There are several social work schools in New Mexico where you can pursue undergraduate- and graduate-level social work degrees. You must have at least a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) to become a licensed social worker in New Mexico. Our page on New Mexico licensure provides an overview of the licensure process. This page provides further information on New Mexico social work programs that meet CSWE standards, including the online BSW and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs offered at Western New Mexico University.
Quick Facts
- 14 schools offering social work programs in New Mexico are in our database (see below)
- Of the social work schools in New Mexico, 9 offer associate’s degrees or certificates, 4 offer bachelor’s degrees, and 3 offer a master’s or advanced degree1
- No schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges
- 3 schools ranked in US News Best Graduate Social Work Programs
- 2 schools ranked in Social Work Guide’s Top Online MSW Programs4
- Across 4 schools, 7 bachelor’s and master’s social work degree programs in New Mexico are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)5
Featured Online Programs in Social Work
Top-Ranked Schools with Social Work Programs in New Mexico
US News Best Graduate Social Work Programs
- New Mexico State University (#128 tie)
- New Mexico Highlands University (#220 tie)
- Western New Mexico University (#220 tie)
Social Work Guide’s Top Online MSW Programs
- New Mexico State University
- Western New Mexico University
Schools with Social Work Programs Accredited by the CSWE
- Eastern New Mexico University
- New Mexico Highlands University
- New Mexico State University
- Western New Mexico University
Schools in New Mexico with Social Work Degree Programs
BSW and Other Undergraduate Programs
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) is a public institution located in Portales, close to the eastern New Mexico-Texas border. ENMU’s BSW program is accredited by the CSWE and focuses on teaching students professional ethics, generalist practice skills, and social justice. Prospective students begin taking liberal arts classes and introductory social work courses during the first two years of undergraduate study. Once the general degree requirements are met, prospective students may apply to declare social work as their major. All students have a faculty advisor who helps them progress through the social work application process and program. Required classes in the program include human behavior, social welfare policy, and research. Although the program is not available fully online, distance education methods are used to address some of the challenges faced by rural social work students in the state.
New Mexico State University
Located in the southern city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University is a public institution that was founded in 1888. The School of Social Work offers CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW degrees. The BSW degree has a generalist social work curriculum that prepares students to work in micro, mezzo, and macro organizations. In their freshman and sophomore years, students take liberal arts courses in English, biology, a foreign language, and humanities. In the junior and senior years, social work courses are taken in policy, human behavior, and general practice. In senior year field education placement, students complete 420 hours of supervised generalist practice. Once the liberal arts requirements are met in the first two years of study, it is also possible to complete the social work curriculum part-time over three years rather than two. In 2016 the university was ranked #199 among national universities according to US News & World Report.
MSW and Other Graduate Programs
New Mexico Highlands University
New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution with many campuses located across the state. The NMHU School of Social Work (SSW) offers CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW degrees that teach students about social work practice in the multi-cultural context of the state. There are many locations where you can study, most with an advanced standing option, which reduces the program length for students with a CSWE-accredited BSW. The Albuquerque campus offers the MSW degree either full-time or part-time with or without advanced standing with three concentrations in Clinical Practice, Leadership and Administration, or Bilingual/Bicultural Clinical Practice. The Las Vegas and Rio Rancho campuses offer the clinical practice stream full-time and part-time with or without advanced standing. The Roswell and Farmington campuses offer the clinical stream part-time with or without advanced standing. The university also offers a dual MSW in Leadership and Administration/MBA in Human Resources Management degree in Albuquerque.
Western New Mexico University
Western New Mexico University is a rural, public institution located near Silver City. The university offers both CSWE-accredited BSW and MSW degree programs at the Silver City campus and online. The MSW program takes two years to complete full-time, with a foundational year and a specialization year. The WNMU School of Social Work program has an advanced generalist curriculum and offers many course options for students interested in advanced rural social work practice. The program also offers elective courses in military social work, child welfare, and gerontology. Students complete two field education placements during the program, which likely include work with the Native American, Hispanic, or cross-border communities in the state. Candidates who have completed a CSWE-accredited BSW degree in the past eight years may qualify for advanced standing admissions to skip the foundational year of the program.
