72+ Most Affordable CSWE Accredited Online MSW Programs for 2026

Description

Adelphi University — Online MSW

Garden City, NY · Private nonprofit university · CSWE-accredited

Adelphi backs its online MSW with the number that matters after graduation: 90% of graduates employed within a year, drawing on 1,000-plus affiliated agencies across the New York metro — and the field office arranges placements for out-of-state students rather than leaving you to search.

The 31-credit Advanced Standing track finishes in roughly 15 months part-time; a 61-credit Traditional track and a route for working human-service professionals round out three entry paths, with LMSW exam preparation built in. Delivery blends weekly synchronous sessions with two short online residencies a year, so plan for scheduled class time. Tuition is $1,075 per credit.

• Program page: Adelphi — Online MSW (Advanced Standing)
• Format: Part-time online; weekly synchronous class sessions plus two online residencies per year (August and January).
• Traditional track: 61 credits · about 3 years part-time · fall or spring start · 1,200 field hours.
• Advanced standing: 31 credits · about 15 months over 4 semesters · summer start · 600 field hours. Requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within the last 5 years and a 3.0 GPA.
• Field education: 1,200 hours (Traditional) or 600 hours (Advanced Standing), single placement; 1,000-plus affiliated agencies across the New York metro area.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by MSCHE.
• Concentrations: Generalist base with flexible focus areas: child and family, mental health, healthcare, and community practice. LMSW exam preparation included.
• Best for: BSW graduates who want a fast, part-time online path to the MSW and value New York-metro placement support.

Tuition & Total Cost

At $1,075 per credit for 2026–2027, charged the same regardless of residency, Adelphi’s 61-credit online MSW comes to about $65,575 and the 31-credit Advanced Standing track to about $33,325. Rates confirmed on the Adelphi University online tuition page.

• Traditional: 61 credits · $65,575 tuition · $65,575 TIC
• Advanced standing: 31 credits · $33,325 tuition · $33,325 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Joanne Corbin, Dean of the School of Social Work — parent involvement in schools and health policy.
• Dr. Beverly Araujo Dawson, Professor and founding director of the online MSW program — mental health of Latino immigrant communities.
• Dr. Wahiba Abu-Ras, Professor — mental health and trauma in Muslim and Arab American communities.

Description

Arizona State University — Online MSW

Tempe/Phoenix, AZ · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Arizona State lets you pick how you learn instead of forcing one mode: the same MSW runs fully asynchronous through ASU Online or with live class sessions through ASU Sync, no campus visits either way, and tuition is identical regardless of residency.

The advanced-generalist curriculum carries a Southwest and Borderlands emphasis on Native American and Latino communities, taught within a school that enrolls more than 2,000 social work students a year and includes nationally known researchers in human trafficking and child-abuse prevention.

A 60-credit standard track and a 39-credit online advanced-standing track (13 classes in 7.5-week sessions) are available.

• Program page: ASU Online — MSW (Advanced Standing)
• Format: Two online formats — ASU Online (fully asynchronous) and ASU Sync (synchronous live sessions); no campus visits; Advanced Generalist Studies with a Southwest/Borderlands emphasis; students help secure their own field placements
• Standard track: 60 credits · 2–3 years
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · 1 year (13 classes in 7.5-week sessions)
• Field education: 960 hours (two 480-hour placements) or 480 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (reaffirmed 2016); ASU holds HLC institutional accreditation; the GRE is required only if the GPA is below 3.20
• Restriction & eligibility note: The 39-credit online advanced-standing option is listed on ASU Online, though one aggregator reports it as on-campus only — confirm current availability with the program
• Best for: Students who want a large, research-active program with a choice of asynchronous or live-session delivery and flat tuition regardless of residency

Tuition & Total Cost

At the 2026-27 online graduate rate of $605 per credit, the same for residents and nonresidents, the 60-credit standard track runs about $36,300 and the 39-credit advanced-standing track about $23,595. Rate confirmed on the ASU Online tuition page.

• Standard MSW: 60 credits · $36,300 tuition · $36,300 TIC
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · $23,595 tuition · $23,595 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, Professor and Director of the ASU Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research — human trafficking and forensic social work; founder of Project ROSE; 70-plus peer-reviewed publications.
• Dr. Craig W. LeCroy, Communitas Professor — adolescence, child-abuse prevention, and home visitation; author of 15 books and 100-plus articles; Fellow of AASWSW, SSWR, and APA Division 53.

Description

Boise State University — Online MSW

Boise, ID · Public · CSWE-accredited

Boise State charges every online MSW student the same flat $565 per credit, so your state of residence never changes the price: about $34,465 for the 61-credit regular track or $20,905 for the 37-credit advanced-standing track. That makes it one of the stronger values for out-of-state students, and field coordinators secure a local placement for you rather than leaving the search in your hands.

The CSWE-accredited program is mostly asynchronous with spring, summer, and fall starts, and the $300 field fee even covers the professional liability insurance students usually buy separately. Minnesota advanced-standing applicants need one extra elective to satisfy that state’s licensure rules.

• Program page: Boise State Online MSW
• Format: 100% online, mostly asynchronous with a few live sessions; full- or part-time; spring, summer, and fall starts
• Regular track: 61 credits · 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 37 credits · ~1 year (3 semesters full-time)
• Field education: 1,000 clock hours regular track (400 + 600) or 600 hours advanced standing; local placements secured by field coordinators
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Boise State holds NWCCU institutional accreditation
• Licensure note: Minnesota applicants on the advanced-standing track need an additional elective to meet that state’s requirements
• Best for: Out-of-state students who want flat-rate pricing with no residency penalty, and students who prefer arranged field placements

Tuition & Total Cost

Flat $565 per credit for all students (AY2026-27); the only mandatory program fees are a one-time field-education fee ($300 regular / $150 advanced standing, which covers liability insurance) plus a $25 graduation fee. Current fee table on the Boise State MSW costs page.

• Regular: 61 credits · $34,465 tuition · $34,790 TIC
• Advanced standing: 37 credits · $20,905 tuition · $21,080 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jill M. Chonody, Professor (PhD, MSW, LCSW) — ageism and aging attitudes, arts-based research methods; 70+ articles and two books; Fulbright Specialist (Vietnam, 2022); author of “Positive and Negative Ageism” (Affilia, 2016)
• Dr. Heather Witt, Associate Professor (PhD, LMSW, M.Ed) — human rights and policy, trauma-informed teaching

Description

Boston University — Online MSW

Boston, MA · Private research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Boston University is one of the few top-ranked programs (#12 tie, U.S. News 2024) where macro practice is a full major, not an afterthought: choose Clinical Practice (with an optional Macro minor) or Macro Practice outright, then specialize in Aging; Behavioral Health; Children, Youth & Families; or Trauma, Violence & Justice.

Field placements flow through a national network of 2,000-plus agencies, totaling 1,200 hours on the 65-credit traditional track. The part-time format pairs asynchronous coursework with required Sunday or Monday evening Live Classroom sessions, and you must reside in one of the 50 states at the start — U.S. territories and overseas bases don’t qualify.

• Program page: Boston University — Online MSW
• Format: Part-time online; asynchronous coursework plus required weekly Live Classroom sessions on Sunday or Monday evenings.
• Traditional & HSE tracks: 65 credits · about 9 semesters part-time.
• Advanced standing: 43 credits (or 40 with the Research I waiver exam) · 6 consecutive semesters · fall start. Requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within the last 6 years and a 3.0 GPA.
• Field education: 1,200 hours across two internships (Traditional) or 1,000 hours in a single internship (HSE and Advanced Standing); national network of 2,000-plus field agencies.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by NEASC.
• Concentrations: Two majors — Clinical Practice (optional Macro minor) and Macro Practice — with specializations in Aging; Behavioral Health; Children, Youth & Families; and Trauma, Violence & Justice.
• Restriction & eligibility note: Applicants must reside in one of the 50 U.S. states when the program begins; residents of U.S. territories, foreign countries, and overseas military bases are not eligible.
• Best for: Students who want a top-ranked, research-driven program with a genuine macro-practice option and can commit to weekly live evening classes.

Tuition & Total Cost

At $1,018 per credit for 2026–2027, charged the same regardless of residency, the 65-credit Traditional/HSE track runs about $66,770 all-in and the 43-credit Advanced Standing track about $44,149, each figure including the $75 part-time student services fee charged per semester. Rates confirmed on the Boston University School of Social Work tuition and fees page.

• Traditional / HSE: 65 credits · $66,170 tuition · $66,770 TIC
• Advanced standing: 43 credits · $43,774 tuition · $44,149 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jorge Delva, Professor (former dean, 2018–2023) — substance use disorders and ethnic health inequities.
• Dr. Margaret Lombe, Associate Professor and chair of the Macro Practice department — global health equity and social inclusion.
• Dr. Renée Spencer, Professor — youth mentoring relationships.

Description

Cal Poly Humboldt — Online MSW

Arcata, CA · Public (California State University system) · CSWE-accredited

Cal Poly Humboldt funds more than half of its MSW students, with stipends reaching $18,500 through CalSWEC and Title IV-E — so the practical cost can land far below sticker.

The mission is equally distinctive: a decolonizing, Indigenous- and rural-focused curriculum with concentrations in community and organization, Indigenous peoples, and wellness and sustainability.

The Distributed Learning format combines asynchronous modules, Thursday-night live sessions, and a required three-day January campus intensive each year. Enrollment is limited to California residents, and advanced standing requires a recent BSW with a 3.5 GPA.

• Program page: Cal Poly Humboldt — Distributed Learning MSW
• Format: “Distributed Learning”: asynchronous modules plus weekly Thursday-night live web sessions and a required three-day January on-campus intensive each year; advanced-generalist
• Traditional track: Full MSW · 3.5 years part-time
• Advanced standing: Two years (distributed learning) or one year (campus); requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years, a 3.5 GPA, and a B or better in social work courses, plus summer bridge courses
• Field education: 960 field hours; approximately 16:1 student-faculty ratio
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1992; Cal Poly Humboldt holds WSCUC institutional accreditation; GRE optional
• Concentrations: Community & Organization; Indigenous Peoples; Wellness & Sustainability
• Restriction & eligibility note: Open to California residents only, who must maintain California residency; the required annual three-day January campus intensive means it is not fully remote
• Best for: California students drawn to Indigenous, rural, and decolonizing practice, especially those seeking substantial stipend funding

Tuition & Total Cost

This is a self-support online program billed at $572 per unit, the same for every admitted California resident, so the 60-unit full track runs about $34,320 and the roughly 36-unit advanced-standing track about $20,592; more than half of students receive scholarships or stipends, including Rural and Tribal Behavioral Health awards of up to $18,500.

Tuition confirmed on the Cal Poly Humboldt online MSW program page.

• Full MSW: 60 credits · $34,320 est. tuition · $34,320 est. TIC
• Advanced standing: ~36 credits · $20,592 est. tuition · $20,592 est. TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jennifer Maguire, faculty member — decolonizing social work education, ICWA learning modules, and tribal-community internships through the SERVE project.
• Michelle Rainer Bates-Hoaglin, MSW, LCSW, Lecturer (Poh-lik-lah/Yurok) — coordinator of the Pathway Project and Northern Region SERVE, developing internships with 55+ tribes and tribal organizations; teaches “Decolonizing Social Work with Indigenous Communities.”
• Dr. Debbie Gonzalez, faculty member — research-informed practice and empowering future practitioners.

Description

California State University, Northridge — Online MSW

Northridge (Los Angeles), CA · Public (California State University system) · CSWE-accredited

CSUN’s student body tells you what the program values: roughly three in five of its social work degrees go to students from racial or ethnic minority groups, and the fully online MSW carries that urban, anti-oppressive mission through an advanced-generalist curriculum spanning micro, mezzo, and macro practice.

The two-year cohort is primarily asynchronous except for a live, camera-on practicum seminar, with a three-year part-time option and about 1,000 locally placed field hours. Admission is accessible at a 2.5 minimum GPA with no GRE, and a new advanced-standing track admits BSW holders each fall.

As of 2026 the program is not authorized in Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, or Rhode Island.

• Program page: CSUN — Online MSW
• Format: Fully online, primarily asynchronous except a live, camera-on practicum seminar; two-year full-time cohort, with a part-time three-year option; advanced-generalist, urban-practice focus
• Regular track: 60 units (open to any bachelor’s degree)
• Advanced standing: ~30 units · fall-only admission for qualifying BSW holders (new track)
• Field education: 12 credits of internship — about 16 hours/week in year one and 20 hours/week in year two (~1,000 hours)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; CSUN holds WSCUC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Advanced Generalist across micro, mezzo, and macro practice with an anti-oppressive, urban-community mission
• Restriction & eligibility note: The online program is gated by state authorization — as of 2026 it is not authorized in Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, or Rhode Island — so out-of-state applicants should confirm eligibility
• Best for: California students who want an affordable public program with a diversity-centered, anti-oppressive curriculum and combined micro-through-macro training

Tuition & Total Cost

CSUN’s Tseng College bills the online MSW at $837 per unit, a flat rate regardless of residency, putting the 60-unit degree at $50,220 in tuition (about $50,267 with the graduation fee); qualifying California students may complete the advanced-standing track at no tuition cost through state funding. Rates confirmed on the Tseng College MSW tuition and fees page.

• Regular: 60 units · $50,220 tuition · $50,267 TIC
• Advanced standing: ~30 units · $25,110 tuition · $25,157 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Wendy Ashley, Department Chair and Professor (PsyD, LCSW) — treatment models for African-American and transgender clients, power and privilege, child welfare, and community mental health.
• Dr. Allen E. Lipscomb, Director of the Online & Offsite MSW Programs — Black mental health, trauma, and grief.

Description

California State University, San Bernardino — Online MSW

San Bernardino, CA · Public (California State University system) · CSWE-accredited

Cal State San Bernardino’s online MSW gives you about 1,080 field hours — well above the 900-hour standard — at CSU public pricing, one of the stronger hours-per-dollar ratios in California. The advanced-generalist curriculum trains micro and macro practice together, and a concurrent MSW/MPA suits students moving toward administration.

Know the structure before applying: the online Pathway is part-time over three years, traditional-standing only (the advanced-standing track is campus-based); new-student orientation is held online. No GRE is required.

• Program page: CSUSB School of Social Work — MSW
• Format: Online “Pathway” (part-time, ~3 years) on the traditional-standing track; advanced-generalist (micro + macro); local field placement
• Traditional track: 60–66 units · 3 years (online)
• Advanced standing: 35–36 units · ~12 months, summer start (requires a BASW) — campus-based, not online
• Field education: ~1,080 hours (traditional) or 600 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; CSUSB holds WSCUC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Advanced Generalist; concurrent MSW/MPA option (not for advanced-standing students)
• Restriction & eligibility note: The online Pathway is part-time and traditional-standing only, with a virtual new-student orientation; the advanced-standing track is campus-based
• Best for: California students who want an affordable public CSU program with combined micro-and-macro training and an MSW/MPA option

Tuition & Total Cost

The online Pathway program charges a flat self-support rate of $689 per unit as of fall 2026 (up from $650), the same regardless of residency, so the 60-unit track runs about $41,340. Rates confirmed on the CSUSB School of Social Work online program page.

• Traditional (online): 60 units · $41,340 tuition · $41,340 TIC
• Advanced standing (campus-based): 35–36 units credits

Key Faculty

• Dr. Laurie A. Smith, Professor and Director of the School of Social Work — recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health AIDS Trainee Fellowship; program faculty research spans employee well-being, adoption, and forensics.

Description

Campbellsville University — Online MSW

Campbellsville, KY · Private (Christian) · CSWE-accredited

Campbellsville is the program to look at if your practice will be shaped by faith, recovery work, or both. The fully online MSW offers focus areas in Clinical, Substance Use Disorder, and Faith-Based practice, and lets you combine them — clinical with a substance-use emphasis, for example.

Campbellsville University’s Online MSW lineage is real, tracing to the former Southern Baptist Carver School of Church Social Work, and at $640 a credit the private university prices against public peers, with a roughly 13:1 student-faculty ratio. A 60-credit traditional track and a 30-credit advanced-standing track start in January or August; no GRE.

• Program page: Campbellsville University — Online MSW
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous; faith-integrated curriculum with areas of focus in Clinical, Substance Use Disorder, and Faith-Based practice (and combinations); January and August starts
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · 1 year; requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 900 hours (traditional) or 450 hours (advanced standing); local practicum
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (MSW since 2012, reaffirmed 2024, next 2032); Campbellsville holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; approximately 13:1 student-faculty ratio; no GRE
• Best for: Students who want a faith-integrated MSW with a substance-use or faith-based practice focus at a competitively priced private university

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the official rate of $640 per credit (in-state equal to out-of-state, AY2026-27) plus a $75-per-term technology fee, from the Campbellsville advanced-standing MSW page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $38,400 tuition · $39,150 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $19,200 tuition · $19,575 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Michelle Tucker, Associate Dean and MSW Program Director, Carver School of Social Work — leads a faith-integrated program with faculty expertise spanning human trafficking, substance abuse, mental health, and sexual abuse.

Description

Capella University — Online MSW

Minneapolis, MN · Private (for-profit; Strategic Education, Inc.) · CSWE-accredited

Capella’s MSW runs on its structured GuidedPath schedule — not the self-paced FlexPath the university is known for — pairing fully online coursework with 1,000 locally arranged practicum hours and a strengths-based advanced-generalist curriculum.

Tuition is $540 a quarter-credit, about $47,520 for the 88-quarter-credit degree, with a discount for active-duty and veteran students, and CSWE accreditation is secured through 2030. Capella is a for-profit institution that disclaims licensure guarantees, so verify portability with your state board first.

• Program page: Capella University — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online coursework on the structured GuidedPath schedule (FlexPath is not offered for social work); quarter-credit system; advanced-generalist, strengths-based
• Traditional track: 88 quarter-credits (courses are 4 quarter-credits each)
• Advanced standing: 48 quarter-credits; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program
• Field education: 1,000 hours, arranged in the student’s local area
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (initial 2018; extended in 2022 to a full eight years through 2030); Capella holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Restriction & eligibility note: For-profit institution; Capella disclaims licensure guarantees, which vary by state; the quarter-credit basis is not directly comparable to semester programs
• Best for: Working adults who want a structured, strengths-based online program with secured long-term accreditation, and who can attend the two in-person residencies

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the GuidedPath rate of $540 per quarter-credit, which matches Capella’s published cost estimate, plus a $150-per-quarter resource kit; the 88-quarter-credit degree runs about $48,570 all-in and the 48-credit advanced-standing track about $26,520. Active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and veteran students receive a discount.

• MSW: 88 qtr credits · $47,520 tuition · ≈$48,570 TIC
• MSW — Advanced Standing: 48 qtr credits · $25,920 tuition · ≈$26,520 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Brian Christenson, Assistant Dean of Social Work and DSW Program Director — social work education evaluation and student engagement online (PhD, LMSW).
• Dr. Irene Abrego Nicolet, Vice President and Dean, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences — academic leadership across the school’s social and behavioral programs.

