The 2017 U.S. News & World Report Graduate School Rankings are in, and for the second straight time, the Boston College School of Social Work has been voted #10 nationwide. This announcement assures that BCSSW will spend a period of at least eight successive years in the top ten of social work schools in America.
“In 2004, the School of Social Work — ranked #24 at the time — set the goal of becoming a top-ten program,” said BCSSW Dean Alberto Godenzi. “When we reached #10 in 2012, we knew it would be a considerable challenge to sustain this prestigious position, as a number of social work programs from top-ranked universities were close behind us. Rankings can influence the quality of students and faculty we are able to recruit and students’ internships and job placements, and they provide excitement among alumni and donors. For these reasons in particular, I am happy that we were able to solidify our place as a top-ten school in two successive rankings. My thanks go to the BC leadership and the entire School of Social Work community. Faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends have all been a wonderful part of this remarkable and transformative journey.”
BCSSW’s reputation is a testament to its strong reputation for thought leadership and research, teaching and community development, and innovative ideas around social work higher education.
Recent successes that likely helped to inform BCSSW’s high ranking were highlighted in this year’s edition of BC Social Work Magazine. They include:
- The hiring of leading academics within the field.
- The novel approaches to social work taken by a next generation of scholars at BCSSW.
- The addition of well-regarded executives and policymakers to the school’s faculty.
- The forging of innovative partnerships with well-established community organizations.
- The continual accomplishments of the school’s impressive students and alumni.
While BCSSW’s reputation among schools of social work remains strong, the school is also well regarded within the greater Boston College community — BCSSW earned the highest ranking of any of BC’s graduate schools and programs.