Demographic trends in social work over a quarter-century in an increasingly female profession

This article depicts the changing demographic portrait of social work education in the United States from 1974 through 2000 and considers the demographic shifts in the profession of social work. During this period, BSW and joint MSW-BSW programs increased from 150 to 404, MSW programs increased from 79 to 139, and social work doctoral programs increased from 29 to 67. BSW graduates increased by 24 percent to almost 12,000, MSW graduates grew by almost 90 percent to over 15,000, and doctoral graduates increased by 44 percent to only 229. From 1974 to 2000, people of color represented increasing proportions of social work graduates to almost 30 percent of BSW graduates, 26 percent of MSW graduates, and 19 percent of social work PhD graduates. By 2000, the proportion of women earning social work degrees had grown to 88 percent at the BSW, 85 percent at the MSW, and 73 percent at the PhD levels, and women accounted for almost two-thirds of social work faculty. The most dynamic trends within the composition of the profession are the substantial increases in the proportion of women faculty, and among MSW graduates, a decrease in the proportion of men from 43 percent in 1960 to 15 percent in 2000. Findings suggest that issues of racial, ethnic, and gender representation in particular merit discussion within the profession.