Cost Guide
How Much Does a DSW Cost? Tuition, Funding and Ways to Pay
How Much Does a DSW Cost?
How much does a DSW cost? Estimated tuition runs from $19,800 at the University of Alabama to $97,524 at USC, with a median of $45,000 across the 19 DSWs that publish a per-credit rate and a credit total. Those figures are published per-credit rate times credits, before fees. DSWs are rarely funded, so if you need a stipend, look at the 46 funded PhD programs instead.
A DSW is almost always a paid degree. Unlike many PhDs in social work, practice doctorates rarely come with tuition waivers or stipends, so the price you see is close to the price you pay. The good news is that the range is wide, so where you enroll changes the bill a great deal.
The figures below come from each school’s own tuition page. “Estimated tuition” means the published per-credit rate times the program’s credits, before fees. Where a school publishes a different basis, it’s labeled.
How Much Does a DSW Cost? The Range in Numbers
Twenty DSWs publish a per-credit rate, and those rates run from $440 to $2,322 per credit, with a median of $991. Nineteen of them also publish a credit total, which gives an estimated tuition from $19,800 to $97,524. The median is $45,000.
That spread is the main story. The least and most expensive DSWs here are both online programs, so price tells you very little about format or reputation, so compare programs on what they deliver and then on what they charge.
Use the DSW cost calculator to plug in your own credits, rate and fees.
The Most Affordable DSW Programs by Estimated Tuition
These are the lowest estimated tuition figures among DSWs on this site:
| Program | Published rate | Credits | Estimated tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama | $440 per credit hour, plus fees | 45 | $19,800 |
| University at Buffalo | $800 per credit (NY residents); $1,148 out of state | 39 | $31,200 |
| University of Kentucky | $790 per credit for all online DSW students, plus $10 per credit distance fee | 42 | $33,180 |
| Millersville University | $694 per credit (PA residents, 2025-26); $1,041 non-residents | 48 | $33,312 |
| Barry University | $700 per credit (2024-25) | 50 | $35,000 |
| Kutztown University | $768 per credit (PA residents, 2026-27, includes tech fee); $1,145 non-residents | 48 | $36,864 |
| University of Kansas | $995 per credit, including fees, regardless of residency | 42 | $41,790 |
| Spalding University | $850 per credit (2026-27) | 50 | $42,500 |
| Walden University | $730 per quarter credit, plus $185 per quarter program fee | 59 | $43,070 |
| Capella University | $1,020 per quarter credit; capstone $3,060 per quarter; total tuition capped | 71 | $45,000 (tuition cap) |
| Southern Connecticut State | $1,002 per credit, plus $468 per credit general fee (2026-27) | 48 | $48,096 |
| California Baptist University | $1,028 per unit, plus fees (2026-27) | 48 | $49,344 |
| Walla Walla University | $991 per quarter hour, plus $162 per quarter general fee | 52 | $51,532 |
Alabama stands out. It is the lowest-priced DSW here by a wide margin, it’s online with short June residencies, and it offers both a clinical and a leadership track. Kentucky is the other strong value: a flat online rate for all students regardless of residence, a CSWE candidacy status, and no GRE.
For a list built around price, see affordable online DSW programs.
The Highest-Priced DSW Programs
At the top end, estimated tuition climbs toward $100,000:
| Program | Published rate | Credits | Estimated tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of St. Thomas | $1,311 per credit (2026-27) | 45 | $58,995 |
| Simmons University | $1,265 per credit | 48 | $60,720 |
| Adelphi University | $1,250 per credit (2026-27) | 54 | $67,500 |
| Tulane University | $1,478 per credit, plus fees | 56 | $82,768 |
| USC | $2,322 per unit (2025-26) | 42 | $97,524 |
Capella’s line needs a note. Capella caps total tuition at $45,000, so its figure in the table above is the published cap rather than a rate-times-credits estimate. At $1,020 per quarter credit across 71 quarter credits, the cap is what keeps a long, quarter-based program among the lower-priced options.
Penn prices its clinical DSW differently: $7,575 per course unit plus a $162 per course unit online services fee in 2026-27, across 12 course units. Maryland’s DSW is estimated at $58,500 for in-state students at $975 per credit hour, with an out-of-state rate of $1,330 per credit hour.
