Changes in Enrollment and Applications to Graduate Schools of Social Work: 1972–1982

This study reexamines changes in enrollments and applications to graduate schools of social work. The reexamination was necessitated by flaws in earlier investigations of this critical topic. On the aggregate levels, the results of this secondary data analysis demonstrate that there has been a reduction in the proportion of potential students who earned MSWs in recent years, thus supporting the hypothesis that there has been a decline in interest. The analysis by individual schools makes it apparent that the experiences are more diverse and complex than previously thought and calls into question the type of school which is the most attractive. Data about concomitant changes in faculty size are included.