Free Tools
Social Work Doctorate Planning Tools
Which Tool Should You Start With?
Start with the DSW or PhD chooser if you haven't settled on a degree, then use the program matcher to shortlist programs and the cost and loan calculator to price them. All three run on the same 115 programs at 96 schools (38 DSW and practice doctorates, 77 PhDs), each checked on the school's own pages in October 2026.
- DSW or PhD? Doctorate ChooserDecides which doctorate fits: the practice DSW or the research PhD. Answer six questions about your goals, schedule and budget, and see whether the practice doctorate or the research doctorate fits, with the programs that match.
- Social Work Doctorate Program MatcherDecides which programs to shortlist, with the reason each one fits. Pick the degree, format, residency, focus, budget and where you live, and get the verified programs that fit, with the reason each one made the list.
- DSW Cost and Loan CalculatorDecides whether you can pay for it: total tuition, loans and the monthly payment. Total tuition for any program with a published rate, what federal loan limits cover, the gap, and the monthly payment on what you borrow.
Why a Doctorate Needs Its Own Tools
A social work doctorate is two different degrees under one name. The DSW is a practice doctorate for working clinicians, leaders and teachers: usually part time, often online with short residencies, and paid for by the student. The PhD is a research doctorate: usually full time on campus, and 46 of the 77 PhD programs here state that they cover tuition and pay a stipend or assistantship. Picking the wrong one costs years, so the chooser starts there.
Cost works differently too. 19 DSW programs publish enough to estimate tuition, and since July 1, 2026, new graduate borrowers can take at most $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, with no Grad PLUS. The calculator shows what that leaves you to cover.
Your Answers Stay in Your Browser
Each tool downloads the site's public program file once and does its work on your device. Nothing you choose or type is sent to this site or stored on a server, and no account is needed.
Sources
- Official program pages of each school, reviewed October 2026
- CSWE, accredited program directory (practice doctorates), captured September 30, 2026
- Federal Student Aid: big updates to federal student loans (2026 limits)
- Federal Student Aid: interest rates and fees