Description

Case Western Reserve University — Online MSW

Cleveland, OH · Private research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Case Western’s Mandel School makes an unfashionable choice: all 60 credits of its online MSW run as live, synchronous classes over Zoom on a set weekly schedule — a real classroom, online — and graduates are eligible for social work licensure in all 50 states.

The R1 program pairs direct clinical practice with “Change Agent” leadership training, drawing on ten research centers including the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, plus a Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice.

Field placements are arranged near you; BSW holders get 21 credits awarded automatically on the 39-credit Advanced Standing route. Confirm whether the in-person Change Agent Intensive orientation applies to your cohort.

• Program page: Case Western Reserve University — Mandel School Online MSW
• Format: Online with live (synchronous) weekly classes via Zoom; field placements completed in the student’s local area.
• Traditional track: 60 credits (18 generalist + 42 advanced/specialized); about 2.5 years.
• Advanced standing: 39 credits (21 credits automatically awarded to BSW holders); about 2 years.
• Field education: Supervised field placements arranged locally.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Concentrations: Direct clinical practice and “Change Agent” leadership; Certificate in Trauma-Informed Practice. (Health and Aging specialized paths were discontinued for fall-2025 entrants.)
• Attendance note: A start-of-program in-person “Change Agent Intensive” orientation may be required; confirm current attendance requirements with the school before enrolling.
• Licensure: Graduates are eligible for social work licensure in all 50 states.
• Best for: Working students who want a cohort-based, live-class online MSW with a clinical or leadership emphasis.

Tuition & Total Cost

Case Western bills its online MSW at $1,700 per credit as of fall 2026, the same rate for all students.

With the $20-per-credit student fee and a one-time $220 field-technology fee, the 60-credit track runs about $103,420 all-in and the 39-credit advanced-standing track about $67,300; online students are not charged the university’s campus-based fees. Rates confirmed on the Case Western Student Financial Services tuition and fees page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $102,000 tuition · $103,420 TIC
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · $66,300 tuition · $67,300 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Dexter R. Voisin, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Dean — community violence, trauma, and HIV risk among African American youth.
• Dr. Megan R. Holmes, Professor and co-director of the Center on Trauma and Adversity — domestic violence and child maltreatment.
• Dr. Eva Kahana, Robson Professor of Humanities and Director of the Elderly Care Research Center — aging, stress, and caregiving.

Description

Colorado State University — Online MSW

Fort Collins, CO · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Colorado State offers the most academic options on this list with five MSW concentrations — including Advanced Clinical Behavioral Health, Mental Health & Trauma, and Conflict Resolution & Mediation — plus five graduate certificates, an MSW/MPH dual degree, and a path to the PhD.

The R1 school runs its own Social Work Research Center and the Human-Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC) program, a rarity if animal-assisted practice interests you.

Expect about $44,820 for the 60-credit online track at $747 a credit, with a 40-credit advanced-standing option for a BSW earned within the past seven years. No GRE is required.

• Program page: Colorado State University Online — MSW
• Format: Online and hybrid via CSU Online; advanced-generalist; no GRE. The hybrid option meets one weekend per semester at Colorado cohort sites (Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver)
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 3 years part-time (online)
• Advanced standing: 40 credits · 2 years; requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years
• Field education: 945 hours (traditional) or 675 hours (advanced standing)
• Concentrations:
  • Five, including Advanced Clinical Behavioral Health, Conflict Resolution & Mediation, Mental Health & Trauma, and Health, Equity & Wellness
  • Five graduate certificates, an MSW/MPH dual degree, and a PhD program
  • The distinctive Human-Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC) program
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (advanced-generalist emphasis); Colorado State holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Best for: Students who want a research-intensive program with the widest slate of concentrations and certificates, including animal-assisted and trauma-focused practice

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the official CSU Online rate of $747 per credit (Fall 2026, up from $725) on the Colorado State online MSW course page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $44,820 tuition · ≈$49,220–$54,220 est. TIC
• Advanced standing: 40 credits · $29,880 tuition · ≈$34,280–$39,280 est. TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Marc Winokur, Director of the Social Work Research Center and Professor — kinship care, child-maltreatment prevention, child welfare, and program evaluation.
• Dr. Jamie Yoder, Professor — trauma-focused therapy for adolescents with problematic sexual behavior.
• Dr. Jen Currin-McCulloch, Associate Professor — disability- and neurodivergence-affirming practice, mutual aid, and online social work education.

Description

Columbia University — Online MSW

New York, NY · Private research university (R1; Ivy League) · CSWE-accredited · #3 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Columbia’s online MSW carries the #3-ranked social work school in the country (U.S. News, 2024, tie) to wherever you live, with a locally arranged practicum and three pacing paths: Two-Year, Extended, or a Reduced Residency option built for working professionals.

You choose a field of practice — Family, Youth & Children’s Services or Health, Mental Health & Disabilities among them — plus a method track in advanced clinical practice or policy, and can add interdisciplinary minors in policy, law, international affairs, or criminal justice.

The GRE is optional and institutional aid is substantial, which matters at Ivy pricing; BSW holders enter a roughly 33-credit advanced-standing path.

• Program page: Columbia University — School of Social Work
• Format: Coursework delivered online; practicum completed in the student’s local area; three enrollment pathways (Two-Year, Extended, Reduced Residency).
• Traditional track: 60 credits (30 foundation + 30 advanced); about two years full-time (four semesters).
• Advanced standing: Approximately 33 credits for BSW holders, including a summer term.
• Field education: Practicum arranged in the student’s local area.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
• Concentrations: Fields of practice (such as Family, Youth & Children’s Services and Health, Mental Health & Disabilities) plus method tracks in advanced clinical practice and policy; interdisciplinary minors in policy, law, international affairs, and criminal justice.
• Attendance note: The Advanced Standing summer intensive may be held online or in person — confirm the format before enrolling.
• Best for: Students who want an Ivy-brand, research-intensive MSW with flexible pacing and broad specialization options.

Tuition & Total Cost

Full-time tuition is billed at a flat $31,597 per semester (10.5–19.5 credits) for 2026–27; part-time study is $2,107 per credit. Mandatory fees add about $1,723 per full-time semester — health service, services and support, learning resource, and student activity — plus one-time student-event and document fees of $555; the waivable medical insurance charge is not counted.

The total depends on your pathway and term load, so confirm your final cost with the school. Figures below estimate the standard full-time routes — four semesters for the Traditional track, and a summer term plus two semesters for Advanced Standing — and include mandatory fees. Fees confirmed on the Columbia SSW cost of attendance page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · ≈$126,388 tuition · ≈$133,835 TIC
• Advanced standing: ≈33 credits · ≈$75,350 tuition · ≈$80,253 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Nabila El-Bassel, University Professor and Director of the Social Intervention Group — substance use, HIV, and interpersonal violence in marginalized communities.
• Dr. Jane Waldfogel, Compton Foundation Centennial Professor and co-Director of the Columbia Population Research Center — child and family policy, poverty, and social mobility.
• Dr. Ronald B. Mincy, Maurice V. Russell Professor and Director of the Center for Research on Fathers, Children and Family Well-being — fatherhood, child support, and poverty.

Description

Florida State University — Online MSW

Tallahassee, FL · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Florida State’s online MSW was the first ever to earn CSWE accreditation, and the program still trades on what made that possible: a Clinical Social Work Practice focus delivered in small, mentored cohorts, asynchronous at two courses a term.

Florida residents pay $444 per credit on the 61-credit traditional track, which includes two on-campus weekend sessions in Tallahassee; a 39-credit advanced-standing track accepts BSW graduates with 400 generalist field hours.

One quirk to check before applying: residents of seven Panhandle counties must apply to the Panama City campus instead of the online program.

• Program page: Florida State University — Online MSW
• Format: 100% online and asynchronous (2 courses per term); Clinical Social Work Practice concentration
• Traditional track: 61 credits · ~3 years part-time; includes two on-campus weekend sessions in Tallahassee
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · ~2 years part-time; requires a BSW plus 400 generalist field hours
• Field education: 944 hours (traditional) or 512 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited — the first online MSW to earn CSWE accreditation; Florida State holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Eligibility note: Online enrollment is not available to residents of seven FL Panhandle counties (Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Walton, Washington), who apply to the Panama City campus
• Best for: Florida students who want a clinical MSW with a historic pedigree and small, mentored cohorts

Tuition & Total Cost

Florida residents pay $444 per credit and out-of-state students pay the $625 online market rate, plus a $30 application fee and course fees that can reach $400 per course.

Counting those fees, the 61-credit traditional track lands around $33,100 in-state and $44,200 out-of-state, while the 39-credit advanced standing track runs about $21,300 to $28,400. Rates confirmed on the Florida State online MSW tuition page.

• Traditional (in-state): 61 credits · $27,084 tuition · $33,114 TIC
• Traditional (out-of-state): 61 credits · $38,125 tuition · $44,155 TIC
• Advanced standing (in-state): 39 credits · $17,316 tuition · $21,346 TIC
• Advanced standing (out-of-state): 39 credits · $24,375 tuition · $28,405 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. David Springer, Dean and Guy & Delores Spearman Professor of Social Work (PhD, LCSW) — forensic social work, juvenile justice, and adolescent substance-use treatment; co-author of “Substance Abuse Treatment for Criminal Offenders” (APA, 2003) and co-editor of the “Juvenile Justice Sourcebook” (Oxford, 2014); named among the 100 most influential social work journal authors.
• Dr. Nicholas Mazza, Professor Emeritus and former Dean — a pioneer of poetry therapy and founding editor of the Journal of Poetry Therapy.

Description

Fordham University (GSS) — Online MSW

New York, NY · Private (Jesuit) university · CSWE-accredited · #28 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Fordham’s advanced-standing math is the story: BSW holders finish in 8–9 months full-time and save more than $30,000 against the traditional path — one of the fastest, cheapest routes to an MSW from a school of this stature.

The Graduate School of Social Service, founded in 1916 and among the country’s oldest and largest, frames the whole curriculum around human rights and social justice, with specialist selectives in clinical work, school social work, policy, and immigration and a national network of thousands of placement sites.

Plan your week before enrolling: online fieldwork requires weekday availability, at least four consecutive hours between 9 and 5, totaling 15–21 hours weekly.

• Program page: Fordham GSS online MSW
• Format: Online (full- or part-time, plus advanced standing)—asynchronous coursework with fieldwork. Also on-campus, and a hybrid option via a Molloy University partnership on Long Island.
• Traditional track: 62 credits (48 coursework + 14 fieldwork; 31 generalist + 31 specialist); full-time about 16–24 months, part-time 2–4 years.
• Advanced standing: 31 credits of advanced direct-practice; full-time 8–9 months (saves $30,000+), part-time 16 months to 2 years; requires a BSW or the first year of a CSWE MSW within the past 5 years.
• Field education: About 950 total hours (450 generalist + 500 specialist); the advanced-standing year is 500 specialist hours.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; the university is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
• Concentrations: Human-rights and social-justice framing, with specialist selectives aligned to career interests (clinical, school social work, policy, immigration). Advanced Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis is required.
• Fieldwork scheduling: Online fieldwork requires weekday availability—a minimum of 4 consecutive hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday–Friday, totaling 15–21 hours per week—an important consideration for students working full-time.
• Best for: Students seeking an R2 program with a human-rights mission, a fast advanced-standing track, NYC placements, or a Long Island hybrid option—who can meet weekday fieldwork hours.

Tuition & Total Cost

Fordham’s 2025–26 rate for the online MSW is $1,098 per credit at a single rate regardless of residency, putting base tuition at about $68,076 for the 62-credit Traditional track and $34,038 for the 31-credit Advanced Standing track.

Mandatory charges — a per-term general fee, a technology access fee, field-placement insurance and a one-time platform fee — add roughly $2,200–$4,200 depending on pace, for an all-in cost near $72,300 and $36,300 respectively. Rates confirmed on Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service tuition page.

• Traditional: 62 credits · $68,076 tuition · $72,300 TIC
• Advanced standing: 31 credits · $34,038 tuition · $36,300 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Debra M. McPhee, Dean and Professor — international health-care policy and policy analysis.
• Dr. Fuhua Zhai, Professor and Co-Director of Fordham’s Strategic Research Consortium on Global Studies — immigrant families and child development.
• Dr. Cathy Berkman, Professor and Director of the Palliative Care Fellowship — palliative and end-of-life care.

Description

George Mason University — Online MSW

Fairfax, VA · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #67 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

George Mason organizes its online MSW around the lifespan question most students haven’t been asked: do you want to work with children and families, or with adults and aging populations?

Two specializations — Children, Youth & Families and Adults & Healthy Aging — structure the specialization year, backed by 1,050 practicum hours and 200-plus placement sites across the D.C. metro.

The mostly asynchronous curriculum mirrors the on-campus program at the #67-ranked school (U.S. News, 2024), and an accelerated nine-credits-a-semester schedule compresses the part-time path. A dual MSW/Conflict Resolution degree with the Carter School is available; no GRE.

• Program page: George Mason University — MSW Online
• Format: 100% online, mostly asynchronous, part-time; curriculum mirrors on-campus; two in-person supervised practice in the student’s local community; accelerated option at 9 credits/semester
• Regular track: 60 credits (30 generalist + 30 specialization) · ~3–4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · one specialization year, summer start; requires a BSW from a CSWE/CASWE-accredited program and a 3.2 GPA on the last 60 credits
• Field education: 1,050 supervised practicum hours (16 hours/week generalist year; 20 hours/week specialization year)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (online option approved June 2019); GMU holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Children, Youth & Families; Adults & Healthy Aging; dual MSW/MS in Conflict Analysis & Resolution with the Carter School
• Best for: Washington, D.C.-area students who want an R1 program with a lifespan specialization, deep local practicum options, and an accelerated part-time schedule

Tuition & Total Cost

George Mason bills the online MSW at $795 per credit plus a $35-per-credit distance-learning fee, the same for residents and nonresidents, so the 60-credit track totals about $49,800 and the 33-credit advanced-standing track about $27,390. Rates confirmed on the Mason Online MSW page.

• Regular: 60 credits · $47,700 tuition · $49,800 TIC
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · $26,235 tuition · $27,390 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Emily Ihara, Professor and Chair — aging and family caregiving; leads the Mason CARES dementia-caregiver intervention.
• Dr. Denise Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor — family violence and sexual assault.
• Dr. Holly Matto, Professor — substance use and interdisciplinary, grant-funded intervention research.

Description

Howard University — Online MSW

Washington, DC · Private HBCU (R1 university) · CSWE-accredited

Howard’s School of Social Work, founded in 1935, teaches its fully online “Starship” MSW through the Black Perspective — a framework of six guiding principles no other program offers — at the only HBCU holding Carnegie R1 status.

The 60-credit degree requires no campus visits and no GRE, with Direct Practice and Community, Administration & Policy concentrations, specializations in child and family welfare or mental health, and 1,000 field hours at sites a placement coordinator arranges (employer-based placements are possible with approval).

Full-time students can finish in about 16 months; a 45-credit advanced-standing track serves BSW holders. Tuition is $1,288 per credit for 2026–27.

• Program page: Howard University Online MSW (“Starship”)
• Format: Fully online with no campus visits; asynchronous coursework paired with agency-based field education; full-time or part-time; delivered with online program partner 2U. Test-optional (no GRE); no minimum GPA on the traditional track.
• Traditional track: 60 credits; part-time ~36 months or full-time ~16 months. Requires a bachelor’s from a regionally accredited institution with at least 60 liberal-arts credits.
• Advanced standing: 45 credits per the School of Social Work admissions page; part-time ~24 months or full-time ~12 months. Requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field education: 1,000 field-practice hours; a placement coordinator arranges agency sites, and employer-based placements are possible with program approval.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (Commission on Accreditation); the online MSW is accredited.
• Concentrations: Direct Practice or Community, Administration & Policy (CAP) Practice, with a specialization in Child & Family Welfare or Mental Health. A dual MSW/MBA is available.
• Best for: Students seeking a mission-distinctive, fully online MSW grounded in the Black Perspective, with both micro and macro tracks and international service-learning.

Tuition & Total Cost

Howard bills its online MSW at $1,288 per credit for 2026-27, the same for all students, putting the 60-credit traditional track at $77,280 and advanced standing at $38,640 on 30 billed credits.

With the $846 annual graduate fee added across the program, the all-in cost is about $78,972 for the traditional track and $39,486 for advanced standing. Rates confirmed on the Howard MSW tuition and financial aid page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $77,280 tuition · $78,972 TIC
• Advanced standing: 45 (30 billed) credits · $38,640 tuition · $39,486 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Sheara Jennings, Dean — social-intervention research on the wellbeing of Black and Hispanic children and families.
• Dr. Soleman H. Abu-Bader, Professor — applied and multivariate statistics for social-science research; author of “Using Statistical Methods in Social Science Research” (2021 Oxford University Press).

Description

Indiana University — Online MSW

Indianapolis + statewide, IN · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Most online MSWs march you through a cohort; Indiana University’s MSW Direct doesn’t. You register for courses on your own schedule and finish anytime within about six years — the most self-paced structure among major R1 programs, fully online with no campus visits.

The single Clinical & Community Practice concentration, with five focus areas, prepares you for both micro and macro licensure, and the school partners directly with the Indiana Department of Child Services on child-welfare training. CSWE-accredited since 1968, with a roughly 60-credit regular track and an advanced-standing option for BSWs earned within five years.

• Program page: Indiana University — MSW Direct (online)
• Format: “MSW Direct”: 100% online, mainly asynchronous, and not cohort-based (register as you choose; complete within about six years); no campus visits; Clinical & Community Practice concentration with five focus areas
• Regular track: Approximately 60 credits · 2 years full-time (6 semesters) / 3–4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 1.5 years full-time / 2 years part-time; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years
• Field education: Supervised practicum sequence; confirm the current total field-hour requirement with the program
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1968; IU holds HLC institutional accreditation and is a Carnegie R1 university; no GRE
• Best for: Students who want a genuinely flexible, self-paced fully online R1 program with preparation for both clinical and macro licensure

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the IU Budget Office 2026–27 distance-education rate of $668.97 per credit for Indiana residents ($797.98 per credit for non-residents), charged for MSW Direct regardless of location, plus a $40-per-term online student-services fee; there is no separate field fee, so total cost tracks tuition closely. 

• Traditional (Indiana resident): 60 credits · $40,138 tuition · $40,378 TIC
• Traditional (non-resident): 60 credits · $47,879 tuition · $48,119 TIC
• Advanced standing (Indiana resident): 39 credits · $26,090 tuition · $26,290 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 39 credits · $31,121 tuition · $31,321 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Kalea Benner, Dean and Professor — substance-misuse treatment and social work workforce development (PhD, MSW, LCSW).
• Dr. Betty A. Walton, Associate Research Professor — behavioral-health recovery outcomes and mental-health assessment for children and adults in systems of care.

Description

Louisiana State University — Online MSW

Baton Rouge, LA · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

LSU has held CSWE accreditation since 1937 — among the oldest social work programs in the country — and now delivers a fully asynchronous online MSW with six start dates a year, seven-week modules, and no campus visits, at a flat $604 a credit wherever you live.

