Make a list of the criteria that are important to you in choosing a school. Consider location of the school, cost, accreditation and national recognition. If there is a specific specialty of social work you want to work in (clinical, for example), then you will want to look for programs that offer your specialization.
Use resources online and at your local school to see how schools have been nationally ranked. If you do not know which schools you would like to compare, looking at national rankings can be a great place to start. Many sites online like socialpsychology.org and phds.org annually rank social work programs. Each site uses a different set of criteria to determine its rankings, so it is important to know what goes into each ranking decision.
Visit the school's websites. Many schools will outline the goals of their social work program. You can research exactly what specializations within social work that they offer. Many employers like graduates to have work experience, so the program outline should include an internship or volunteer experience. Most college websites also list their faculty, awards and recent research contributions.
Request more information from the schools that you are considering. If the school is close to where you live, you might also be able to schedule a tour and meet with the dean of the social work program.
Summarize all the knowledge you have gathered and rank the programs. Ultimately the criteria for your personal rankings will be up to you. If you have done thorough research, you should be able to narrow your list to the programs that will be a perfect fit for you.