Estimated DSW Tuition by School Type and Format
| Group | Programs priced | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public universities | 8 | $19,800 | $33,312 | $58,500 |
| Private nonprofit universities | 9 | $35,000 | $58,995 | $97,524 |
| Private for-profit universities | 2 | $43,070 | $43,070 | $45,000 |
| Online DSW programs | 16 | $19,800 | $42,500 | $97,524 |
| Campus or hybrid DSW programs | 3 | $48,096 | $58,500 | $67,500 |
| Every DSW program | 19 | $19,800 | $45,000 | $97,524 |
Estimated tuition is the published per-credit rate times the stated credits, before fees, or the school's published program total. Public universities' figures are usually the in-state rate. School-wide graduate rates and cost-of-attendance figures are left out. Rates read October 2026. For comparison, 46 social work PhD programs state full funding with a stipend or assistantship.
Fees and Residency Pricing Change the Real Total
The estimate leaves out fees, and some are large. Before you compare two schools, add these in:
- Per-credit fees: Southern Connecticut State adds a $468 per credit General University Fee. Kentucky adds $10 per credit. Tulane adds $60 per credit for academic support (maximum $536) and $100 per semester for technology.
- Per-term fees: Walden charges a $185 program fee each quarter, and Walla Walla a $162 general fee each quarter.
- All-in rates: Kansas quotes $995 per credit including fees. Buffalo publishes tuition plus fees of $966.16 per credit for New York residents and $1,314.16 out of state.
Residency status matters at public universities. Buffalo, Millersville, Kutztown and Maryland all charge non-residents more, even for online study. Others don’t: Kansas and Kentucky charge one rate regardless of residence, and Southern Connecticut State charges part-time doctoral students the same rate whether they live in the state or not.
Travel is the hidden cost of residencies. Alabama’s June residencies, Tennessee’s summer weeks in Knoxville, Monmouth’s annual summer week on campus and Rutgers’ nine onsite weekends a year all mean flights, hotels or time off work. A fully remote program like UT Arlington, which requires no campus visits, avoids that line entirely.
Funded PhD vs a Paid DSW
This is the biggest cost decision in social work doctoral education. Of the 77 PhD programs on this site, 46 are funded. No DSW here is.
Funded PhDs typically cover tuition and pay a stipend in exchange for research or teaching work:
| PhD program | Published funding |
|---|---|
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | $35,000 annual stipend, full tuition waiver and health insurance for four years, 20 hours a week as a research assistant |
| University of Maryland | Stipend of $28,605 (10-month) or $34,325 (12-month), tuition remission and health insurance for full-time students |
| Loyola University Chicago | Tuition waivers for three years plus health insurance; may add a $28,000 annual stipend for 10 hours a week of research |
| UNC Chapel Hill | $27,000 stipend, tuition and fees, and health insurance for at least four years |
| University at Buffalo | Full tuition for up to 47 credits and a four-year assistantship with a $27,000 base stipend from fall 2027 |
| Florida State University | Four years of funding with a tuition waiver and a $21,450 annual stipend |
| Boston College | A doctoral fellowship valued at more than $250,000 over four years |
The trade is time and income. A funded PhD usually asks you to study full time and work for the school, which means stepping away from a practice salary. A DSW lets you keep your job and your pay while you study, and you pay tuition instead. If you want a research faculty career, the funded PhD is often the better deal. If you want to advance in practice or leadership without leaving it, the DSW’s cost buys you continuity. See fully funded PhD programs in social work and the DSW or PhD tool to test which fits.
The one DSW with built-in support is Millersville: full-time graduate assistants earn a $6,000 annual stipend and 18 credits of tuition waiver, and part-time assistants earn $3,000 and 9 credits.
Paying for a DSW With Federal Loans
Federal graduate loans changed on July 1, 2026. If you’re a new graduate borrower, you can take up to $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and the yearly limit is reduced if you enroll less than full time. Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers.