The Advanced Direct Social Work Practice concentration keeps the degree squarely aimed at clinical licensure, and the R1 faculty carry active research lines in LGBTQ and homeless youth, disaster mental health, and immigrant and refugee well-being.

Choose the 60-credit traditional track or the 33-credit advanced-standing path if you hold a BSW.

• Program page: LSU Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online and fully asynchronous; seven-week modules; six start dates a year; no campus visits; Advanced Direct Social Work Practice (clinical) concentration
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years full-time / 3.5–4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · 1 year (BSW required)
• Field education: 960 hours (traditional) or 480 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1937 — one of the oldest programs in the U.S.; LSU holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Best for: Students who want a clinically focused, fully asynchronous MSW with frequent start dates and flat tuition regardless of where they live

Tuition & Total Cost

At a flat $604 per credit — the same for in-state and out-of-state students, with no nonresident fees — the 60-credit program totals about $36,240 all-in, and a 33-credit advanced-standing path runs about $19,932. Rate confirmed on the LSU Online Master of Social Work page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $36,240 tuition · $36,240 TIC
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · $19,932 tuition · $19,932 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Elaine M. Maccio, Professor — LGBTQ youth, homeless young adults, and employment and income among homeless youth.
• Dr. Jennifer Scott, Associate Professor — disaster-related mental health, racialized economic segregation, poverty, and parenting under deportation risk (PhD, UT-Austin).
• Dr. Youn Kyoung (Lily) Kim, Associate Professor — mental health among excluded youth, immigrants, and refugees, and financial empowerment; 2021 Best Empirical Article, Journal of Social Work Education.

Description

Loyola University Chicago — Online MSW

Chicago, IL · Private (Jesuit) university (Carnegie R1, 2025) · CSWE-accredited · #28 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

#28 (tie) in the U.S. News graduate social work rankings, Loyola University Chicago runs its online MSW as a synchronous cohort: fully online coursework meets weekly for live class sessions, with in-person internships in the student’s home state.

The School of Social Work traces to 1914, and its Jesuit social-justice mission runs through Micro Practice and Leadership tracks plus clinical and school social work training. A distinctive online bilingual (Spanish) MSW extends that reach, and tuition is published at a transparent official per-credit rate. Full- and part-time pacing is available.

• Program page: Loyola online MSW (catalog)
• Format: Online, cohort-based—fully online content with weekly synchronous class sessions plus some asynchronous work; internships are in person in the student’s home state. Full- and part-time; a separate online bilingual (Spanish) MSW is also available.
• Traditional track: Online MSW is 49 credits across roughly eight consecutive semesters including summers, with two internships.
• Advanced standing: 23 credits including a 600-hour internship; 10 months full-time or 2 years part-time; Fall start; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within the past 5 years. A bilingual (Spanish) advanced-standing option is billed at a lower $820 per credit.
• Field education: About 1,000 total hours across two internships; the advanced-standing internship is 600 hours.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; the university is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
• Concentrations: Micro Practice or Leadership tracks, with clinical and school social work training.
• Best for: Students who want a compact, synchronous cohort experience grounded in a Jesuit social-justice mission—or Spanish–English bilingual practice preparation.

Tuition & Total Cost

Loyola’s online MSW is compact by design — 49 credits rather than the usual 60 — taught in a cohort with weekly live class sessions and grounded in the university’s Jesuit social-justice mission, with Spanish–English bilingual practice preparation available.

You complete about 1,000 internship hours in person in your home state, choosing a Micro Practice or Leadership track with clinical and school social work training. The single $1,180-per-credit rate covers tuition and fees regardless of residency: about $57,820 for the full track, or $27,140 for the 23-credit Advanced Standing path, which finishes in ten months full-time.

• Traditional (online MSW): 49 credits · $57,820 tuition · $57,820 TIC
• Advanced standing: 23 credits · $27,140 tuition · $27,140 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Patricia A. Findley, Dean and Professor — chronic illness and disability, interprofessional health education, and cancer survivorship.
• Dr. Maria Vidal de Haymes, Professor — immigration, Latino families, and migration studies.
• Dr. Guillermo Sanhueza, Associate Professor — prison reform and human rights in Latin America; led Chile’s first national survey of prison life (“First survey on prison life in Chile,” International Social Work, 2018); former Chief of Rehabilitative Programs at Chile’s Ministry of Justice.

Description

Metropolitan State University of Denver — Online MSW

Denver, CO · Public urban-access institution · CSWE-accredited

MSU Denver runs one of the most affordable CSWE-accredited online MSWs in the country — roughly $536 a credit for Colorado residents — without cutting field time: you complete 1,080 hours, above the 900-hour standard, across 700-plus Colorado agency partners.

The integrative-practice curriculum is organized around power, privilege, and oppression, and a School Social Worker endorsement option adds a licensure path most budget programs skip.

The fully online format is primarily asynchronous with no campus visits, across a 60-credit regular track and a 36-credit advanced-standing track. Note: Don’t confuse it with the private University of Denver.

• Program page: MSU Denver — Master of Social Work
• Format: Fully online, hybrid, or on-campus; primarily asynchronous with no campus visits for fully-online students; local field; integrative-practice framework
• Regular track: 60 credits · 2–3 years (non-BSW applicants)
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time, summer start (BSW required)
• Field education: 1,080 field hours (higher than the 900-hour standard) across 700+ agency partners
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 2011; MSU Denver holds HLC institutional accreditation; approximately 17:1 student-faculty ratio; School Social Worker endorsement available
• Concentrations: Individuals & Families; Macro Practice
• Restriction & eligibility note: This is the public MSU Denver, distinct from the private University of Denver; state eligibility for fully-online enrollment should be confirmed with the program
• Best for: Budget-focused students who want a justice-centered curriculum, extensive field partnerships, and a school social work endorsement path

Tuition & Total Cost

Colorado-resident tuition is $536 per credit and nonresident $750; fully-online students also pay the student-affairs, technology, Metro Bond, Phoenix Center, and health-and-wellness fees but not the campus-recreation, athletics, or facility fees. For residents the 60-credit regular track totals about $35,439 all-in and the 36-credit advanced-standing track about $21,392, while nonresidents pay roughly $48,279 and $29,096.

• Regular (CO resident): 60 credits · $32,160 tuition · $35,439 TIC
• Regular (non-resident): 60 credits · $45,000 tuition · $48,279 TIC
• Advanced standing (CO resident): 36 credits · $19,296 tuition · $21,392 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 36 credits · $27,000 tuition · $29,096 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jess (H.J.) Retrum, Professor and Department Chair — palliative and end-of-life care, hospice, and the care needs of unhoused individuals; see Retrum & Meier (2026), Palliative Medicine Reports, doi:10.1177/26892820261437017.
• Dr. Jessica Ritter, Full Professor — social welfare policy and program evaluation; author of “101 Careers in Social Work.”
• Dr. Kristin Danhoff, Associate Professor — program evaluation, teaching and education theories, and wellness (PhD, Colorado State).

Description

Michigan State University — Online (Statewide Blended) MSW

East Lansing, MI · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #36 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Michigan State’s Statewide Blended MSW is a Michigan program, deliberately: asynchronous coursework pairs with monthly Saturday Zoom sessions, periodic in-person intensives at regional sites across the state, a required week-long summer institute, and field placement near where you live.

If you’re a Michigan working professional, that structure delivers an R1, top-40-ranked program (U.S. News, 2024) without relocating; if you’re out of state, look elsewhere. Choose Clinical Practice or Organizational & Community Leadership, with certificate add-ons in school social work, aging, health, and trauma. Advanced standing runs a minimum 36 credits for a BSW earned within six years. No GRE.

• Program page: Michigan State University — Statewide Blended MSW
• Format: Hybrid “Statewide Blended”: asynchronous online plus monthly Saturday Zoom sessions and periodic in-person intensives at Michigan regional sites; field placed near the student
• Regular track: 57 credits
• Advanced standing: Minimum 36 credits · 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program earned within the past 6 years
• Field education: 500 hours for advanced standing (16 hours/week); the regular program requires more
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; MSU holds HLC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Clinical Practice; Organizational & Community Leadership; optional certificates in school social work, aging, health, and trauma-focused practice
• Restriction & eligibility note: The distance program is a Michigan-oriented hybrid, not a fully online national program — it requires a mandatory week-long on-campus summer institute in East Lansing each year plus monthly in-person Saturday sessions at regional Michigan learning communities
• Best for: Michigan working professionals who want an R1 program with field placement close to home and a choice of clinical or macro leadership training

Tuition & Total Cost

MSU Online lists the Statewide Blended MSW at $978.25 per credit as a single program rate, so the 57-credit regular track runs about $55,760 and the 36-credit advanced-standing track about $35,217. Rates confirmed on the MSU Online program page.

• Regular: 57 credits · $55,760 tuition · $55,760 TIC
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · $35,217 tuition · $35,217 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Carrie Moylan, Director of the School and Professor — intimate partner violence, trauma, and technology in social work.
• Dr. Sacha Klein, Associate Professor — child welfare, foster care, and the intersection of housing and child well-being.

Description

Missouri State University — Online MSW

Springfield, MO · Public · CSWE-accredited

Career changers without a BSW are the students Missouri State serves best: its 62-credit standard track, at about $30,240 total, is among the cheapest full online MSW paths in the region, and the department secures your field placement rather than leaving it to you.

The primarily online, advanced-generalist curriculum prepares you for practice across the lifespan, from child welfare to elder services, and CSWE reaffirmed the program’s accreditation for a full eight years in October 2025. BSW holders can finish the 34-credit advanced-standing track for about $16,532.

• Program page: Missouri State — MSW, School of Social Work
• Format: Primarily online, advanced-generalist; full- or part-time (~3 years part-time); requires 3–4 one-day visits to the Springfield campus (orientation, field orientation, and a final oral examination)
• Standard track: 62 credits (for non-BSW applicants)
• Advanced standing: 34 credits (BSW required)
• Field education: Two practicums (standard) or one (advanced standing); department-coordinated placements
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited in advanced-generalist practice; 8-year reaffirmation October 2025; Missouri State holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Best for: Budget-focused students — especially career changers without a BSW, for whom the 62-credit standard track is among the cheapest available

Tuition & Total Cost

Missouri State’s online MSW’s 62-credit standard track totals about $27,424 all-in — $24,654 in tuition plus $2,770 in student-service, enrollment, and program fees per the university’s published schedule — while the 34-credit advanced-standing track runs about $14,670. Figures based on the Missouri State MSW estimated-costs page.

• Standard: 62 credits · $24,654 tuition · $27,424 TIC
• Advanced standing: 34 credits · $13,180 tuition · $14,670 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Michele Day, Department Head, School of Social Work — program leadership; the school’s faculty are practice- and teaching-oriented

Description

Morgan State University — Online MSW

Baltimore, MD · Public HBCU (Carnegie R2) · CSWE-accredited

Morgan State is one of the few HBCUs with a fully online MSW, and it commits to an urban social work mission with two specializations rarely paired elsewhere: Urban Children, Youth & Families, and Addictions.

Coursework runs fully online in a cohort while you complete roughly 960 practicum hours in person, and faculty research at the R2 university spans urban African-American youth and digital tools for occupational stress.

Plan for pace — the online track is full-time only, finishing the 60 credits in two years. A 30-credit advanced-standing track accepts recent BSW graduates with a 3.0 GPA; no GRE.

• Program page: Morgan State University — Online MSW
• Format: Coursework fully online in a cohort model plus in-person field practicum; the online track is full-time only
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years (full-time)
• Advanced standing: 30 credits; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program earned within the past 5 years, a 3.0 GPA (no social-work grade below B), and an interview
• Field education: ~960 hours across two practicums
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Morgan State holds MSCHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Urban Children, Youth & Families; Addictions
• Best for: Students seeking an HBCU online MSW with an urban practice focus and an addictions or urban children/youth/families specialization

Tuition & Total Cost

Morgan State’s Office of the Bursar publishes the online MSW as a bundled rate of $667 per credit — about $40,000 for the 60-credit track — charged the same regardless of residency, with mandatory fees folded into that rate and graduate health insurance optional.

The 30-credit advanced-standing track scales at the same rate. Rates confirmed on the Morgan State bursar tuition and fees schedule.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $40,020 tuition · $40,020 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $20,010 tuition · $20,010 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Von E. Nebbitt, Associate Dean for Research and Professor — the well-being of urban African-American youth.
• Dr. Melissa B. Littlefield, Professor — online and distance social work education; editor of “Online and Distance Social Work Education” (Routledge, 2020).
• Dr. Jocelyn Taliaferro, Chair and Professor, MSW Department — urban social work and urban affairs.

Description

New York University (Silver) — Online MSW

New York, NY · Private research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

NYU Silver’s online MSW is an elite clinical program with a firm geographic contract: classes meet live and synchronously, the final year requires a clinical social work specialization, and every practicum placement sits within the greater New York metro — drawing on 600-plus partner agencies, but ruling out students who can’t complete field there.

The same faculty teach online and on campus across the 66-credit Two-Year pathway and an Extended pathway for working professionals, with a separate Hybrid option at Washington Square. BSW graduates within five years can finish the roughly 33-credit advanced-standing track in two full-time semesters.

• Program page: NYU Silver MSW
• Format: Online via the Two-Year and Extended pathways, with live synchronous classes; a separate 65-credit Hybrid pathway blends online study with in-person sessions at Washington Square.
• Traditional track: Two-Year pathway: 66 credits (33 per year), with a clinical specialization required in the final year; an Extended pathway is available for working professionals.
• Advanced standing: Two semesters (fall–spring), full-time only, approximately 33 credits, for applicants with a BSW earned from a CSWE-accredited program within the past five years.
• Field education: Practicum runs across both years of the Two-Year pathway in New York-metro agencies (a network of 600-plus); Advanced Standing requires about 450 field hours. All placements are in person in the New York metro area.
• Accreditation: Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Concentrations: A required clinical social work practice specialization in the final year; a global MSW option is available at Shanghai and New York.
• Eligibility & licensure: Online classes are synchronous, and all practicum placements must be in the greater New York metro area — out-of-area students cannot complete field remotely. Advanced Standing is full-time only. Licensure requirements vary by state.
• Best for: Students in or able to reach the New York metro area who want an elite clinical MSW with live online classes and access to a large NYC agency practicum network.

Tuition & Total Cost

NYU Silver charges $1,787 per point for 2026-27, the same rate for every student regardless of residency, and its published pathway totals already fold in the per-term registration and services fee.

On that basis the two-year online MSW (66 points) runs about $125,300 all-in across two years, and the advanced-standing pathway (32 points) runs about $60,782. Rates confirmed on the NYU Silver MSW tuition and fees page.

• Two-Year: 66 credits · $117,942 tuition · $125,300 TIC
• Advanced standing: ~33 (32 billed) credits · $57,184 tuition · $60,782 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Michael A. Lindsey, Dean and Paulette Goddard Professor of Social Work — child and adolescent mental health and youth suicide.
• Dr. Deborah K. Padgett, Professor and McSilver Faculty Fellow — homelessness and the Housing First evidence base.
• Dr. Jerome C. Wakefield, University Professor and Professor of Social Work — concepts of mental disorder and diagnosis.

Description

Ohio University — Online MSW

Athens, OH · Public · CSWE-accredited

Ohio University trains clinicians for the places that need them most — rural communities facing mental illness, addiction, and poverty — and prices the degree almost identically wherever you live: about $33,046 in-state versus $34,410 out-of-state for the 62-credit foundational track.

Three start dates a year and an asynchronous format suit working students, BSW holders can take the 36-credit advanced-practice track, and residents of West Virginia and nearby Kentucky may qualify for in-state rates. The program has held CSWE accreditation since 2002 and is a separate institution from Ohio State in Columbus.

• Program page: Ohio University — Graduate Social Work
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous, with three start dates a year; clinical focus with a rural-practice emphasis (a separate on-campus hybrid track exists and is not included here)
• Foundational track: 62 credits · ~10 semesters (non-BSW applicants)
• Advanced practice: 36 credits · ~24 months / 6 semesters (BSW required)
• Field education: Extensive practicum; part-time study does not reduce required per-semester hours; the total clock-hour figure is not stated in available sources
• Concentration: Clinical practice with a distinct rural-communities emphasis (mental illness, addiction, poverty); the program is separate from The Ohio State University in Columbus
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 2002 (candidacy 1999); Ohio University holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Best for: Students preparing for clinical practice in rural or underserved communities who want flexible start dates, three annual entry points, and near-flat tuition regardless of where they live

Tuition & Total Cost

The online MSW is billed at Ohio University’s eCampus graduate rate — $533 per credit for Ohio residents and $555 for nonresidents (2026-27) — plus a $157-per-credit social work program fee, a $6-per-credit technology fee, and a small network fee. The 62-credit foundation track runs about $43,400 for residents ($44,764 nonresident), and the 36-credit advanced-practice track about $25,200 ($25,992 nonresident). Rates confirmed on the Ohio University graduate tuition and fees page.

• Foundational: 62 credits · $33,046 (OH res) / $34,410 (non-res) tuition · $43,400 (OH res) / $44,764 (non-res) TIC
• Advanced practice: 36 credits · $19,188 (OH res) / $19,980 (non-res) tuition · $25,200 (OH res) / $25,992 (non-res) TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Terry Cluse-Tolar, Professor and Interim Online MSW Program Director — the department’s most senior faculty member; social work practice.
• Sasha Grundfast, Assistant Professor of Instruction — rural communities and curriculum development, in a program whose faculty are largely teaching-track.

Description

Our Lady of the Lake University — Online MSW

San Antonio, TX · Private (Catholic) · Hispanic-Serving Institution · CSWE-accredited

Our Lady of the Lake’s Worden School — the first social work school in Texas, founded in 1942 and CSWE-accredited continuously since 1945 — teaches a concentration in Services to Hispanic Children & Families that only about three programs in the country offer.

If bicultural or bilingual practice with Latino families is your goal, this is one of the few degrees built specifically for it. The program runs 100% online and fully asynchronous in seven-week terms, one course at a time, with local field placement and at least half of your 500 advanced-standing hours in direct practice with children and families. A 10% military discount applies; no GRE.

• Program page: Our Lady of the Lake University — Worden School MSW
• Format: 100% online and fully asynchronous; 7-week terms, one course per session; field placement in the student’s local community
• Foundation track: 57 credits (30 foundation + 27 advanced) · ~2 years accelerated / 3 years 2 months part-time; fall start
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · ~12 months accelerated / 20 months part-time; summer start; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 500 hours across three terms (one advanced placement), at least half in direct practice with children, families, and groups
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited continuously since 1945 (2009 CSWE Presidential Award for Excellence in Social Work Education); OLLU holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Services to Hispanic Children & Families — one of only about three such concentrations nationally
• Best for: Students preparing for bicultural or bilingual practice with Latino children and families who want a fully asynchronous, accelerated schedule

Tuition & Total Cost

At $750 per credit, charged the same regardless of residency, the 57-credit Foundation track comes to about $42,750 and the 30-credit Advanced Standing track to about $22,500; active military members and veterans receive a 10% tuition discount.

The $750 rate reflects the auto-applied Providence Service Scholars award for students entering in Fall 2026 or Spring 2027 — a pilot rate that can revert to the higher base tuition for later cohorts, so confirm the per-credit rate for your start term. Rates confirmed on the OLLU online MSW program page.

