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Enrollment in the WashU Brown School’s Master of Social Work program increased 29% this fall, with 152 students joining the incoming class — the program’s largest entering cohort in five years, school officials said.
The final enrollment exceeded the school’s original target. The incoming class also posted a 52% yield rate, meaning the percentage of admitted students who chose to enroll. That is the highest yield rate in more than three decades.
Overall MSW application volume remained relatively steady from the previous year, with continued growth in domestic applications offsetting a decline in international applications.
Jamie Adkisson Hennessy, assistant dean for admissions and enrollment management at the Brown School, pointed to the school’s increased investment in financial support as a significant factor in the enrollment results.
“This year’s yield is particularly encouraging given the broader pressures affecting graduate enrollment,” Adkisson Hennessy said. “We know that cost weighs heavily for students considering an MSW, and we believe the level of financial support we were able to provide made a meaningful difference for many students in choosing the Brown School.”
The Brown School committed more than $9 million in total program funding for the 2026 MSW cohort, with every student receiving Brown School financial support and an average tuition discount of more than 50%. The investment included the school’s new MSW Practicum Support Award, which provides all MSW students with a living support stipend and covers tuition for required practicum credits.
Dorian Traube, the Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean of the Brown School and a professor, said the expanded financial support is part of the school’s effort to reduce financial barriers to social work education.
“By removing financial barriers, we can help our students focus on becoming the best social workers they can be without worrying about lost income or additional debt,” Traube said. “Our goal is to ensure that all qualified students, regardless of their financial circumstances, have the opportunity to pursue meaningful careers in service to others.”
The importance of financial support was reflected in the Brown School’s incoming student survey. Eighty-three percent of respondents ranked financial support among their top three factors in choosing the Brown School.