Two details matter for DSW students:
- Your MSW loans count. The $100,000 graduate limit includes the federal loans you took for graduate study, so any MSW borrowing reduces what’s left for a doctorate. USC’s estimated tuition of $97,524 sits just under that limit before fees, which leaves little room if you borrowed for your master’s.
- Interest starts right away. Graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans first disbursed from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 carry a fixed 8.07% rate and a 1.057% loan fee, and interest accrues while you’re in school and during the 6-month grace period.
New loans are repaid under the Repayment Assistance Plan or the Tiered Standard Plan. If you work full time for a government agency or a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, as many social workers do, Public Service Loan Forgiveness can forgive your remaining Direct Loan balance after 120 qualifying monthly payments.
What a DSW Pays Back
Pay is a secondary reason to earn a DSW, but it helps to know the numbers for the jobs doctorate holders hold. In the BLS May 2025 wage data, postsecondary social work teachers earned a median of $77,570, and social and community service managers a median of $80,390. Healthcare social workers earned a median of $67,880, and mental health and substance abuse social workers $60,280.
Clinical roles require licensure, not a doctorate, so a clinical DSW deepens supervision and practice skills rather than opening a new pay grade on its own. Teaching and agency leadership are where the doctorate most often matters. The DSW careers guide and is a DSW worth it? cover the return in detail.
How to Keep Your DSW Cost Down
- Start with the estimate, then add fees. Southern Connecticut State’s $468 per credit fee changes its total far more than a small rate difference elsewhere.
- Check residency pricing. At Buffalo, Millersville, Kutztown and Maryland, in-state rates are much lower. Kansas and Kentucky charge everyone the same.
- Count the travel. A program with no residency, such as UT Arlington, avoids flights and hotels.
- Protect your loan room. Add up your MSW borrowing before you commit, since it counts against the $100,000 graduate limit.
- Ask your employer. If you work for a qualifying public or nonprofit employer, PSLF can change the math on borrowing.
- Consider a funded PhD if your goal is research and teaching, not practice.
Compare cost with time and admission: how long a DSW takes and DSW admission requirements. The full list of DSW programs shows every school’s rate side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Most Affordable DSW Program?
By estimated tuition, the University of Alabama at $19,800 (45 credits at $440 per credit hour, before fees). Buffalo ($31,200 at the New York resident rate), Kentucky ($33,180) and Millersville ($33,312 at the Pennsylvania resident rate) follow.
Are There Fully Funded DSW Programs?
No DSW in this comparison is fully funded. Millersville offers graduate assistantships to DSW students: a $6,000 annual stipend with 18 credits of tuition waiver full time, or $3,000 with 9 credits part time. Full funding is a PhD feature: 46 of the 77 PhD programs here are funded.
Can You Use Federal Loans for a DSW?
Yes. New graduate borrowers can take up to $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Grad PLUS loans are no longer available to new borrowers.
Does Your Employer Count Toward Loan Forgiveness?
If you work full time for a government agency or a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, Public Service Loan Forgiveness can forgive your remaining Direct Loan balance after 120 qualifying monthly payments. For-profit employers don't qualify.
Is an Online DSW Less Expensive Than a Campus DSW?
Not by format alone. Online programs span the whole range, from Alabama at $19,800 to USC at $97,524 in estimated tuition. Residency status matters more at public schools such as Buffalo, Millersville and Kutztown, which charge non-residents more.
How Much Does a PhD in Social Work Cost if It Isn't Funded?
Among unfunded PhDs with a published rate, estimated tuition runs from $42,840 at Walden to $85,776 at NYU, before fees.
Keep Reading
- What Is a DSW?What the Doctor of Social Work is, who it's built for, how programs run and how it differs from a PhD
- DSW vs PhDThe practice doctorate and the research doctorate compared on purpose, format, cost, funding, length and careers
- DSW Admission RequirementsWhat DSW programs ask for at admission, with counts from verified program pages
- How Long a DSW TakesHow many years and credits a DSW takes, from verified program pages, and what changes the timeline
- Is a DSW Worth It?The cost of a DSW against the roles it opens, with BLS pay for the jobs graduates hold
- DSW Careers and SalaryThe roles DSW and PhD graduates hold and BLS pay for each, with the doctorate's real role in getting there