• Foundation: 57 credits · $42,750 tuition · $42,750 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $22,500 tuition · $22,500 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jessie André, Assistant Professor of Social Work (LCSW-S) — clinical social work practice and education.

Description

Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest) — Online MSW

Edinboro/California, PA · Public (Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education) · CSWE-accredited

PennWest’s online MSW is genuinely location-independent: 100% asynchronous, no live sessions, no campus visits, with fall, spring, and summer starts — one of the few programs where your schedule never has to bend to a class time.

A trauma-informed focus runs through the advanced-generalist curriculum, and the field team helps arrange your local placement (900 hours on the 60-credit regular track, 600 on the 33-credit advanced-standing track).

CSWE reaffirmed accreditation for eight years in June 2025. Pennsylvania residents pay about $613 a credit and non-residents $568.

• Program page: PennWest Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% asynchronous online with no required live sessions, no residency, and no campus visits (a hybrid option exists at the California campus); advanced-generalist with a trauma-informed focus
• Regular track: 60 credits
• Advanced standing: 33 credits; requires a BSW earned within the past 10 years and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 900 hours regular track (300 foundation + 600 advanced) or 600 hours advanced standing; local placements arranged with the field team
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (reaffirmed for eight years by the June 2025 CSWE Board of Accreditation); PennWest holds Middle States (MSCHE) institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Restriction & eligibility note: Formerly Edinboro University of Pennsylvania before the 2022 integration; fall, spring, and summer starts
• Best for: Students who want a fully asynchronous, location-independent MSW with a trauma-informed emphasis

Tuition & Total Cost

At $557 per credit for Pennsylvania residents and $568 for nonresidents (2026-27), the 60-credit regular track tuition is $33,430 all-in for residents ($34,080 out-of-state), while the 33-credit advanced-standing track runs about $18,381 in-state ($18,744 out-of-state). Campus-based fees are waived for fully online students. Rates confirmed on the PennWest graduate tuition and fees page.

• Regular (in-state): 60 credits · $33,430 tuition · $41,524.20 TIC
• Regular (out-of-state): 60 credits · $34,080 tuition · $46,020 TIC
• Advanced standing (in-state): 33 credits · $18,381 tuition · $22,838.31 TIC
• Advanced standing (out-of-state): 33 credits · $18,744 tuition · $25,311 TIC

Key Faculty

• Kim Hardner, Department Chair, Social Work, Sociology & Human Services — trauma-informed care and child sexual abuse survivorship; co-author of “Examining the relationship between higher educational attainment, trauma symptoms, and internalizing behaviors in child sexual abuse survivors” (Child Abuse & Neglect, 2018).

Description

Portland State University — Online MSW

Portland, OR · Public university · CSWE-accredited

Portland State holds two distinctions that matter if you’re in Oregon: it is the state’s only public CSWE-accredited MSW, and it was the first online MSW in the Pacific Northwest. Students headed into Oregon public or tribal child welfare can cut the real cost sharply with stipends up to $10,000 a year.

The advanced-generalist degree runs on quarter credits — 78 for the traditional track, 46 for advanced standing — mostly asynchronous, with a weekly live seminar during your first practicum year and roughly 900–1,000 field hours. No GRE (2.75 GPA minimum).

• Program page: Portland State University — MSW
• Format: Online, mostly asynchronous with periodic synchronous meetings and a weekly synchronous seminar in the first practicum year; 11-week modules; advanced generalist plus specializations
• Traditional track: 78 quarter-credits · two-year or three-year online plans
• Advanced standing: 46 credits · four terms, summer start; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years
• Field education: ~900–1,000 hours (traditional) or 500 hours (advanced standing); internships run fall through spring
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since the 1960s; PSU holds NWCCU institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Advanced generalist with specializations; Gerontology certificate
• Best for: Oregon students, especially those pursuing public or tribal child welfare with stipend support, who want the state’s only public MSW

Tuition & Total Cost

The School of Social Work rate is $591 per quarter-credit for residents and $849 for non-residents, and fully online courses add $22 per credit, so the 78-credit track runs about $47,814 for residents (about $67,938 non-resident) and the 46-credit advanced-standing track about $28,198 ($40,066 non-resident).

PSU also assesses per-term campus fees (about $685 a term) unless waived for fully remote students. Because these are quarter-credits, the totals are not directly comparable to semester programs. Rates confirmed on the PSU 2026–2027 graduate tuition and fees schedule.

• Traditional (resident): 78 qtr credits · $46,098 tuition · $47,814 TIC
• Traditional (non-resident): 78 qtr credits · $66,222 tuition · $67,938 TIC
• Advanced standing (resident): 46 qtr credits · $27,186 tuition · $28,198 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 46 qtr credits · $39,054 tuition · $40,066 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Thomas E. Keller, Duncan & Cindy Campbell Professor and PhD Program Director — youth mentoring relationships and programs; a nationally prominent mentoring researcher.
• Dr. Alma Trinidad, Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs — critical Indigenous pedagogy of place, youth empowerment, and participatory action research.
• Dr. Jessica Rodriguez-Jenkins, Associate Professor — parenting support for Latine families, child-maltreatment prevention, and disproportionality in child welfare.

Description

Rutgers University — Online MSW

New Brunswick, NJ · Public research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Rutgers gives you a top-15 program (ranked #12 tie among 319 by U.S. News, 2024) without a top-15 admissions maze: no GRE, three start terms, and four formats — 100% online, blended, monthly Intensive Weekend, or on campus.

The online MSW runs 60 credits regular or 39 advanced standing with Clinical Social Work and Management & Policy specializations, drawing on roughly 1,000 practicum agencies and research centers in violence prevention, gambling studies, and family support.

One scheduling reality to plan for: the online practicum requires weekday business-hours availability, not evenings and weekends alone.

• Program page: Rutgers — 100% Online MSW
• Format: 100% online (asynchronous with structured weekly assignments); blended, monthly Intensive Weekend, and traditional on-campus formats also available; specializations in Clinical Social Work and Management & Policy
• Regular track: 60 credits · 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time; spring, summer, or fall start
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · ~4 semesters; fall start (moving to summer in 2027); requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program
• Field education: Online format: 900 hours regular (400 generalist + 500 advanced) or 500 hours advanced standing
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (satisfies New Jersey licensure); Rutgers holds MSCHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Clinical Social Work; Management & Policy (MAP); research centers in ending violence, gambling studies, and family support
• Restriction & eligibility note: The online practicum requires weekday business-hours availability, not evenings or weekends only
• Best for: Students who want a top-15-ranked R1 program with flexible formats, a clinical or macro specialization, and a very large practicum network

Tuition & Total Cost

At a flat $1,132 per credit (2026-27) charged regardless of residency, the 60-credit track runs about $67,920 and the 39-credit Advanced Standing track about $44,148. Rate confirmed on the Rutgers School of Social Work 100% Online MSW page.

• Regular (online): 60 credits · $67,920 tuition · $67,920 TIC
• Advanced standing (online): 39 credits · $44,148 tuition · $44,148 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Sarah McMahon, Professor and Director of the Center for Research on Ending Violence — sexual violence and bystander intervention.
• Dr. Stephen Crystal, Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the Center for Health Services Research — aging, behavioral health, and health-services research.
• Dr. Edward J. Alessi, Professor — LGBTQ+ mental health, trauma, and resilience.

Description

Salisbury University — Online MSW

Salisbury, MD · Public regional university (University System of Maryland) · CSWE-accredited

Salisbury keeps its online MSW among the more affordable in Maryland and opens enrollment across nine Mid-Atlantic states, with evening and summer courses built for students who work during the day and no campus visits.

The Advanced Direct Practice curriculum trains work with individuals, families, groups, and organizations, and Title IV-E child-welfare stipends flow through a partnership with the University of Maryland, Baltimore — a real cost lever if protective services is your goal. A Good Neighbors scholarship extends the resident rate to contiguous counties.

Choose the 62-credit traditional track or the 32-credit advanced-standing path (BSW within three years). 

• Program page: Salisbury University — MSW
• Format: Online cohort with evening and summer courses, an online orientation, and no campus visits; hybrid delivery also runs at four regional Maryland sites; advanced-direct-practice focus
• Traditional track: 62 credits · two years of field practicum in two different settings
• Advanced standing: 32 credits · one-year practicum in one setting; requires a BSW earned within 3 years (or 2 years of human-services work within 5 years), with a 3.2 social-work / 3.0 overall GPA
• Field education: Two field placements (traditional) or one (advanced standing); confirm exact clock hours with the program
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (online option accredited); Salisbury holds MSCHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Advanced Direct Practice (individuals, groups, families, organizations); Title IV-E child-welfare stipends available through the University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Restriction & eligibility note: Online enrollment is limited to residents of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York; provisional admission is available for a 2.5–2.99 GPA
• Best for: Mid-Atlantic students who want an affordable regional program with a direct-practice focus, child-welfare stipend options, and working-student scheduling

Tuition & Total Cost

Salisbury’s online MSW carries a fee-inclusive rate of $848 per credit for 2026-27 that is the same regardless of residency, so the 62-credit traditional track runs about $52,576 and the 32-credit advanced-standing track about $27,136. Rates confirmed on the University tuition and fee schedule.

• Traditional: 62 credits · $52,576 tuition · $52,576 TIC
• Advanced standing: 32 credits · $27,136 tuition · $27,136 TIC

Key Faculty

• Mark Shaffer, Assistant Professor (LCSW-C) — clinical and trauma practice, including EMDR.

Description

San José State University — Online MSW

San Jose, CA · Public (California State University system) · CSWE-accredited

San José State’s Online MSW program requires 1,200 field hours — a third more than the 900-hour CSWE norm — so you graduate with more supervised practice than most new MSWs in California. The curriculum is organized around a Transcultural Perspective built for Latinx and other diverse communities, and coursework mixes asynchronous modules with live weekday-evening sessions after 6 p.m., with no campus visits.

The program has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1973. Note the residency line: the 37-unit advanced-standing track is open to California residents only, and all students intern in-state.

• Program page: SJSU School of Social Work — Online/Hybrid MSW
• Format:
  • Online coursework with local in-person field and no campus visits
  • A mix of asynchronous and live weekday-evening (after 6 p.m.) sessions
  • Advanced-generalist with a Transcultural Perspective
• Regular track: 60 units · 2 years
• Advanced standing: 37 units · 1 year (offered since Fall 2020)
• Field education: 1,200 hours (higher than the 900-hour standard), under MSW field instructors
• Accreditation: Continuously CSWE-accredited since 1973; SJSU holds WSCUC institutional accreditation
• Restriction & eligibility note: The advanced-standing track is currently open to California residents only, who must study and intern in California; the hybrid format includes live weekday-evening sessions
• Best for: California students seeking a transcultural, diversity-centered advanced-generalist MSW with substantial field experience

Tuition & Total Cost

The online/hybrid MSW is a self-support program billed at $662 per unit for 2026-27, the same rate for California residents and nonresidents, so the 60-unit track totals about $39,720 and the 37-unit advanced standing option about $24,494. Rates confirmed on the SJSU School of Social Work online MSW page.

• Regular: 60 credits · $39,720 tuition · $39,720 TIC
• Advanced standing: 37 credits · $24,494 tuition · $24,494 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Laurie A. Drabble, Professor — substance use, LGBTQ health, and women’s alcohol use; co-author of the school’s foundational transcultural-perspective framework.
• Dr. Amy C. D’Andrade, Professor — child welfare, family reunification, and services.
• Dr. Sang E. Lee, faculty member — Alzheimer’s and dementia public stigma among Korean Americans, aging, and older immigrants.

Description

Simmons University — Online MSW

Boston, MA · Private university · CSWE-accredited

Simmons founded the first school of social work in the United States in 1904, and SocialWork@Simmons carries that clinical lineage into a psychotherapy-focused online MSW with three speeds: accelerated (16 months), full-time (23), or extended (32).

Live synchronous classes pair with self-paced coursework and a practicum placed near you, and optional certificates cover Mental Health Practice, Trauma Practice, and clinical work with active-duty service members, veterans, and their families — a niche few schools serve deliberately.

Published tuition is $1,205 per credit across the 65-credit curriculum; a 34-credit advanced-standing sequence finishes in as little as nine months. No GRE.

• Program page: SocialWork@Simmons — Online MSW
• Format: Fully online with live synchronous classes, self-paced coursework, and a local practicum; no GRE required.
• Traditional track: 65 credits (24 generalist + 12 specialized + 12 electives + 17 field), on accelerated 16-month, full-time 23-month, or extended 32-month tracks.
• Advanced standing: 34 credits over a 2-term (9-month) or 3-term (12-month) sequence for qualified BSW graduates.
• Field education: 17 credits of field education completed in a local practicum.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutional accreditation through NECHE.
• Concentrations: Clinically focused (psychotherapy emphasis), with optional certificates in Mental Health Practice; Trauma Practice; and Clinical Practice with Active Service Members, Veterans & Families.
• Best for: Students seeking a clinically focused, fully online MSW with scheduled live classes, and those pursuing trauma or military/veteran practice.

Tuition & Total Cost

Simmons bills the online MSW at $1,205 per credit for 2026–27, the same rate for all students. That puts the 65-credit track at about $79,125 all-in and the 34-credit advanced-standing track at about $41,370, once the $80-per-term student fee and $80-per-placement practicum fee are included. Rates confirmed on the Simmons online MSW tuition and financial aid page.

• Traditional: 65 credits · $78,325 tuition · $79,125 TIC
• Advanced standing: 34 credits · $40,970 tuition · $41,370 TIC

Key Faculty

• Michael C. LaSala, PhD, LCSW, Dean of the School of Social Work — family relationships of gay men and lesbians and family influence on youth.
• Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development — race, gender, and trauma; named an NASW Social Work Pioneer.

Description

Temple University — Online MSW

Philadelphia, PA · Public R1 (Commonwealth System of Higher Education) · CSWE-accredited

Temple’s online MSW carries R1 research depth with a rare feature at this level: genuine clinical and macro concentrations side by side, plus online MSW/MPH and MSW/JD dual degrees.

CSWE-accredited since 1969, the part-time program runs 60 credits over three to four years with a 1,050-hour practicum threaded through Philadelphia’s deep field network, and field specializations in health and mental health or children and families.

Coursework is asynchronous with live chats, anchored by one three-day campus residency each August in Year 2. Online tuition is $1,180 per credit; a 12-month full-time advanced-standing option starts each summer.

• Program page: Temple University Online MSW
• Format:
  • Online, part-time only; asynchronous with live chats and discussion boards; a 3-day on-campus residency is required each August in Year 2.
  • On-campus (full-time/part-time) and Saturday (Center City) options are also available.
• Traditional track:
  • Regular Entry = 60 credits (30 foundation + 30 advanced)
  • Online part-time three to four years (campus full-time two years).
• Advanced standing:
  • 34.5 taught credits plus 25.5 transferred from the BSW (60 total)
  • Full-time 12 months / part-time 18 months
  • Summer start
  • BSW within five years from a CSWE-accredited school.
• Field education:
  • 1,050 hours total (450 foundation + 600 advanced)
  • Advanced-standing students complete the 600 advanced hours.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1969; institutionally accredited by MSCHE. No GRE required.
• Concentrations: Clinical Practice with Individuals & Families; Macro (Communities & Policy / Management & Planning). Field specializations in Health & Mental Health; Children & Families; individualized.
• Best for: Students who want R1 research depth with both clinical and macro pathways and can attend a short annual Philadelphia residency.

Tuition & Total Cost

Temple’s 2025–26 rate for its online Social Work programs is $1,180 per credit, charged at the same rate for Pennsylvania and out-of-state students, which puts base tuition near $70,800 for the 60-credit Traditional track and about $40,710 for the 34.5-credit Advanced Standing track.

Temple also assesses a mandatory University Services Fee each semester based on credit load, adding roughly $2,000–$3,000 across a part-time course of study for an all-in cost near $73,800 and $42,610. Rates confirmed on Temple’s Bursar tuition rate schedule.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $70,800 est. tuition · ≈$73,800 est. TIC
• Advanced standing: 34.5 credits · $40,710 est. tuition · ≈$42,610 est. TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Philip McCallion, Professor and Director, School of Social Work — aging, dementia, and intellectual/developmental disabilities; 250+ publications and $50M+ in grants.

Description

Texas A&M University-Commerce — Online MSW

Commerce, TX · Public (Texas A&M University System) · CSWE-accredited

East Texas A&M keeps its fully online, advanced-generalist MSW among the lower-priced public options in Texas at roughly $427.89 a credit for residents, and it comes with a built-in career pipeline: a Title IV-E child-welfare pathway for students headed into protective services.

Launched in 2019 with an explicit diversity and equity framing, the program runs a 57-credit foundation track if you don’t hold a BSW and a 33-credit advanced-standing track if you do (earned within six years). You must live within 500 miles of the Commerce campus, and international students are not eligible.

• Program page: East Texas A&M University — MSW
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous; advanced-generalist curriculum with a diversity and equity focus and a Title IV-E child-welfare pathway
• Foundation track: 57 credits · 2–4 years (non-BSW applicants)
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · ~1 year full-time; requires a CSWE-accredited BSW earned within the past 6 years
• Field education: Foundation — 260 practicum hours in the first spring plus 640 hours over the next three semesters (~900 total); advanced standing — 640 hours
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; East Texas A&M holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Eligibility note: Students must live within 500 miles of the Commerce campus; the program is not open to international students
• Best for: Budget-focused Texas residents — including career changers without a BSW — who want an advanced-generalist degree with a child-welfare focus

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the fee-inclusive block of $3,851 per 9 credit hours (≈$427.89/credit) for Texas residents (Fall 2026) on the official East Texas A&M program page, plus a verified $50-per-credit online course fee; non-residents pay ≈$905.89 per credit. TIC is shown as a single figure because the tuition block already includes mandatory fees.

• Foundation (TX resident): 57 credits · $24,390 tuition · $27,240 TIC
• Advanced standing (TX resident): 33 credits · $14,120 tuition · $15,770 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Rebecca Judd, Interim Director and Department Head, Associate Professor — program leadership at this teaching-oriented regional department.
• Dr. Marcella Smith, Associate Professor (PhD, UT-Arlington) — has served as department head.

Description

Texas State University — Online MSW

San Marcos, TX · Public (Texas State University System) · CSWE-accredited

Most online MSW programs funnel you toward clinical practice, but Texas State builds its online degree around the opposite: an Advanced Practice Leadership concentration aimed at administration, supervision, and macro work, taught from the same syllabi as the on-campus program.

Total tuition runs about $31,124 for the 62-credit traditional track, with a 36-credit advanced-standing path for BSW degrees earned within the past ten years. Faculty research lines include adventure and outdoor behavioral therapy, veteran health and moral injury, and homelessness. The cohort admits each fall and accepts students from every state except Alabama.

