Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

Higher Education in Social Work and Social Policybrownschool.wustl.edu

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is a graduate school offering MSW, Master of Social Policy, and PhD programs in social work, serving students and working professionals pursuing careers in social work, policy, and public health research.

Company typePrivate
Founded1925
HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis does

The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is a graduate school founded in 1925 as the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, now operating as a top-ranked (#2, 2026 U.S. News & World Report) academic unit within Washington University in St. Louis. It offers three core degree programs: the Master of Social Work (with full-time, part-time, advanced standing, 3-2, and dual-degree modalities), the Master of Social Policy, and a PhD in Social Work with concentrations in Dissemination and Implementation Science and Systems Science for Health Equity. Supporting offerings include fully-funded practicums with living stipends for all MSW students (a first-in-nation arrangement), continuing education via workshops, on-demand lectures, intensives, and Advanced Learning Certificates, plus the WashU Public Exchange community-partnership initiative.

Revenue derives from tuition and fees across degree programs, externally funded research grants (e.g., NIMH, Brady Education Foundation), and continuing-education revenue from working professionals. Distribution is sales-led via direct admissions, supported by a broad digital presence (YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and admissions events. The school has approximately 101–250 employees and serves a distributed base of domestic and international students, working social-work professionals, and community nonprofit partners.

In August 2025, Brown School launched Empathy Helper, an AI-powered simulation platform using advanced language models to generate realistic virtual client interactions for social work training. The platform is domain-specialized (social-work clinical communication practice) and is described as scalable based on early pilots. Adjacent research centers — Clark-Fox Policy Institute, Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging, and Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies — anchor the school's research footprint and faculty retention.

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis
Legal name: George Warren Brown School
Website: https://brownschool.wustl.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1925
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is a graduate school offering MSW, Master of Social Policy, and PhD programs in social work, serving students and working professionals pursuing careers in social work, policy, and public health research.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education in Social Work and Social Policy
NAICS: Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
akta.pro primary industry: Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)
akta.pro secondary industry: Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers) (EDALABAF)

Keywords

Social work education
Graduate degree programs
Social policy research
Continuing education
Professional development

Where Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: St Louis
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: The Brown School generates revenue through tuition and fees from its MSW, Master of Social Policy, and PhD programs. Students pay tuition for degree programs with various financial aid options including federal student aid, fellowships, and stipends.
Grants and Research Funding: The school receives grants for research initiatives such as the $311,796 Brady Education Foundation grant for the SEEK OK study, supporting faculty research programs.
Professional Development Programs: Continuing education offerings including workshops, on-demand lectures, intensives, and Advanced Learning Certificates generate revenue from working professionals seeking career advancement.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Annual	Fully-funded practicum and living stipend program for all MSW students

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis offers graduate and doctoral degree programs in social work (MSW with full-time, part-time, advanced standing, 3-2, and dual degree formats), social policy (MSP), and social work (PhD), supported by fully-funded practicum field placements with living stipends. It also delivers continuing education (workshops, on-demand lectures, intensives, and Advanced Learning Certificates) for working professionals, operates specialized research centers, and runs the Empathy Helper AI-powered simulation platform for social work training.

Product overview

The Brown School at Washington University offers a portfolio of graduate education programs centered around social work and social policy. The core offerings include a Master of Social Work (MSW) with multiple delivery formats (full-time, part-time, advanced standing, 3-2, and dual degree), a Master of Social Policy, and a PhD in Social Work with two doctoral concentrations. Supporting these academic programs are professional development offerings (workshops, on-demand lectures, intensives, and advanced learning certificates), practicum education with fully-funded field placements, global programs, and the WashU Public Exchange initiative. The school has also recently launched Empathy Helper, an AI-powered simulation platform for social work training that provides realistic virtual client interactions using advanced language models.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

31 scholarships awarded to strengthen small St. Louis-area nonprofits
+1 more outcomes

Companies that use Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Clark-Fox Policy InstitutecoreOthersAn affiliated research center within WashU focused on policy research and analysis, part of the Brown School's research ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Columbia University School of Social Work: One of the oldest and most prominent U.S. MSW programs and a consistent top-3 U.S. News & World Report ranked school of social work, directly comparable to Brown School in graduate social work education, research output, and professional development offerings.
University of Michigan School of Social Work: Top-ranked public MSW and PhD program with a similarly broad research portfolio in social work, aging, and policy; directly comparable in program mix, ranking tier, and global applicant reach.
University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice: Elite private-university peer offering MSW, PhD, and policy-oriented graduate programs; competes head-to-head with Brown School for top applicants, faculty, and research grants in social work and social policy.
University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare: Leading public research university social work school offering MSW and PhD programs with strong policy and macro practice focus, directly comparable in academic reputation and research intensity.
New York University Silver School of Social Work: Major private-university MSW and PhD program with extensive online and continuing education offerings; directly comparable in scale, format diversity, and urban practicum model.
Boston University School of Social Work: Large private-university MSW program with strong online and on-campus formats and an applied research portfolio; directly comparable in program structure, professional development offerings, and ranking tier.
University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work: Top-ranked public university MSW and PhD program with prominent centers in aging, child welfare, and community practice; comparable in research center model and graduate program mix.
University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: One of the largest U.S. MSW programs with a significant online delivery footprint and military social work specialization; directly comparable in scale, online program maturity, and continuing education scope.
University of Washington School of Social Work: Top-ranked public university social work school with strong research portfolio in health, mental health, and equity; directly comparable in academic reputation, research intensity, and PhD training model.

Broad incumbents

Harvard Kennedy School: Adjacent elite graduate school focused on public policy and social policy, overlapping with Brown School's Master of Social Policy and policy research centers; comparable applicant profile and research footprint in social policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

What does Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis do?

Is Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis a public or private company?

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis founded?

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis was founded in 1925. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis based?

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.

How does Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are grants and Research Funding and professional Development Programs.

Who are Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Columbia University School of Social Work, University of Michigan School of Social Work, University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare, New York University Silver School of Social Work, Boston University School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and University of Washington School of Social Work. Harvard Kennedy School is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis have an API?

No public API is recorded for Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

What industry is Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis in?

Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis's product category is Higher Education in Social Work and Social Policy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKANAF, Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction), with a secondary code of EDALABAF, Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.