Accreditation Information for New Mexico Social Work Schools
| School | Graduation Rate1 | Transfer-Out Rate1 | Associate’s SW Program | Bachelor’s SW Program | Graduate SW Program | CSWE Accredited5 | US News Best Social Work Grad Schools Ranking3 | Net Price*1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clovis Community College | 24% | 12% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $10,024 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Portales | 28% | N/A | No | Yes | No | Yes | Not Ranked | $10,428 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell | 25% | 12% | No | Yes | No | No | Not Ranked | $7,978 |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso | 13% | 14% | No | Yes | No | No | Not Ranked | $8,440 |
| Mesalands Community College | 44% | N/A | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $6,753 |
| New Mexico Highlands University | 17% | 46% | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | #220 tie | $10,241 |
| New Mexico State University-Alamogordo | 11% | 19% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $5,192 |
| New Mexico State University-Carlsbad | 6% | 17% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $5,978 |
| New Mexico State University-Grants | 9% | 11% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $3,849 |
| New Mexico State University-Las Cruces | 46% | N/A | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | #128 tie | $10,299 |
| Northern New Mexico College | 15% | 3% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $8,736 |
| San Juan College | 14% | 12% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $5,631 |
| Santa Fe Community College | 11% | 17% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $9,736 |
| University of New Mexico-Taos | 11% | 8% | Yes | No | No | No | Not Ranked | $9,465 |
| Western New Mexico University | 21% | N/A | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | #220 tie | $10,994 |
*The net price is calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics by subtracting the average amount of aid (including grants and scholarships) from the total published cost of attendance for in-state/in-district students, which includes tuition, books, room and board, and other expenses. To gain a better understanding of how to interpret the statistics discussed in this table, see our list of important definitions.
Featured Online Programs in Social Work
Directory of New Mexico Social Work School Programs
Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.
Schools with an asterisk (*) have programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Clovis Community College
417 Schepps Blvd
Clovis, NM 88101-8381
(800) 769-1409
http://www.clovis.edu
Eastern New Mexico University-Portales*
1500 S Ave K
Portales, NM 88130
(575) 562-1011
http://www.enmu.edu
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell
52 University Blvd
Roswell, NM 88202-6000
(575)
624-7000
http://www.roswell.enmu.edu
Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso
709 Mechem Dr
Ruidoso, NM 88345
(575) 257-2120
http://www.ruidoso.enmu.edu
Mesalands Community College
911 S 10th St
Tucumcari, NM 88401-3352
(575) 461-4413
http://www.mesalands.edu
New Mexico Highlands University*
1005 Diamond St
Las Vegas, NM 87701
(505) 425-7511
http://www.nmhu.edu
New Mexico State University-Alamogordo
2400 N Scenic Dr
Alamogordo, NM 88310
(575) 439-3600
http://www.nmsua.edu
New Mexico State University-Carlsbad
1500 University Dr
Carlsbad, NM 88220
(575) 234-9200
http://www.carlsbad.nmsu.edu
New Mexico State University-Grants
1500 N 3rd St
Grants, NM 87020-2025
(505) 287-6678
http://www.grants.nmsu.edu
New Mexico State University-Las Cruces*
2850 Weddell St
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
(575)
646-0111
http://www.nmsu.edu
Northern New Mexico College
921 Paseo de Onate
Espanola, NM 87532
(505) 747-2100
http://www.nnmc.edu
San Juan College
4601 College Blvd
Farmington, NM 87402-4699
(505) 326-3311
http://www.sanjuancollege.edu
Santa Fe Community College
6401 Richards Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87508-4887
(505) 428-1000
http://www.sfcc.edu
University of New Mexico-Taos
1157 County Rd 110
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557
(575) 737-6200
http://www.taos.unm.edu
Western New Mexico University*
1000 W College Ave
Silver City, NM 88061
(505) 538-6336
https://wnmu.edu/
Student Review: “Western New Mexico University’s social work program has been constructive on a multitude of levels while continually challenging me. The entire program is based on a cultural competency model. The head of the social work programs feels that good social work is developed through constant sensitivity to a wide variety of cultures and different ethnic backgrounds. Each student is asked to step outside of their comfort zone and try to imagine what it would be like to live in a different day to day situation. For example, in many social work classes offered we are asked to imagine we are from a poverty-stricken community and we are to answer any assignments from that particular viewpoint. I am currently attending my second semester at the university and feel that I am already a great deal more aware of my role in society and how I can use that place to help others.” – Student at Western New Mexico University
Student Review: “What I love most about my university’s social work program, is the attentive nature of their professors. No matter what question I may have about an assignment or even placement into my practicum each semester, they are always there to answer in a friendly professional manner. The only downfall of the program is that I attend classes via an online format and the program tends to be down during the times of the day I prefer to work on my assignment. Although the program that the classes are offered through is lacking quality at the moment I am sure it will be improved greatly in the near future.” – Student at Western New Mexico University
Schools with an asterisk (*) have programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-kiplinger-s-best-values-in-private-colleges/index.php?table=all
3. US News & World Report Social Work Best Grad Schools Rankings: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/social-work-rankings
4.
Social Work Guide’s Top Online MSW Programs: /degrees/masters/online/
5. Council on Social Work Education: https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation/Directory-of-Accredited-Programs.aspx