• Program page: Texas State University — School of Social Work
• Format: 100% online, cohort-based, fall entry; advanced practice leadership (macro/administrative) concentration; identical curriculum to on-campus
• Traditional track: 62 credits · ~3 years
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · ~2 years; requires a BSW earned within the past 10 years
• Field education: 900 hours (traditional) or 540 hours (advanced standing), split across semesters with a field seminar
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Texas State holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Eligibility note: Accepts students from every state except Alabama; fall admission only via a cohort model
• Best for: Students aiming at social work leadership, administration, or macro practice who want an online degree matched to the on-campus curriculum

Tuition & Total Cost

The online MSW charges a flat $502 per credit for fall 2026, the same for Texas residents and nonresidents, so the 62-credit foundation track runs about $31,124. The rate is confirmed on the Texas State online MSW program page.

• Traditional — TX resident: 62 credits · $31,124 tuition · $31,124 TIC
• Traditional — non-resident: 62 credits · $31,124 tuition · $31,124 TIC
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · $18,072 tuition · $18,072 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Christine (Lynn) Norton, Professor — adventure therapy and outdoor behavioral healthcare, experiential education, child and adolescent mental health, and foster care in higher education; Research Scientist at the OBH Center (PhD, Loyola Chicago).
• Dr. Katherine Selber, Professor — veteran health, moral injury, and community-engaged research with veterans.
• Dr. Kelly Clary, Associate Professor and THRC Faculty Fellow — veteran health, moral injury, and community-engaged research.

Description

The Catholic University of America — Online MSW

Washington, DC · Private (Catholic/pontifical) university · CSWE-accredited

Catholic University runs the only fully online MSW based in Washington, DC, and it publishes a licensure result most programs won’t: a 95% first-time pass rate on the LGSW exam.

The clinical curriculum — the sole concentration offered online — is fully asynchronous with cohorts capped near 25, no set log-in times, and no campus visits, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching and a human-rights framework. Field internships run through a 450-plus agency network placed near you.

At about $1,225 per credit, the 60-credit degree totals an estimated $76,200; BSW holders can take the accelerated 30-credit advanced-standing path.

• Program page: Catholic University — Online MSW
• Format: Fully online and fully asynchronous; cohort model with classes capped around 25; 24/7 course access and no required campus visits.
• Traditional track: 60 credits — 30 generalist plus 30 specialized clinical — completed in about two years of full-time study; the clinical concentration is the online pathway.
• Advanced standing: Accelerated 30-credit pathway for applicants who already hold a BSW, covering the advanced clinical year.
• Field education: Local field internships arranged near the student across the generalist and specialized years, drawing on a 450-plus agency partner network; no campus residency.
• Accreditation: Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); the university is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
• Concentrations: Clinical Social Work is the only concentration available online; the Community Administration & Policy Practice (CAPP) concentration is campus-only.
• Licensure note: State-specific licensure requirements may apply in addition to the curriculum; the online clinical track prepares graduates for the clinical social work licensing exam.
• Best for: BSW graduates and career-changers who want a values-driven, fully asynchronous clinical MSW anchored in Washington, DC.

Tuition & Total Cost

Tuition is billed at $1,225 per credit on the official Catholic University graduate tuition schedule (AY2026–27). Estimated total cost adds mandatory Graduate Student Association and University Services fees across the standard full-time semesters (the online MSW is exempt from the U-Pass transit fee).

• Traditional: 60 credits · $73,500 tuition · $76,200 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $36,750 tuition · $38,100 TIC

Key Faculty

• Jo Ann R. Regan, PhD, MSW, Dean — online and distance social work education, competency assessment, and accreditation; former vice president of education at CSWE and a 2021 Fulbright Scholar.
• Eileen A. Dombo, PhD, LICSW, Associate Professor, Assistant Dean, and Ph.D. Program Chair — trauma treatment, vicarious trauma, and clinical practice models.

Description

The Ohio State University — Online MSW

Columbus, OH · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Ohio State’s asynchronous online MSW gives you more directions than almost any competitor: four specializations (aging and health; mental health and substance misuse; child and youth services; community and social justice), a school social work licensure track, and MSW/MPH, MSW/MA, MSW/MCRP, and MSW/PhD dual degrees.

The out-of-state surcharge is only about $200 a semester, which makes an R1 flagship effectively flat-priced nationwide: about $27,996 for the 63-credit traditional track or $20,997 for the 43-credit advanced-standing ASAP track, finished in three semesters.

• Program page: Ohio State Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous; no GRE; near-flat non-resident surcharge (~$200/semester)
• Traditional track: 63 credits · 2 years (3–4 years part-time)
• Advanced standing: 43 credits (ASAP) · 3 semesters; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years
• Field education: 920 hours (traditional) or 672 hours (advanced standing)
• Concentrations: Aging and health; mental health and substance misuse; child and youth services; community and social justice — plus MSW/MPH, MSW/MA, MSW/MCRP, and MSW/PhD dual degrees and a large doctoral program in the College of Social Work
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Ohio State holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Best for: Students who want a research-university MSW with dual-degree flexibility, a school social work licensure option, and out-of-state pricing that stays close to in-state

Tuition & Total Cost

Ohio State prices its online MSW at about $6,999 per full-time semester, so the 43-credit advanced standing track totals $20,997 over three semesters and the 63-credit traditional track $27,996 over four — figures that already fold in instructional, general, and distance-learning fees. Out-of-state students add only a $200-per-semester surcharge. Totals confirmed in the Ohio State AY26 MSW curriculum and tuition guides.

• Advanced standing (ASAP): 43 credits · $20,997 tuition · $20,997 TIC
• Traditional: 63 credits · $27,996 tuition · $27,996 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Alan K. Davis, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (adjunct at Johns Hopkins) — psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression, PTSD, and addiction; 85-plus articles, including a landmark 2021 JAMA Psychiatry psilocybin-for-depression trial.

Description

Touro University — Online MSW

New York, NY · Private nonprofit (Jewish-sponsored, nonsectarian) · CSWE-accredited

Touro’s MSW meets you in whichever format fits: fully online through live Zoom classes plus asynchronous work, or on its Manhattan and Brooklyn campuses, with a 16-month accelerated option if speed is the priority.

The advanced-generalist curriculum builds in LMSW exam preparation and adds fellowships and specializations in aging, mental health, and military social work, with about 1,200 field hours on the traditional 65-credit track.

Positioned as a lower-cost private option for the New York area, it also runs an advanced-standing track for BSW holders. It’s also important to note the live Zoom sessions — as this is not an anytime-asynchronous program. 

• Program page: Touro University — Master of Social Work
• Format: Fully online via live Zoom classes plus asynchronous coursework, or a traditional NYC-campus / hybrid track (both CSWE-accredited); 16-month accelerated option; advanced-generalist
• Regular track: 65 credits · 2–4 years
• Advanced standing: Reduced-requirement track for BSW holders from a CSWE-accredited program; confirm the current credit total with the program
• Field education: ~1,200 total field hours (traditional track)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (both online and campus tracks); Touro holds MSCHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Advanced Generalist with fellowships and specializations in aging (Aging Education Fellowship), mental health, and military social work
• Restriction & eligibility note: The online track uses live Zoom sessions plus asynchronous work, so it is not fully asynchronous; the traditional accelerated option admits in spring only
• Best for: New York-area students who want a flexible live-online or on-campus program with an accelerated option and aging, mental-health, or military specializations

Tuition & Total Cost

At $930 per credit for 2026–2027, charged the same regardless of residency, the 65-credit MSW runs about $60,450 in tuition and roughly $64,176 all-in once program fees are added — a $200 administrative fee each term, a $100 technology fee in fall and spring, four $400 instructional fees on the field-education courses, and a $200 graduation fee.

Rate confirmed on the Touro University Graduate School of Social Work tuition and fees page.

• Regular: 65 credits · $60,450 tuition · $64,176 TIC
• Advanced standing: Not published

Key Faculty

• Dr. Nancy Lee Gallina, Dean and MSW Program Director (PhD, LCSW) — social work education leadership.
• Dr. Folusho Otuyelu, Associate Professor — school readiness and children’s social-emotional development.
• Dr. Annecy Baez, Associate Professor, Clinical Social Work — clinical practice and narrative approaches.

Description

Tulane University — Online MSW

New Orleans, LA · Private research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Tulane’s MSW grew out of post-Katrina New Orleans, and the curriculum still carries that origin: signature focus areas in Disaster & Collective Trauma and in Mental Health, Addiction & the Family, plus an online MSW/MS in Disaster Resilience Leadership no other program pairs this way.

If crisis, trauma, or disaster work is your direction, this R1 program was built for it, with 900 supervised practicum hours across the 60-credit traditional track or a 48-credit advanced-standing path. Merit aid is unusually concrete: awards start at $15,000 for traditional students and $11,250 for advanced standing.

• Program page: Tulane School of Social Work — MSW Programs
• Format: Online (also available on campus); flexible full-time (15 credits/semester over 4 semesters) or part-time (8 semesters); clinical plus community practice.
• Traditional track: 60 credits.
• Advanced standing: 48 credits over 6 semesters part-time (or 3 semesters / 12 months full-time) for qualified BSW graduates.
• Field education: 900 practicum hours total — full-time over 3 semesters, or 150 hours across 6 terms part-time.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutional accreditation through SACSCOC.
• Concentrations: Clinical and community practice, with signature focus areas in Disaster & Collective Trauma and in Mental Health, Addiction & the Family; an online MSW/MS in Disaster Resilience Leadership dual degree is available.
• Best for: Students drawn to disaster-resilience, trauma, and community practice, those interested in the MSW/MS-DRL dual degree, and applicants seeking merit aid.

Tuition & Total Cost

Tulane bills the online MSW at $1,403 per credit, the same rate no matter where you live. With the academic support fee (capped at $536 a semester) and the $100-per-semester technology fee, the 60-credit track runs about $86,724 all-in and the 48-credit advanced-standing track about $69,252; online students pay no other university fees. Rates confirmed on the Tulane School of Social Work online cost-of-attendance sheet.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $84,180 tuition · $86,724 TIC
• Advanced standing: 48 credits · $67,344 tuition · $69,252 TIC

Key Faculty

• Regardt “Reggie” Ferreira, PhD, Professor and Director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy — disaster resilience, climate change, and mental health.
• Fred Buttell, PhD, LCSW, Professor and Chair of the Social/Behavioral IRB — intimate partner violence and batterer intervention.

Description

University at Buffalo — Online MSW

Buffalo, NY · Public research university (R1; SUNY, AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #24 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Buffalo builds the LCSW pathway directly into its online MSW: 12 clinical credits count toward New York licensure, inside a curriculum that carries a trauma-informed, human-rights perspective through every course.

At the SUNY online rate of $545 a credit in tuition (about $711 with fees, ~$42,670 all-in) — it’s one of the better-priced R1 options, and UB field staff arrange your local placement. One billing rule deserves attention: a single seated or hybrid course triggers the full on-campus rate that semester, so keep everything online.

The 60-credit part-time track runs about three years; a 35-credit advanced-standing track starts each spring. No GRE.

• Program page: University at Buffalo — Online MSW
• Format: 100% online, part-time, no campus visits; synchronous weeknight-evening sessions (ET) plus asynchronous coursework; local field placement arranged by UB staff
• Traditional track: 60 credits · ~3 years (9 semesters), part-time
• Advanced standing: 35 credits · ~5 semesters, spring start; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within 6 years and a 3.0 major GPA
• Field education: 900 hours (420 foundation + 480 advanced) or 480 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (both tracks); UB holds MSCHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Trauma-informed and human-rights perspective integrated school-wide; 12 clinical credits available toward LCSW
• Restriction & eligibility note: All coursework must be taken online to keep the online rate — a single seated or hybrid course triggers the full on-campus rate that semester; enrollment priority goes to applicants living 50+ miles from campus
• Best for: Students who want a fully online, no-campus R1 program with a built-in LCSW pathway and a trauma-informed, human-rights curriculum

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the SUNY online resident rate of $545 per credit (non-resident $654) plus program fees, the all-in rate is about $711 per credit for residents and $820 for nonresidents, with the standard campus fee bundle waived for approved fully-online programs.

The 60-credit track runs about $42,670 in-state (about $49,210 non-resident), and the 35-credit advanced-standing track about $24,891 ($28,706 non-resident). Rates confirmed at .

• Traditional — NY resident: 60 credits · $32,700 tuition · $42,670 TIC
• Traditional — non-resident: 60 credits · $39,240 tuition · $49,210 TIC
• Advanced standing — NY resident: 35 credits · $19,075 tuition · $24,891 TIC

Advanced standing — non-resident: 35 credits · $22,890 tuition · $28,706 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Keith A. Alford, Dean and Professor — culturally attuned practice with children and families; named a 2025 NASW Social Work Pioneer.
• Dr. Susan A. Green, Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the Institute on Trauma & Trauma-Informed Care — trauma-informed care, child welfare, and racial equity.
• Dr. Filomena M. Critelli, Associate Professor and Associate Dean for DEI — human rights of women, children, and migrants, and global migration.

Description

University of Alabama — Online MSW

Tuscaloosa, AL · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

The University of Alabama pairs one of the South’s longest CSWE accreditation records (since 1969) with a residency-neutral rate of about $480 a credit, and its hands-on skills labs are delivered virtually, with the only in-person requirement a one-time two-day orientation before you begin.

You complete field placement locally — 1,000 hours on the 60-credit traditional track or 500 on the 42-credit advanced-standing track — and can pair the degree with an MPH or JD. 

• Program page: University of Alabama Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: Online with virtual skills labs and a one-time two-day in-person orientation before entry; advanced-generalist with children-and-families and adults-and-families concentrations; no GRE
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years full-time (fall cohort)
• Advanced standing: 42 credits · 3 semesters; requires a BSW earned within the past 10 years
• Field education: 1,000 hours (traditional) or 500 hours (advanced standing), placed locally to the student
• Concentrations: Advanced generalist with elective clusters; MSW/MPH and MSW/JD dual degrees
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (reported since 1969); Alabama holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Modality note: Skills labs are delivered virtually; the only in-person requirement is a one-time two-day orientation before entry
• Best for: Students who want a research-university MSW with dual-degree options and periodic in-person skills practice

Tuition & Total Cost

The primarily online MSW runs $480 per credit hour for the 2025-26 year, a distance rate all students pay regardless of residency, so the 60-credit traditional track totals about $28,800 and the 42-credit advanced standing track about $20,160. The School of Social Work carries no added college fee on top of that rate. Rates confirmed on the UA Online tuition page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $28,800 tuition · $28,800 TIC
• Advanced standing: 42 credits · $20,160 tuition · $20,160 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Brian E. Bride, Professor, Interim Associate Dean of Research, and Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health — secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and implementation science; creator of the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, Bride, Robinson, Yegidis & Figley (2004), Research on Social Work Practice 14(1):27–35, doi:10.1177/1049731503254106.
• Dr. Nicole Ruggiano, Professor — technology to improve dementia care and family caregiver support; co-created the CareHeroes app, with NIA, NSF, and AHRQ funding.
• Dr. Dione King, Professor — elected to the CSWE National Nominating Committee (term beginning July 2026).

Description

University of Alaska Anchorage — Online MSW

Anchorage, AK · Public · CSWE-accredited

The University of Alaska Anchorage runs the only MSW in the state and publishes a 96% first-time LCSW exam pass rate — the clearest licensure signal on this page. Every admitted student pays the discounted resident rate, and the advanced-generalist curriculum is grounded in Alaska Native, rural, and behavioral-health workforce needs, with a School Social Work Pathway toward Alaska Type C certification.

Plan around the format: weekly synchronous evening sessions mean this is not a log-in-anytime degree — but it is fully online with no campus intensives, and open nationwide to applicants eligible for Alaska social-work licensure, who all pay the resident rate. Traditional (62-credit) and advanced-standing (35-credit) tracks start each fall.

• Program page: UAA School of Social Work
• Format: 100% online (distance-delivered); most courses include weekly synchronous afternoon/evening sessions; local field placement; advanced-generalist (clinical, policy, and leadership)
• Traditional track: 62 credits · 2 years full-time / 3–4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 35 credits · 1 year full-time / 2 years part-time; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 960 hours (traditional) or one 480-hour placement (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1978; UAA holds NWCCU institutional accreditation; published 96% first-time LCSW pass rate; School Social Work Pathway (Alaska DEED Type C certification)
• Restriction & eligibility note: Open nationwide to applicants eligible for Alaska social-work licensure (all pay the resident rate); weekly synchronous sessions mean it is not fully asynchronous
• Best for: Alaska residents pursuing licensure who want the state’s only MSW and a culturally grounded, workforce-focused curriculum

Tuition & Total Cost

At the resident graduate rate of $549 per credit — which every fully online student pays, since nonresident tuition is waived for online courses — plus $71.25 per credit in mandatory consolidated-student and infrastructure fees, the 62-credit track totals about $38,456 and the 35-credit advanced-standing track about $21,709. Rates confirmed in the University of Alaska Anchorage tuition and fees catalog.

• Traditional: 62 credits · $34,038 tuition · $38,456 TIC
• Advanced standing: 35 credits · $19,215 tuition · $21,709 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Matthew Cuellar, Assistant Professor — school social work; faculty advisor for the School Social Work Pathway.
• Dr. Rei Shimizu, Assistant Professor — School of Social Work faculty.

Description

University of Arkansas at Little Rock — Online MSW

Little Rock, AR · Public metropolitan university · CSWE-accredited

UA Little Rock’s online MSW is an Arkansas-residents-only program that lets you choose your direction: an Advanced Direct Practice concentration for clinical licensure or a Social & Organizational Impact track for macro careers.

The 60-credit degree runs $396 a credit ($23,760 total), dropping to $325 a credit ($19,500) for military and veteran students, inside a social work school CSWE-accredited since 1969. Coursework is mostly self-paced with some live sessions, and you complete roughly 1,000+ hours of field education in person at agencies near you.

• Program page: UA Little Rock — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online (self-paced coursework plus some live sessions); in-person local field placement; concentrations in Advanced Direct Practice (clinical) and Social & Organizational Impact
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time
• Field education: Approximately 1,136 hours of approved field education (some sources cite 960–1,136), with the final year devoted to the internship
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (long-standing, reported since 1969); UA Little Rock holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Eligibility note: Online enrollment is open to Arkansas residents only. Some sources list a GRE requirement; confirm current admissions requirements on the official program page.
• Best for: Arkansas residents who want a clinical or macro concentration, and military or veteran students who qualify for the reduced per-credit rate

Tuition & Total Cost

The online MSW is charged UA Little Rock Online’s flat graduate rate of $396 per credit, the same regardless of residency, putting the 60-credit program near $23,760; active-duty service members and veterans pay a reduced $343.75 per credit plus a $15.50 technology fee, about $21,555 in all. Rates confirmed on the UA Little Rock Online cost page.

• Traditional (AR resident, online): 60 credits · $23,760 tuition · $23,760 TIC
• Military / Veteran: 60 credits · $20,625 tuition · $21,555 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Laura Danforth, Director and Associate Professor — community-engaged research (PhD, University of Missouri; at UA Little Rock since 2017).
• Dr. Kim Jones, Professor and co-Director — a long-tenured member of the faculty (at UA Little Rock since 1997).

