee that a program will be a perfect fit for you. Be sure to review the program’s curriculum, professors, and experiential learning opportunities to ensure they align with your objectives.
Consider these questions:
- Do the core and elective courses in the program’s curriculum directly reflect your learning interests?
- Do your state’s social work licensing requirements include a minimum number of practical training hours or fieldwork experiences? If so, does the program offer opportunities that meet those standards?
- Are you interested in a specific subfield like child welfare, gerontology, or medical social work? If so, does the school offer relevant coursework or concentrations?
Finally, it’s also wise to research faculty members’ academic and professional backgrounds to ensure they match your interests.
Cost and Financial Aid
Christian colleges are always private schools since public institutions cannot have explicit religious affiliations. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that private schools tend to have significantly higher tuition costs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Yet, private schools — including Christian colleges — often have generous in-house financial aid programs that can dramatically reduce the net cost of attendance.
Look into both institutional and federal aid programs to estimate your actual out-of-pocket costs, and prioritize schools you can afford without taking on excessive debt.
Religious Affiliation
Some Christian colleges are non-denominational, while others have informal or formal affiliations with specific branches of Christianity. In either case, consider your personal values and your faith community membership to assess whether the school is a good fit for you.
Also, look at whether the curriculum includes optional or required theology courses, and whether your social work courses engage a Christian worldview. These aspects can have a profound influence on your overall learning experience, and you’ll want to ensure they align with your expectations before you enroll.
Applying to a Christian College for Social Work
In many ways, the application process at Christian colleges is similar to nonreligious institutions. This means you may be asked to provide:
Academic transcripts- A personal essay or statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation
Some schools also prefer or require one or more years of relevant work experience or other evidence of your commitment to the social work profession. GPA cutoffs vary, but they typically start at about 2.0-2.5 on the 4.0 scale.
Christian colleges sometimes ask for written endorsements from a church or faith community leader, such as a priest or minister. As an adjunct or alternative, you may need to submit or accept a statement of faith as a precondition for entry.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christian College Social Work Programs
Christian colleges emphasize the Christian faith through their mission statement and curricula, while regular colleges remain fully secular. Furthermore, some Christian colleges include theology components in most or all of their academic programs. Non-religious colleges do not include faith-based elements in their coursework.
