MSW Ranking?

[amina26]

Can anyone please give me a good draft of the top ranking MSW programs in California, based on job outcomes and graduate school experience?
Many people around me have been talking down about the more expensive schools (like USC), and promoting the cheaper ones (UCB, SJSU, etc). But will any of those schools give you the same chancec of getting the experience and job you want as a top social worker? Or does a school's name really make a difference here? I understand that for example with Law schools and medical schools, a school's name definitely matters. But for social work, since its more about networking/experience/field work, does this factor???

I'm currently accepted into USC's online MSW program. However because I keep getting told things based on expenses and cohort experience, I am very seriously considering not going through with USC and reapplying for next year for some other schools, such as state colleges (SJSU, CSUF). Opinions??

 

APPRECIATE ANY COMMENTS!

[agentofchange]

Several people have posted about this topic, so I'm sure someone can give you an in-depth response or direct you to a post with the appropriate information. For me, though, I don't believe name recognition is quite as important with social workers as it may be for lawyers or medical doctors. Many people on this forum recommend attending state schools because of lower tuition costs, etc, while others are stuck on going to a top 10 school that has outrageous tuition rates. It all depends on preference and what your career goals are.

I'm going to a state school because it is nationally ranked, offered me a scholarship, and has a great reputation in my geographic area.

You could always try USC for a semester and see how you enjoy it. I know many MSW programs will allow you to transfer a certain number of graduate school credits, so if you don't enjoy USC you may be able to find a school where the classes you took still count.

[briefinterviews]

I am not sure the rankings you are asking for exist in any formal sense, but some programs post data on the percentage of graduates securing employment within 6 months on their websites. 

 

No, the name of your program doesn't carry the same weight as it does for other professional degrees--especially for those in direct practice. If you are going into academia or macro-level social work, then reputation of your program will matter a little more than it does for a clinician. 

 

I chose my program because of reputation and cost, and because I knew it would afford me certain opportunities and connections.

 

I am not sure what the trade off is for USC's price tage, even with the way that Trojans notoriously take care of their own. USC students are still placed in the same agencies as other MSW students in the region. Unless you are looking at macro level work or research, I might reconsider and give yourself some more options and more time to research what you really want out of a program.

[amina26]

Thank you for your input, much appreciated!

[amina26]

I am not sure the rankings you are asking for exist in any formal sense, but some programs post data on the percentage of graduates securing employment within 6 months on their websites. 

 

No, the name of your program doesn't carry the same weight as it does for other professional degrees--especially for those in direct practice. If you are going into academia or macro-level social work, then reputation of your program will matter a little more than it does for a clinician. 

 

I chose my program because of reputation and cost, and because I knew it would afford me certain opportunities and connections.

 

I am not sure what the trade off is for USC's price tage, even with the way that Trojans notoriously take care of their own. USC students are still placed in the same agencies as other MSW students in the region. Unless you are looking at macro level work or research, I might reconsider and give yourself some more options and more time to research what you really want out of a program.

 

I am not sure the rankings you are asking for exist in any formal sense, but some programs post data on the percentage of graduates securing employment within 6 months on their websites. 

 

No, the name of your program doesn't carry the same weight as it does for other professional degrees--especially for those in direct practice. If you are going into academia or macro-level social work, then reputation of your program will matter a little more than it does for a clinician. 

 

I chose my program because of reputation and cost, and because I knew it would afford me certain opportunities and connections.

 

I am not sure what the trade off is for USC's price tage, even with the way that Trojans notoriously take care of their own. USC students are still placed in the same agencies as other MSW students in the region. Unless you are looking at macro level work or research, I might reconsider and give yourself some more options and more time to research what you really want out of a program.

 Thank you for your input!

I've been actively working in inpatient mental health for more than 4 years now, so I am pretty set on going to the micro/clinical community mental health route (although I am open to seeing what parts of the macro side of social work could be appealing to what I feel I would want to pursue professionally).

[Purplescarves]

When I first came to this forum, I found this post very helpful: 

 

The questions you have can be answered by the school(s) you might want to attend. Ask USC alumni, faculty, and current students their opinions. I did that of each school I was accepted into and I think I gained an improved perspective of what I could expect at each school. USC was actually one of those schools and I came to the conclusion that it's an overpriced degree. However, that conclusion is based on my situation. You do have to decide for you. If you are low on time, you might be better off targeting the school and alumni because you want to know what happens after graduation for USC students.

 

Hope this helps!