Description

University of Arkansas — Online MSW (Advanced Standing)

Fayetteville, AR · Public flagship research university · CSWE-accredited

The University of Arkansas built its online MSW for one specific student: a BSW graduate who wants the master’s done in a single year without hunting down a field placement. A dedicated program administrator arranges and monitors your local internship (about 660 clock hours at 22 hours a week), coursework is fully asynchronous apart from a live Tuesday-evening field seminar, and there is no GRE or campus visit required. The 39-credit track totals about $20,625; note that the online option is advanced-standing only, and Colorado residents and international applicants are not accepted.

• Program page: University of Arkansas Online — MSW Advanced Standing
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous, with a live Tuesday-evening field seminar; no campus visits; no GRE
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · 1 year full-time; online track is advanced-standing only (BSW required)
• Field education: Year-long internship at ~22 hours/week (≈660 clock hours); placements arranged and monitored by a dedicated program administrator
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited
• Application deadline: January 15
• Eligibility note: Colorado residents and international applicants are not accepted
• Best for: BSW graduates who want a one-year online MSW with the placement legwork handled for them

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the official fall 2026 rate of $473.47 per credit plus $55.38 per credit in mandatory university fees; TIC is tuition plus fees, the same for all U.S. students.

• Advanced standing (online only): 39 credits · $18,465 tuition · $20,625 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. John M. Gallagher, Associate Professor and JD/MSW faculty advisor — forensic social work, veterans treatment courts, drug courts, and substance use disorders; 19 years of practice experience
• Dr. Marcia A. Shobe, Professor — asset building and financial capability, food insecurity, and health disparities
• Dr. Valandra, Professor — intimate partner violence and economic abuse, racial justice; Cambridge Research Fellowship (2017–18)

Description

University of Central Florida — Online MSW

Orlando, FL · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

UCF’s online MSW moves in accelerated seven-week terms, one course at a time — a pacing built for students who want steady momentum alongside a job. The clinically focused, fully online degree costs about $487 a credit (near $30,222 for the 62-credit track), with 1,000 field hours placed within roughly 45 miles of you and no campus visits.

Faculty research runs deep in trauma, violence against women, and refugee mental health, and the program has held CSWE accreditation since 1974. Recent BSW graduates with a 3.3 GPA can finish the 32-credit advanced-standing track in a year.

• Program page: UCF Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online and asynchronous, cohort-based, in accelerated seven-week terms taking one course at a time; local field within ~45 miles; no campus visits; Clinical Social Work concentration
• Traditional track: 62 credits · three-year cohort
• Advanced standing: 32 credits · 1 year; requires a BSW earned within the past 6 years and a 3.3 GPA in the last 60 hours
• Field education: 1,000 hours (400 generalist + 600 clinical); advanced-standing students complete the 600-hour clinical placement
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1974; UCF holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Best for: Students who want an affordable, fully online clinical MSW they can move through quickly in accelerated terms

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the special online rate of $487.45 per credit, which is all-in (fee-inclusive) and residency-neutral; TIC is shown as a single figure because the rate already includes mandatory fees. Confirm current rates on the UCF online cost page.

• Traditional: 62 credits · $30,222 tuition · $30,222 TIC
• Advanced standing: 32 credits · $15,598 tuition · $15,598 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Kim Anderson, Professor — trauma-informed pedagogy, adverse childhood experiences, adult interpersonal violence, and violence against women.
• Dr. Bethany Backes, Associate Professor — violence against women, intimate-partner violence, and multidisciplinary responses to victims.
• Dr. Asli Cennet Yalim, Associate Professor and BSW Program Director — refugee mental health and trauma-informed practice; co-leads the TIERS program.

Description

University of Denver — Online MSW

Denver, CO · Private research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

MSW@Denver delivers a #12-ranked program (U.S. News, 2024) through weekly live, seminar-style classes — a deliberate bet that clinical training needs faces and voices, not discussion boards — open nationwide with no campus visits.

GSSW has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1933, and five research institutes, including the Butler Institute for Families and the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, feed a social-justice curriculum with pathways in Mental Health & Trauma and Health, Equity & Wellness, plus certificates in animal-assisted social work and couples and family therapy.

The quarter calendar offers four sessions a year; advanced standing runs 54 quarter-credits in about 12 months.

• Program page: University of Denver — MSW@Denver
• Format: Fully online; weekly live (synchronous) seminar-style classes; no required campus visits; quarter-based calendar (four sessions per year); nationwide.
• Traditional track: 81 quarter-credits (36 bridge/foundation + 45 pathway); about 21 months.
• Advanced standing: 54 quarter-credits; about 12 months; includes one 500-hour field internship.
• Field education: Supervised field placement arranged in the student’s local area; the Advanced Standing track includes a 500-hour internship.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited continuously since 1933; institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Concentrations: Advanced Social Work Practice, with pathways in Mental Health & Trauma and Health, Equity & Wellness; certificates in animal-assisted social work, couples & family therapy, and social work with Latinas/os.
• Best for: Students who want a live-class online MSW from a long-accredited R1, with a trauma or health-equity focus and distinctive certificate options.

Tuition & Total Cost

The University of Denver bills its online MSW at $1,200 per quarter-credit for 2025–26 plus a $4-per-credit technology fee, at the same rate for all students. The 81-quarter-credit track totals about $97,524 all-in and the 54-quarter-credit advanced-standing track about $65,016. Rates confirmed on the MSW@Denver tuition page.

• Traditional: 81 (qtr) credits · $97,200 tuition · $97,524 TIC
• Advanced standing: 54 (qtr) credits · $64,800 tuition · $65,016 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Henrika McCoy, Morris Endowed Dean and Professor — juvenile-justice involvement and violence among Black youth.
• Dr. Johnny S. Kim, Professor — solution-focused brief therapy and evidence-based clinical practice.
• Dr. Nicole Nicotera, Professor — positive youth development and mindfulness-based experiential practice.

Description

University of Georgia — Online MSW

Athens, GA · Public flagship · CSWE-accredited · #20 in U.S. News social work rankings (2024)

The University of Georgia delivers a top-20-ranked clinical MSW (U.S. News, 2024) fully online and asynchronously, priced at a flat eRate of about $664 per credit — roughly $39,840 for the 60-credit traditional track. The catch is geography: you must be a Georgia resident or live within 60 miles of the state line to enroll.

If you qualify, you get a clinically focused curriculum that maps directly to Georgia LCSW preparation, about 912 hours of locally placed field education with a child-welfare emphasis.

• Program page: UGA Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous, cohort-based; clinical (micro) focus with macro electives
• Traditional track: 60 credits (42 coursework + 18 practicum) · ~3 years part-time
• Field education: ≈912 clock hours (312 generalist + 600 specialized), placed locally; child-welfare emphasis with Title IV-E participation — expect background checks and drug testing at many agencies
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; UGA holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Geographic restriction: Georgia residents or applicants within 60 miles of the Georgia state line only
• Priority deadline: January 8, 2027
• Best for: Georgia-area students who want a top-20-ranked clinical MSW without campus visits

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the flat online eRate of $664 per credit (AY2026-27), which applies to all U.S. online students regardless of residency, plus a $431-per-semester online learning fee across the program’s standard eight-term sequence.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $39,840 tuition · $43,288 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Zoe Minor Johnson, Clinical Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Public Behavioral Health Fellowship — Black student experiences and social support at predominantly white institutions; LCSW with 20+ years of practice; as former Director of Field Education, stewarded practicum placements for roughly 2,700 BSW/MSW students

Description

University of Houston — Online MSW

Houston, TX · Public research university (R1; University of Houston System) · CSWE-accredited

The University of Houston prices its clinically focused online MSW at $474.76 per semester credit hour for Texas residents — among the most affordable public R1 routes in the region — and non-Texans can unlock that in-state rate through a qualifying scholarship of $1,000 or more.

The part-time cohort runs asynchronously with firm deadlines over about three years, with 900 practicum hours placed locally by the school’s Practicum Education Office and a health and behavioral-health emphasis feeding strong regional employer demand. CSWE-accredited since 1970, it added an online advanced-standing option (34 credits) in Fall 2024.

• Program page: University of Houston GCSW Online MSW
• Format: Online part-time cohort, asynchronous with firm deadlines; a required orientation in early July may be attended in person or online. Face-to-face and hybrid models are also available.
• Traditional track: Full program 51 semester credit hours; part-time online across about three years.
• Advanced standing: 34 semester credit hours for BSW holders (17-credit foundation waiver); available online since Fall 2024.
• Field education: 900 clock hours of practicum, placed locally through the GCSW Practicum Education Office.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1970; institutionally accredited by SACSCOC.
• Concentrations: Clinical Practice concentration with a health and behavioral health focus.
• Eligibility & licensure note: Resident and non-resident tuition differ substantially; non-Texas residents may qualify for the in-state rate with a scholarship of $1,000 or more. Verify licensure portability for your state before enrolling.
• Best for: BSW and non-BSW applicants who want an affordable, clinically focused public-university MSW with flexible enrollment models.

Tuition & Total Cost

Houston’s consolidated graduate rate for social work is $474.76 per semester credit hour for Texas residents and $1,002.76 for non-residents in 2026–27, and online students pay the same rate.

A $279 online-education fee and a $260 student-services fee each term add roughly $3,800 across the full program (about $2,700 for advanced standing); per-track tuition and all-in totals are below. Rates confirmed on the University of Houston graduate tuition schedule.

• Full program: 51 SCH credits · $24,213 (resident) / $51,141 (non-resident) tuition · ≈$28,000 (resident) / ≈$54,900 (non-resident) TIC
• Advanced standing: 34 SCH credits · $16,142 (resident) / $34,094 (non-resident) tuition · ≈$18,800 (resident) / ≈$36,800 (non-resident) TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Quenette L. Walton, Humana Endowed Chair in Social Determinants of Health and Associate Dean for Doctoral Education — Black women’s mental health and access to care.
• Dr. Samira Ali, associate professor and director of the SUSTAIN Wellbeing COMPASS Coordinating Center — HIV stigma and community wellbeing in the U.S. South.

Description

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Online iMSW

Urbana-Champaign, IL · Public research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #24 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Illinois’s iMSW is really two programs, and knowing which one you want matters: the Leadership & Social Change pathway is fully online with no campus visits, while the Advanced Clinical pathway has historically added periodic in-person weekend sessions in Urbana or Chicago — confirm the current requirement with the program.

Either way you get a top-25-ranked flagship (U.S. News, 2024) with evening scheduling for working professionals, major research centers in child welfare and prevention, and a School Social Work route approved for the Illinois PEL. Advanced standing runs about 44 credits over 18 months for a recent BSW with a 3.0 GPA; no GRE.

• Program page: University of Illinois — iMSW
• Format: Two pathways — Leadership & Social Change (fully online, macro) and Advanced Clinical — both delivered online with weekly evening Zoom per current program pages; evening scheduling
• Traditional track: ~72 credits (for a non-social-work bachelor’s) · ~36–48 months
• Advanced standing: ~44 credits · ~18 months; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within 7 years and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 400–950 hours depending on track
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Illinois holds HLC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Leadership & Social Change (macro) and Advanced Clinical (Children/Youth/Family, Health Care, Mental Health, School Social Work); School Social Work approved for the Illinois PEL
• Restriction & eligibility note: The Advanced Clinical pathway may include periodic in-person weekend sessions — confirm the current requirement with the program
• Best for: Students who want a top-25 flagship program with a genuinely online macro pathway, or a hybrid clinical pathway with a school social work licensure route

Tuition & Total Cost

The online iMSW is billed at $620 per credit hour for 2026-27, the same for Illinois residents and nonresidents, with a $4-per-credit-hour online service fee and no other campus fees; the 44-credit course of study runs about $27,280 all-in. Rates confirmed on the University of Illinois Office of the Registrar fully online rates.

• Traditional (iMSW): 72 credits · $44,640 tuition · $45,144 TIC
• Advanced standing (iMSW): 44 credits · $27,280 tuition · $27,588 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Ben Lough, Dean and Professor — civic service, volunteerism, and social development.
• Dr. Karen Tabb Dina, Professor — perinatal and maternal mental health, and health equity.
• Dr. Douglas C. Smith, Professor and Director of the Center for Prevention Research & Development — adolescent substance use and recovery.

Description

University of Iowa — Online MSW

Iowa City, IA · Public research university (R1/AAU) · CSWE-accredited

The University of Iowa has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1951, and its online MSW keeps that structure deliberate: a sequenced cohort meeting Thursday evenings on Zoom, a virtual Learning Community, and a required Summer Institute in Iowa City.

You choose Clinical Practice or Leadership Practice, backed by the R1/AAU university’s research centers in child welfare and aging, at a flat $667-a-credit resident rate. Check your address first — online enrollment is limited to Iowa and six bordering states (Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin). 

• Program page: University of Iowa — MSW, tuition and aid
• Format: Structured online cohort: required courses meet Thursdays 5:30–8 p.m. CT via Zoom (synchronous), plus a virtual Learning Community and a required Summer Institute in Iowa City; Clinical Practice or Leadership Practice specialization
• Regular track: 54 semester hours · 2 years full-time / 3–4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 36 semester hours · 1–2 years (BSW required)
• Field education: Approximately 900–910 hours (300-hour generalist practicum plus a specialized practicum); advanced standing completes the specialized practicum
• Accreditation: Continuously CSWE-accredited since 1951; Iowa holds HLC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Restriction & eligibility note: Online enrollment is limited to residents of Iowa and six bordering states (Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin); the synchronous sessions and required Iowa City Summer Institute mean it is not fully remote
• Best for: Students in Iowa and neighboring states who want a flagship R1 program with flat resident tuition and a choice of clinical or leadership training

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the official resident rate of $667 per credit (AY2026), which applies to online students across the seven-state region, from University of Iowa School of Social Work; the TIC adds the per-semester technology fee (about $290 at full-time load) across the standard full-time sequence and a one-time $250 records fee.

• Regular: 54 credits · $36,018 tuition · $38,010 TIC
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · $24,012 tuition · $25,420 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Miriam Landsman, Director and Associate Professor; Executive Director of the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice — family-centered child welfare practice and workforce development.
• Dr. Aislinn Conrad, Associate Professor — child physical abuse, adverse childhood experiences, and the economic conditions of child abuse.
• Dr. Carol Coohey, Professor — trauma-affected children and adults in crisis, suicide-counseling skills, and community-engaged program evaluation.

Description

University of Kansas — Online MSW

Lawrence, KS · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #36 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

KU’s School of Social Welfare originated the Strengths Perspective — the framework half the profession now uses — and grounds its fully online MSW in it, taught by the same faculty as on campus and CSWE-accredited continuously since 1947.

The pricing is refreshingly simple: a flat, fee-inclusive $695 per credit regardless of residency, putting the 64-credit traditional track at roughly $44,480 and the 38-credit advanced-standing track at $26,410.

You choose clinical or macro practice and complete your practicum locally. Enrollment is open nationwide to U.S. applicants, though international students cannot be admitted.

• Program page: University of Kansas online MSW
• Format: Fully online through Jayhawk Global; full-time or part-time; same faculty and curriculum as on campus.
• Traditional track: 64 credits; for applicants without a CSWE-accredited BSW.
• Advanced standing: 38 credits; summer start; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field education: Practicum completed in the student’s local community; required hour count not published on the program page.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited continuously since 1947 (socwel.ku.edu).
• Concentrations: Clinical social work practice or macro practice (administration, policy, advocacy); framed by the Strengths Perspective developed at KU.
• Enrollment restriction: Open to U.S. applicants nationwide; the online MSW cannot admit international applicants.
• Best for: Applicants nationwide who want a flat-rate, fee-inclusive online MSW rooted in the Strengths Perspective.

Tuition & Total Cost

Tuition uses KU’s flat, fee-inclusive online rate of $695 per credit (socwel.ku.edu, AY2025–26), charged the same regardless of residency; because the rate already includes fees, tuition and total cost are equal.

• Traditional: 64 credits · ≈$44,480 tuition · ≈$44,480 TIC
• Advanced standing: 38 credits · ≈$26,410 tuition · ≈$26,410 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Michelle Mohr Carney, Dean & Professor — intimate partner violence.
• Dr. Amy N. Mendenhall, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor — child and adolescent mental health.

Description

University of Kentucky — Online MSW

Lexington, KY · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

The University of Kentucky charges every online MSW student the in-state rate of $790 a credit no matter where they live, and its block-tuition structure rewards speed: full-time students can stack courses within a flat per-term band, finishing the 60-credit standard track in as few as four semesters or the 30-credit advanced-standing track in twelve months.

Six focus areas or an individualized plan of study let you shape the degree, and the R1 College of Social Work has built a national research identity in practitioner self-care and suicidology — directly relevant if you’re entering crisis or behavioral-health work.

• Program page: University of Kentucky — Online MSW curriculum
• Format: 100% online and national, no campus visits; six focus areas or an individualized plan of study; block-tuition pricing
• Standard track: 60 credits · as few as 4 semesters
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · as few as 2 semesters (12 months); requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years with a 3.5 social-work GPA
• Field education: Faculty-guided practicum series, placed locally
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; UK holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Six focus areas plus multiple graduate certificates
• Best for: Students who want a fully online, national program with one flat per-credit rate regardless of residency and a strong self-care and suicidology research base

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the flat $790 per credit rate (AY2025-26), charged at the in-state level for all students regardless of residency, plus $42 per credit in mandatory fees, from the .

• Standard: 60 credits · $47,400 tuition · $49,920 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $23,700 tuition · $24,960 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Justin “Jay” Miller, Dean and Director of the Self-Care Lab — social-work workforce well-being and self-care, and foster and kinship care.
• Dr. Julie Cerel, Professor — suicidology, suicide exposure and bereavement; past president of the American Association of Suicidology.
• Dr. Natalie Pope, Associate Professor and PhD Program Director — gerontological social work and disaster and community-engaged research; 2021 Rose Dobrof Award.

Description

University of Louisville — Online MSSW

Louisville, KY · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Military students get the headline deal at Louisville: active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members pay $250 a credit — well under the standard online rate of $863 — for an MSSW (equivalent to the MSW) taught fully online by the same Kent School faculty as on campus.

The specialization menu is unusually broad, spanning alcohol and drug counseling, forensic, gerontology, military, and school social work, with dual degrees in law and ministry, all backed by an R1 research portfolio near $30 million.

Choose the 60-hour regular track or the 30-hour advanced-standing path for a BSW earned within seven years. No GRE is required.

• Program page: University of Louisville — Online MSSW
• Format: 100% online option taught by the same Kent School faculty as on campus; advanced-generalist model
• Regular track: 60 credit hours (open to any bachelor’s degree)
• Advanced standing: 30 credit hours · 1–2 years online; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within 7 years (preferred 3.0 undergraduate / 3.25 social-work GPA)
• Field education: 950 hours (regular) or 500 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (reaffirmed February 2024; next review 2032); UofL holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; degree titled MSSW; no GRE
• Concentrations: Advanced Generalist with focus areas including Alcohol & Drug Counseling, Cancer & Health, Forensic, Gerontology, Mental Health, and Military & School Social Work; dual degrees in Law, Ministry, and other fields
• Restriction & eligibility note: Online students in rural areas may need to travel for field placement; active-duty and reserve military pay $250 per credit
• Best for: Students who want a research-heavy R1 program with a wide specialization menu and dual-degree options, and military students who qualify for the reduced rate

Tuition & Total Cost

The online MSSW is billed at $863 per credit hour, the same for in-state and out-of-state students, plus a $10-per-credit online course fee ($873 all-in).

The 60-credit regular track runs about $52,380 and the 30-credit advanced-standing track about $25,800, while active-duty and reserve service members pay $250 per credit. Rates confirmed on the UofL Online tuition rates page.

• Regular: 60 credits · $51,780 tuition · $52,380 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $25,890 tuition · $26,190 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Anita P. Barbee, Professor, Distinguished University Scholar, and PhD Program Director — child-welfare workforce and evidence-based interventions; extensive federally funded research.
• Dr. Sunshine M. Rote, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research — aging, Latino health disparities, and caregiving.

Description

University of Maine — Online Hybrid MSW

Orono, ME · Public (state flagship) · CSWE-accredited

The University of Maine designed its hybrid MSW for working students across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont: coursework runs mainly online, anchored by two Saturdays a semester on the Orono campus and internships completed in-region.

The state flagship’s advanced-generalist curriculum covers both clinical and macro practice and draws on a strong Center on Aging research base — useful if you’re headed toward gerontological work in a rapidly aging region.

A 63-credit regular track adds a three-year online plan in Fall 2026, and a 46-credit advanced-standing track accepts a BSW earned within the past seven years.

• Program page: University of Maine — Online Master of Social Work
• Format: Online-blended hybrid cohort, mainly asynchronous with some synchronous sessions and two Saturdays per semester on the Orono campus; advanced-generalist (clinical + macro)
• Regular track: 63 credits · 2 years full-time or 4 years; a three-year online plan begins Fall 2026
• Advanced standing: 46 credits · 2 years with three summer “bridge” courses; requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years
• Field education: 900 hours regular track (400 foundation + 500 advanced) or 500 hours advanced standing; faculty visit sites once per semester
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited through 2027; the University of Maine holds NECHE institutional accreditation
• Restriction & eligibility note: A regional program designed for Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont residents, with internships completed in-region
• Best for: Working students in northern New England who want a state-flagship program with an aging-research strength and periodic on-campus sessions

Tuition & Total Cost

For Maine residents the online MSW works out to about $651 per credit once the $596 base graduate tuition, the online program fee, and the technology fee are combined, so the 63-credit regular track totals roughly $41,163 and the 46-credit advanced-standing track roughly $30,021, including per-placement field fees. New Hampshire and Vermont residents admitted to the program may instead pay New England regional or nonresident rates.

Rates confirmed on the University of Maine Student Financial Services tuition and fees page.

• Regular: 63 credits · $37,548 est. tuition · $41,163 est. TIC
• Advanced standing: 46 credits · $27,416 est. tuition · $30,021 est. TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jennifer Crittenden, Associate Professor, MSW Program Coordinator, and Associate Director for Research at the Center on Aging — gerontological social work, older-adult civic engagement, and rural aging; GSA Fellow (2024).
• Dr. Len Kaye, Professor and Director of the UMaine Center on Aging — gerontological social work, healthy aging, and age-friendly universities.
• Dr. Sandy Butler, Professor — aging policy, older workers and volunteers, and women and poverty.

Description

University of Maryland, Baltimore — Online MSW

Baltimore, MD · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited · #24 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

The University of Maryland School of Social Work brings one of the oldest and largest social work faculties in the country to a fully online, clinically concentrated MSW — ranked #24 by U.S. News (2024) — with live evening sessions and a practicum placed in your own community.

The format suits students who want scheduled class contact rather than self-paced modules, across a 60-credit traditional track (about three years) or a 36-credit advanced-standing path for CSWE-accredited BSW holders.

Check eligibility first: online enrollment is limited to students in Maryland and surrounding states, and the Leadership, Policy & Social Change concentration is campus-only.

• Program page: University of Maryland online MSW
• Format: Fully online; mostly synchronous with live evening sessions; roughly three years on the traditional track.
• Traditional track: 60 credits; open to applicants without a social work bachelor’s degree.
• Advanced standing: 36 credits; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field education: In-person practicum arranged in the student’s local community; required hour count not published on the program page.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (ssw.umaryland.edu).
• Concentrations: Online program is Clinical concentration only; the on-campus program adds Leadership, Policy & Social Change.
• Enrollment restriction: Online enrollment is limited to students in Maryland and surrounding states.
• Best for: Students in the Maryland region who want a clinically focused MSW from a top-25 research school with a locally placed practicum.

Tuition & Total Cost

For 2026-27 the University of Maryland, Baltimore charges its online MSW at $752.66 per credit for Maryland residents and $1,374.96 per credit for nonresidents, so the 60-credit track is about $45,160 in-state and the 36-credit advanced-standing track about $27,096.

Adding the mandatory per-semester fees (roughly $400 a term, including the $125 online program technology fee, plus one-time practicum and matriculation charges) brings the resident all-in cost to about $46,911 and $28,049; nonresident totals run about $84,249 and $50,452. Rates confirmed on the UMB online MSW tuition and fees page.

• Traditional (resident): 60 credits · $45,160 tuition · $46,911 TIC
• Traditional (non-resident): 60 credits · $82,498 tuition · $84,249 TIC
• Advanced standing (resident): 36 credits · $27,096 tuition · $28,049 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 36 credits · $49,499 tuition · $50,452 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Judy L. Postmus, Dean & Professor — gender-based violence and economic abuse.
• Dr. Richard P. Barth, Distinguished University Professor — child welfare, adoption, and foster care.

Description

University of Michigan — Online MSW

Ann Arbor, MI · Public research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #1 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Michigan is the #1-ranked school of social work in the country (U.S. News, 2024), and its fully online MSW compresses to 45 credits — three full-time terms, about a year — for BSW holders, backed by faculty carrying deep NIH-funded intervention portfolios across eight practice pathways.

Applicants without a BSW complete a separately priced entry certificate first, which changes the cost math and is worth pricing out early. Classes blend about two hours of live weekly instruction with asynchronous work (part-time sections meet weekday evenings, Eastern), field runs weekday-daytime in your local community, and the program cannot be completed from outside the United States.

• Program page: University of Michigan Online MSW
• Format: Fully online; about two hours of live synchronous class plus asynchronous coursework each week per course. Part-time sections meet weekday evenings (Eastern).
• Program length: A 45-credit degree spanning three full-time terms (about one year), or part-time over more.
• Entry paths:
  • Applicants without a BSW first complete a separately priced, non-credit entry certificate before the 45-credit curriculum
  • BSW holders from a CSWE- or CASWE-accredited program enter with advanced standing and skip it.
• Field education: Practicum spans multiple terms, building from two to three days per week, scheduled during weekday-daytime hours and placed in the student’s local community.
• Accreditation: Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Concentrations: Eight practice pathways — including Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse; Children, Youth & Families; and Welfare of Children & Families — with 12 credits in the chosen pathway.
• Eligibility & licensure: Live sessions run weekday evenings (Eastern) and field requires weekday-daytime availability; the full program cannot be completed from outside the United States. Licensure requirements vary by state.
• Best for: Students seeking a top-ranked, research-intensive online MSW who can join weekday-evening live classes and complete local weekday-daytime field placements within the U.S.

Tuition & Total Cost

Michigan bills the online MSW by full-time term rather than per credit. For the 45-credit, three-term online degree, 2026–27 rates are $18,406 per term for residents and $29,641 for non-residents, plus a $241 registration fee each term — about $55,900 all-in for residents and $89,600 for non-residents. Regent-set rates rise annually. Rates confirmed on the U-M School of Social Work tuition page.

• Online MSW — MI resident: 45 credits · $55,218 tuition · $55,941 TIC
• Online MSW — non-resident: 45 credits · $88,923 tuition · $89,646 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Richard M. Tolman, Sheldon D. Rose Collegiate Professor of Social Work — intervention research on violence and abuse prevention.
• Dr. Xiaoling Xiang, Associate Professor of Social Work — aging, late-life depression, and digital mental health interventions.

Description

University of Missouri — Online MSW

Columbia, MO · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Mizzou has held social work accreditation continuously since 1919 — among the oldest programs in the country — and its fully online, part-time MSW makes you choose your lane early: Advanced Clinical Practice for licensure-bound clinicians, or Policy, Planning & Administration for macro careers.

Field requirements run deep at 1,080 hours on the 60-credit regular track (three years) or 680 hours on the 39-credit advanced-standing track (two years). Online enrollment is limited to residents of Missouri and eight contiguous states, so confirm eligibility before you apply. No GRE is required.

• Program page: University of Missouri Online — MSW
• Format: 100% online, part-time; concentrations in Advanced Clinical Practice and Policy, Planning & Administration in Human Services
• Regular track: 60 credits · 3 years (9 semesters)
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · 2 years (6 semesters); requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years (or a 21-credit waiver) and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: 1,080 hours (400 foundation + 680 advanced) or 680 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: Continuously CSWE-accredited since 1919; Missouri holds HLC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Restriction & eligibility note: Online enrollment is limited to residents of Missouri and eight contiguous states (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois)
• Best for: Students in the region who want a historic R1 program with a clear choice between clinical and policy/administration training

Tuition & Total Cost

The online program bills a single online rate of $653 per credit hour (AY2026-27) regardless of residency, so the 60-credit track runs about $39,180 all-in and the 39-credit advanced-standing track about $25,467. Rates confirmed on the Mizzou Online tuition and fees page.

• Regular: 60 credits · $39,180 tuition · $39,180 TIC
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · $25,467 tuition · $25,467 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Aaron Thompson, Professor and Director, School of Social Work — youth and school behavioral health and evidence-based practice.
• Dr. Kelli E. Canada, Professor — mental-health courts, treatment adherence, and justice-involved individuals with serious mental illness.

Description

University of Nevada, Reno — Online MSW

Reno, NV · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Nevada, Reno’s 100% online MSW has no residency requirement, so you can enroll from anywhere in the country and pick a concentration that matches the caseload you actually want: children and families, gerontology, substance abuse, or mental health.

The R1 university’s faculty publish actively in military social work, aging, LGBTQ and homeless-youth studies, and disability, and the program has held CSWE accreditation since 1991. Expect about $26,335 in-state (or $37,832 out-of-state) for the 60-credit traditional track and roughly half that for the 30-credit advanced-standing path, which BSW holders can finish in 15 months.

• Program page: University of Nevada, Reno — School of Social Work
• Format: 100% online, advanced-generalist, with no residency requirement; concentrations in children and families, gerontology, substance abuse, and mental health
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2 years (including summer)
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · 15 months (including summer); BSW required
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited at the BSW and MSW levels since 1991; Nevada, Reno holds NWCCU institutional accreditation
• Best for: Out-of-state students who want true national access without a residency requirement, and those seeking a research-university program with a specific clinical concentration and citable, research-active faculty for mentorship

Tuition & Total Cost

For fully online students, Nevada residents pay $385 per credit and nonresidents $770 per credit in registration tuition (online students are exempt from most campus fees), plus about $52 per credit in technology and online-learning fees.

On that basis the 60-credit traditional track runs about $23,100 in-state and $46,200 out-of-state, and the 30-credit advanced-standing track about $11,550 and $18,986. Rates confirmed on the University of Nevada, Reno MSW tuition page.

• Traditional (in-state): 60 credits · $23,100 tuition · $26,335 TIC
• Traditional (out-of-state): 60 credits · $46,200 tuition · $49,540 TIC
• Advanced standing (in-state): 30 credits · $11,550 tuition · $13,238 TIC
• Advanced standing (out-of-state): 30 credits · $18,986 tuition · $20,726 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Eugenia L. Weiss, MSW Program Director and Associate Professor — transformative leadership and diversity, women’s empowerment, and military social work (PhD, PsyD, MSW/LCSW; 16 years at USC’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck school).
• Dr. Weiyu Mao, Assistant Professor — aging, immigration and oral health in older adults, intergenerational support, and older adults in rural China, with a substantial peer-reviewed record.
• Dr. Lex Owen, Assistant Professor — families of children with special health care needs and intellectual and developmental disabilities; co-directs the HRSA-funded Family Navigation Network (PhD, Disability Studies, UIC).

Description

University of New England — Online MSW

Portland / Biddeford, ME · Private nonprofit · CSWE-accredited

UNE hands you two forms of control most programs keep for themselves: six start dates a year, and field placements you select yourself with a field planner’s support rather than being assigned to an agency.

The fully online, majority-asynchronous MSW requires no campus visits and carries an anti-oppression practice emphasis through its 60-credit traditional track, which pairs a generalist practicum (400+ hours) with a specialization practicum (500+ hours).

CSWE-accredited since 1990, it also runs a 30-credit advanced-standing track for BSW holders with a 3.0 GPA, completing one 500-hour practicum over two semesters.

• Program page: UNE Online MSW
• Format: 100% online, majority asynchronous, no campus visits; six start dates per year; full-time, part-time, and accelerated options.
• Traditional track: 60 credits; two practicums (generalist ≥400 hours + specialization ≥500 hours, ~900 hours total).
• Advanced standing: 30 credits; one specialization practicum of 500 hours over two semesters; BSW from a CSWE-accredited program (preferably within seven years); GPA 3.0.
• Field education: Students self-select field placements with support from a field planner rather than being agency-matched.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1990 (last reaffirmation 2020); institutionally accredited by NECHE.
• Concentrations: Specialization coursework plus practicum, with an anti-oppression practice emphasis.
• Best for: Students who want maximum start-date flexibility and control over their own field placements in a fully online, no-residency format.

Tuition & Total Cost

UNE Online’s tuition-and-fees table sets the MSW at $1,010 per credit (AY2026-27), the same rate for both tracks. Total-cost estimates add a per-semester General Services Fee ($345) and an annual malpractice fee ($45) at the standard full-time pace.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $60,600 tuition · $64,230 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $30,300 tuition · $32,115 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jennifer O’Neil, Director, School of Social Work & Graduate Programs in Social Work Online; Assistant Professor — clinical practice.
• Dr. Thomas Chalmers McLaughlin, Professor and Co-Director, Social Work Center for Research and Evaluation — applied research and program evaluation.

Description

University of New Hampshire — Online MSW

Durham, NH · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

UNH runs the only fully online MSW in New Hampshire, and it moves fast: eight-week accelerated course blocks and three cohort starts a year push the 62-credit regular track through in about 28 months, or the 35-credit advanced-standing track in 16.

Field education totals 1,100 hours — above the norm — and the R1 department brings genuine research depth in disability and aging, including the Institute on Disability and a graduate certificate in intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The program has held CSWE accreditation continuously since 1973. No GRE is required.

• Program page: University of New Hampshire — MSW
• Format: Fully online, majority asynchronous with some synchronous sessions; 8-week accelerated course blocks; three cohorts a year (year-round admission); advanced-generalist
• Regular track: 62 credits · ~28 months; two two-semester internships
• Advanced standing: 35 credits · 16 months full-time online (fall admission); requires a BSW earned within 5 years and a 3.2 GPA
• Field education: 1,100 total field hours (per the official UNH figure)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited continuously since 1973; UNH holds NECHE institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Advanced Generalist with elective focus areas in health and mental health, addictions and substance use, children/youth/families, and disabilities; graduate certificate in intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Best for: New Hampshire and New England students who want the state’s only fully online MSW, an accelerated block schedule, and disability or aging research strengths

Tuition & Total Cost

UNH bills the online MSW at $800 per credit for New Hampshire residents and $880 for nonresidents, with online students paying a per-semester technology fee in place of campus fees.

The 62-credit track runs about $50,266 in-state or $55,226 out-of-state, and the 35-credit advanced-standing track about $28,424 in-state or $31,224 out-of-state. Rates confirmed on the UNH online graduate tuition page.

• Regular (NH resident): 62 credits · $49,600 tuition · $50,266 TIC
• Regular (non-resident): 62 credits · $54,560 tuition · $55,226 TIC
• Advanced standing (NH resident): 35 credits · $28,000 tuition · $28,424 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 35 credits · $30,800 tuition · $31,224 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Patrick Shannon, Associate Professor, Department Chair, and Online MSW Coordinator — intellectual and developmental disabilities and child welfare; Co-PI of the Center for Professional Excellence in Child Welfare.
• Trish Cox, Clinical Assistant Professor and Online MSW Coordinator — online social work education and field practice.

Description

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Online MSW

Chapel Hill, NC · Public research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #4 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

UNC–Chapel Hill put its top-four-ranked MSW (U.S. News, 2024, tie) fully online in January 2024, built for working students: 62 credits over roughly 32 months of part-time, mostly asynchronous study, with about 1,000 internship hours arranged in your home community and no GRE.

The faculty’s strength is unusually concrete — administrative-data child-welfare research and interpersonal-violence studies — and after the generalist foundation you specialize in Direct Practice or Community, Management & Policy Practice. An online Advanced Standing track launched in 2026 (40 credits, 12 months full-time); note that the dual-degree options remain campus-only.

• Program page: UNC Online MSW
• Format: Fully online; primarily asynchronous coursework with some synchronous components. The first online cohort began January 2024.
• Traditional track: 62 credits; about 32 months part-time (roughly 12–36 months depending on enrollment).
• Advanced standing:
  • 40 credits including an approximately 13-credit summer bridge
  • 12 months full-time or about 20 months part-time, for applicants with a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program (earned within about seven years preferred).
  • Launched 2026.
• Field education: About 1,000 field hours for the traditional track and about 600 for Online Advanced Standing, completed through an internship in the student’s home community.
• Accreditation: Accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Concentrations: A generalist foundation followed by one of two specializations: Direct Practice, or Community, Management & Policy Practice.
• Eligibility & licensure: The GRE is not required. Dual-degree options (MSW/MPH, MSW/JD, MSW/MDiv, MSW/MPA) are available on campus only and cannot be completed online. Licensure requirements vary by state.
• Best for: Working students who want a top-four public MSW fully online, with field placement in their home community and no GRE requirement.

Tuition & Total Cost

UNC bills its online (distance) MSW at $823.01 per credit for North Carolina residents and $1,873.40 per credit for non-residents in 2026–27, plus a $29.42-per-credit distance-education fee and a $300 practicum fee for each term a student is placed in the field.

For residents the 62-credit program runs about $54,350 all-in and the 40-credit advanced-standing track about $35,000; non-residents pay roughly $119,475 and $77,013. Rates confirmed on the UNC University Cashier tuition and fees schedule.

• Traditional: 62 credits · $51,027 (resident) / $116,151 (non-resident) tuition · ≈$54,350 (resident) / ≈$119,475 (non-resident) TIC
• Advanced standing: 40 credits · $32,920 (resident) / $74,936 (non-resident) tuition · ≈$35,000 (resident) / ≈$77,013 (non-resident) TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Emily Putnam-Hornstein, John A. Tate Distinguished Professor for Children in Need — child welfare and linked administrative-data research.
• Dr. Mimi V. Chapman, Frank A. Daniels Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Doctoral Education — adolescent well-being and immigrant families.
• Dr. Cynthia Fraga Rizo, Associate Professor — interpersonal violence, including intimate partner violence and human trafficking.

Description

University of Northern Iowa — Online Hybrid MSW

Cedar Falls, IA · Public regional university · CSWE-accredited

The University of Northern Iowa publishes the number most programs won’t: a 95.5% ASWB licensure-exam pass rate, backed by a roughly 9:1 student-faculty ratio. Its Trauma-Informed Care specialization has been the only one of its kind in Iowa since 2014, and every student pays the same flat tuition regardless of residency.

The trade-off is format: the hybrid program alternates on-campus and online weeks with Tuesday and Thursday evening sessions, so it realistically serves Iowa and bordering states. A 60-credit foundation track and a 37-credit advanced-standing track (June start, one calendar year) are available.

• Program page: UNI Online — Master of Social Work
• Format: Hybrid — alternates on-campus and online every other week, with Tuesday/Thursday 6–9 p.m. CST video sessions; Trauma-Informed Care specialization
• Foundation track: 60 credits · ~3.5 years
• Advanced standing: 37 credits · one calendar year (June–May), summer start
• Field education: 900+ field hours (foundation)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 2002 (online since 2018); UNI holds HLC institutional accreditation; published 95.5% ASWB pass rate and ~9:1 student-faculty ratio
• Restriction & eligibility note: A regional program serving Iowa and bordering states, with weekday-evening synchronous sessions
• Best for: Students within Iowa and neighboring states who want a trauma-focused specialization, small classes, and a strong published pass rate

Tuition & Total Cost

Every student pays the same flat rate regardless of location: $604 per credit for 2026-27. With the technology, graduate-publication, and records fees added, the 60-credit foundation track totals about $37,413 per the program’s published cost schedule.

The 37-credit advanced-standing track works out to about $21,682 in tuition and roughly $22,200 all-in at that same $586-per-credit rate; the program’s advanced-standing cost page still displays 2023-24 tuition, so treat the total as a current-rate estimate.

Rates confirmed on the UNI Online & Distance Education MSW cost breakdown.

• Foundation: 60 credits · $35,160 tuition · $36,337 TIC
• Advanced standing: 37 credits · $21,682 tuition · ≈$22,200 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Katherine S. van Wormer, Professor Emerita — a prolific author on human behavior and the social environment, addiction treatment from a strengths perspective, and restorative justice.
• Dr. Jaimie L. O’Gara, Assistant Professor — nonresident father involvement, co-parenting, and paternal economic hardship among racially and ethnically diverse fathers.

Description

University of Pittsburgh — Online MSW

Pittsburgh, PA · Public research university (R1; AAU) · CSWE-accredited · #12 (tie) in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Pitt’s School of Social Work — founded in 1918 as the first U.S. program in community organization, now ranked #12 (tie) by U.S. News (2024) — runs its online MSW fully asynchronous and deliberately part-time: about six credits per term over ten terms, roughly 3.5 years, with no GRE and no live class times to juggle.

Every online student pays the Pennsylvania in-state rate regardless of residency, field runs 1,080 hours placed in your own community, and the online specialization is Direct Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups, with optional certificates in mental health, integrated healthcare, gerontology, and children, youth and families.

• Program page: University of Pittsburgh Online MSW
• Format:
  • Fully online and asynchronous;
  • Part-time only for non-advanced-standing students (~6 credits/term over 10 consecutive terms, ~3.5 years; 4-year completion limit).
  • No entrance exam (GRE not required).
• Traditional track: 60 credits — 42 coursework plus 18 practicum.
• Advanced standing:
  • Minimum 39 credits (up to 21 credits granted);
  • Full-time 12- or 16-month or part-time over 6 consecutive semesters.
  • Requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program earned within 10 years with B+ grades.
• Field education:
  • 1,080 hours on the traditional track — a 360-hour foundation practicum (year one) plus a 720-hour concentration practicum (year two)
  • Advanced-standing students complete the 720-hour concentration practicum.
  • Online students are placed in their local communities, and a current workplace may qualify.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (Board of Accreditation).
• Concentrations: Online specialization: Direct Practice with Individuals, Families & Groups. Optional certificates: Children, Youth & Families; Integrated Healthcare; Mental Health; Gerontology.
• Tuition eligibility: All online students are charged the Pennsylvania in-state part-time rate regardless of state of residence.
• Best for: Working students who want an asynchronous, part-time online MSW from a top-tier research university with locally arranged field placement.

Tuition & Total Cost

Pitt bills its online MSW at $1,216 per credit (2026-27), and every online student pays that in-state rate no matter where they live, so the 60-credit track is $72,960 in tuition and the 39-credit advanced-standing track is $47,424.

Adding the $112 per-term computing and network services fee brings the all-in cost to roughly $74,080 and $48,208. Rates confirmed on the Pitt MSW tuition and financial aid page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $72,960 tuition · $74,080 TIC
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · $47,424 tuition · $48,208 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Kyaien O. Conner, Donald M. Henderson Endowed Chair and Director, Center on Race and Social Problems (named dean in 2026) — mental-health service disparities among older Black adults.
• Dr. Shaun M. Eack, James and Noel Browne Endowed Chair; Professor of Social Work and Psychiatry — Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for schizophrenia and autism, with NIH-funded trials.
• Dr. Jaime Booth, Associate Dean for Research and Associate Professor — neighborhoods and Black-youth mental health using ecological momentary assessment.

Description

University of South Florida — Online MSW

Tampa, FL · Public research university (R1; AAU member) · CSWE-accredited

USF’s online MSW keeps clinical training live: coursework meets in synchronous sessions two evenings a week, taught by an NIH- and NIA-funded research faculty at an AAU public university, with no campus visits required. Flat per-credit pricing holds regardless of residency, and a concurrent MSW/MPH pairs the degree with public health.

Plan your calendar honestly before applying — the 900 field hours are completed in person during weekday business hours, which is the constraint that decides whether this program fits a full-time job. The 60-credit traditional track admits any bachelor’s degree; a 35-credit advanced-standing path serves BSW holders.

• Program page: USF Online MSW
• Format:
  • One hundred percent online with no required campus visits, but coursework meets in live-online synchronous sessions two evenings per week
  • Field hours are completed in person and require weekday business-hours availability.
• Traditional track: 60 credits, roughly 8 or more semesters part-time; open to applicants with any bachelor’s degree (non-BSW).
• Advanced standing: 35 credits, 3 semesters full-time or 5 part-time; for BSW holders with a “B-” or better in undergraduate social work courses.
• Field education:
  • 900 hours in the Traditional track, completed in person with weekday business-hours availability
  • Advanced-standing hours are fewer (confirm exact count with the program).
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1983 (first MSW class 1976); institutionally accredited by SACSCOC.
• Concentrations: Clinical social work, with a concurrent MSW/MPH option through the USF College of Public Health.
• Scheduling note: Live evening sessions are synchronous, not asynchronous, and field placements must be scheduled during standard weekday business hours — plan work and caregiving commitments accordingly.
• Best for: Students who want a clinically focused online MSW at an R1 research university and can attend live weeknight sessions while completing field hours during weekday business hours.

Tuition & Total Cost

USF charges a flat $550 per credit for the online MSW regardless of residency, so the 60-credit track totals $33,000 in tuition and the 35-credit advanced-standing track totals $19,250; a one-time $35 new graduate student fee is the only added mandatory charge, putting all-in cost at about $33,035 and $19,285. Rates confirmed on the USF School of Social Work online MSW cost page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $33,000 tuition · $33,035 TIC
• Advanced standing: 35 credits · $19,250 tuition · $19,285 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jerome T. Galea, LCSW, Associate Professor and Online MSW Program Chair — directs the ACCESS Lab; global mental health and implementation science.
• Dr. Nan Sook Park, Professor — aging, social isolation, and minority health disparities; Florida site lead on an NIA-funded R01 on dementia caregiving.
• Dr. Sondra J. Fogel, LCSW, Associate Professor and PhD Program Chair — homelessness, vulnerable populations, and social work education.

Description

University of Southern California — Online MSW

Los Angeles, CA · Private research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

USC’s Suzanne Dworak-Peck School has taught the oldest MSW in the American West since 1920, and the online version through its Virtual Academic Center confers the identical degree — same credential, no asterisk.

Five optional practice tracks (Adult Mental Health; Children & Families; Health; Military & Veterans; Social Change & Innovation) sit atop research infrastructure that includes the Roybal Institute on Aging and dedicated veterans and homelessness centers, and the school arranges your community-based practicum locally.

One hard exclusion to know: the 48-unit curriculum falls short of New York State’s 60-unit licensure requirement, so New York residents are not eligible.

• Program page: USC Online MSW
• Format: Fully online through the Virtual Academic Center; identical degree to the on-campus program, with a community-based practicum arranged locally by the school.
• Traditional track: 48 units; roughly two years, on a four-semester or six-semester schedule.
• Advanced standing: 24 units for BSW holders.
• Field education: Community-based practicum in the student’s local area (CSWE minimum 900 hours).
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by WSCUC.
• Concentrations: Generalist foundation plus five optional tracks — Adult Mental Health; Children & Families; Health; Military & Veterans; Social Change & Innovation — all within the 48 units.
• Licensure note: The 48-unit curriculum does not meet New York State’s 60-unit licensure requirement, so New York residents are not eligible; other state-specific licensure disclosures (including Florida) apply. Verify your state’s rules before enrolling — see USC licensure information.
• Best for: Applicants who want a research-intensive, nationally networked online MSW with a local field placement and flexible pacing.

Tuition & Total Cost

USC bills its online MSW at $2,322 per unit for terms of 1–14 units and a flat $34,823 for terms of 15–18 units, and the rate is the same regardless of residency.

On that basis the 48-unit program totals about $111,442 in tuition, and a one-time $175 technology fee plus roughly $31 per term in mandatory online student fees bring the all-in cost to about $111,741; the 24-unit advanced-standing path runs about $55,965 on the per-unit basis. Rates confirmed on the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck tuition and fees page.

• Traditional: 48 units · $111,442 tuition · $111,741 TIC
• Advanced standing: 24 units · $55,728 tuition · $55,965 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. María P. Aranda, Margaret W. Driscoll/Louise M. Clevenger Professor and executive director of the USC Roybal Institute on Aging — aging, caregiving, and mental health among low-income Latino and minority elders.
• Dr. John D. Clapp, Lenore Stein-Wood and William S. Wood Professor of School Behavioral Health — alcohol and substance-use prevention.
• Dr. Carl A. Castro, professor and director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families — military and veteran transition, health, and mental health.

Description

University of Tennessee, Knoxville — Online MSSW

Knoxville, TN · Public research university (R1; land-grant flagship) · CSWE-accredited · #24 in U.S. News graduate social work rankings (2024)

Tennessee’s online MSSW (equivalent to the MSW) is taught by the same faculty who teach on campus in Knoxville and Nashville — no separate online instructor pool — at a top-25-ranked school (U.S. News, 2024).

What sets it apart is the certificate bench: UT-Knoxville originated Veterinary Social Work nationally, and add-ons extend into trauma treatment, forensic social work, gerontology, and school social work. The 60-hour foundation path runs about $744 per credit hour all-in for residents; a 36-hour advanced-standing track starts each summer.

• Program page: University of Tennessee, Knoxville — MSSW
• Format: Fully online (national) or in-person in Knoxville and Nashville, taught by the same faculty; synchronous afternoon and evening sessions plus asynchronous coursework
• Foundation track: 60 credit hours · 2 years (4 semesters); Extended Study 3–4 years
• Advanced standing: 36 credit hours · 12 months full-time / 18–24 months part-time; summer start; requires a BSW/BSSW with a 2.7 GPA
• Field education: Four semesters of internship (foundation); one advanced-standing placement of 500 hours (AY2026–27)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (degree titled MSSW); UTK holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentrations: Evidence-Based Interpersonal Practice (clinical) and Organizational Leadership (macro); certificates in Veterinary Social Work, Treatment of Trauma, Forensic Social Work, Gerontology, and School Social Work
• Best for: Students who want a top-25-ranked flagship program, identical online and on-campus faculty, and distinctive trauma, forensic, or veterinary social work certificates

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on the in-state maintenance rate of $639 per credit hour plus $100 per hour in online program support and a $5 per-hour library fee — $744 per hour all-in — from the UT One Stop graduate online fee schedule; out-of-state students pay about $75 more per hour. TIC is shown as a single figure because the online program fees are included.

• Foundation — TN resident: 60 credits · $38,340 tuition · $44,640 TIC
• Foundation — non-resident: 60 credits · $42,840 tuition · $49,140 TIC
• Advanced standing — TN resident: 36 credits · $23,004 tuition · $26,784 TIC

Advanced standing — non-resident: 36 credits · $25,704 tuition · $29,484 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Bridget Freisthler, Cooper-Herron Endowed Professor in Mental Health — substance-use problems, opioid overdose, and child abuse and neglect tied to parental substance misuse; PI of the Ohio research site of the HEALing Communities Study.
• Dr. Doug Coatsworth, Betsey R. Bush Endowed Professor and Associate Dean for Research — prevention science and positive youth and family development.

Description

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley — Online MSW

Edinburg, TX · Public · Hispanic-Serving Institution · CSWE-accredited

If you plan to practice with Latino individuals, families, and communities — bilingually or biculturally — UTRGV built its fully online MSSW (equivalent to the MSW) around exactly that: a Direct Practice with Latino Individuals, Families & Groups clinical concentration alongside a Community Practice & Administration macro track, taught by faculty whose research centers on those communities.

Texas residents pay about $30,490 total (tuition and mandatory fees), and UTRGV posts one of the lowest median graduate-debt figures among ranked Texas schools at $12,950. A 30-credit advanced-standing track can finish in about 12 months.

• Program page: UTRGV — Master of Science in Social Work
• Format: 100% online (Accelerated Online Program since 2017), no campus visits; degree formally titled the MSSW; concentrations in Direct/Micro Practice with Latino Individuals, Families & Groups (clinical) and Community Practice & Administration (macro)
• Regular track: 60–63 credits · ~2–3 years; confirm the current credit total on the official catalog
• Advanced standing: 30–33 credits · ~12 months; BSW from a CSWE-accredited program required
• Field education: 900 hours (regular) or 500 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited at the BSW and MSW levels; UTRGV holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Eligibility note: Some sources list a GRE requirement; confirm current admissions requirements on the official program page.
• Best for: Value-focused students, especially those preparing for bicultural or bilingual practice with Latino communities in South Texas

Tuition & Total Cost

Texas based students receive the benefit of having a per-semester Texas resident tuition cap, making the program much more affordable for in-state students with a per credit rate of $402.80. UTRGV has rolling tuition pricing for non-Texas residents, so out of state students should be sure to confirm their expected credit hours with the UTRGV UCentral tuition page. 

• Regular (TX resident): 60 credits · $24,168 tuition · $30,490 TIC
• Regular (non-resident): 60 credits · ~$49,848 tuition · ~$56,170 TIC
• Advanced standing (TX resident): 30 credits · $12,084 tuition · $15,245 TIC
• Advanced standing (non-resident): 30 credits · ~$24,924 tuition · ~$28,085 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. John Gonzalez, Interim Chair and Professor — older Latinos and mental-health services, and aging in Latino communities (PhD, UT-Austin).
• Dr. Luis R. Torres-Hostos, Professor and Founding Dean — global mental health and U.S.–Mexico binational research collaborations.

Description

University of Utah — Online MSW

Salt Lake City, UT · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

Funding is the University of Utah’s real differentiator: more than 40 graduate assistantships cover half of tuition and add a $12,000 stipend, an unusually deep bench for an online MSW, with Title IV-E child-welfare funding on top.

The flagship R1 program runs largely asynchronously through UOnline with a Mental Health area of focus, placing you locally across 500+ partner agencies. A 45-credit advanced-standing track starts each summer; the three-year part-time online cohort admits only once every three years (next in Fall 2026), so timing matters if that’s your plan.

• Program page: University of Utah UOnline — Master of Social Work
• Format: Online via UOnline; largely asynchronous with occasional synchronous sessions; local field placements
• Regular track: 60 credits · two-year, or a three-year part-time cohort admitted only every three years (next Fall 2026)
• Advanced standing: 45 credits · ~1 year, summer start; requires a BSW earned within the past 7 years
• Field education: ~900 hours (CSWE standard) across 500+ social-service agency partners; Title IV-E track available
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; Utah holds NWCCU institutional accreditation and is an R1 university ranked among the top 50 nationally
• Restriction & eligibility note: The online program’s area of focus is limited to Mental Health; the three-year online cohort admits only once every three years
• Best for: Students who want a flagship R1 research program with strong assistantship funding and flexible 45- or 60-credit tracks

Tuition & Total Cost

At $641.96 per credit for residents and nonresidents alike, the two-year 60-credit track runs about $38,518 all-in and the 45-credit advanced-standing track about $28,888; because this is an all-online program, no separate mandatory student fees are charged. Rates confirmed on the University of Utah UOnline Social Work tuition schedule.

• Two-year standard: 60 credits · $38,518 tuition · $38,518 TIC
• Advanced standing: 45 credits · $28,888 tuition · $28,888 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Philip Osteen, Professor and Dean; University Chief Behavioral Health Officer — suicide intervention and prevention, mental health, and psychometrics.
• Dr. Emily Salisbury, Associate Professor and Director of the Utah Criminal Justice Center — justice-involved women and girls, and gender- and trauma-responsive correctional practice.
• Dr. Sarah Canham, Professor — environments and aging, homelessness among older adults, and social determinants of health.

Description

Valdosta State University — Online Hybrid MSW

Valdosta, GA · Public (University System of Georgia) · CSWE-accredited

If you live in Georgia and want the cheapest realistic path to an LMSW or LCSW license, Valdosta State’s CSWE-accredited MSW is the price floor: about $17,670 total for the 60-credit traditional track at $270 per credit for residents.

The format is built for people who already work full time — coursework runs online, with five weekend intensives per semester (Friday evening plus all-day Saturday).

Field education places you across 125+ partner agencies, including Georgia CARE-NET and the department’s own dementia and caregiver-care program, and a 33-credit advanced-standing track cuts the degree to about a year if your BSW is less than five years old.

• Program page: Valdosta State MSW — Department of Social Work
• Format: Hybrid — online coursework plus 5 weekend intensives per semester; advanced-generalist curriculum
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2- or 3-year plans
• Advanced standing: 33 credits · ~1 year, one practicum; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years from a CSWE-accredited program
• Field education: Two year-long practicums (traditional) or one (advanced standing) across 125+ partner agencies, including Georgia CARE-NET and My Friend’s House, the department-run dementia and caregiver-care program
• Accreditation: Fully accredited by CSWE (reaffirmation cycle 2023–25); Valdosta State holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation
• Priority deadline: January 14, 2027 (firm)
• Best for: Georgia residents seeking the lowest-cost accredited path, and full-time workers who need a weekend-intensive schedule

Tuition & Total Cost

Based on $270 per credit for Georgia residents plus the $442 online learning fee and $60-per-semester field fee. Confirm current rates on the VSU cost and financial aid page.

• Traditional — GA resident: 60 credits · ≈$17,670 est. total cost (TIC)
• Traditional — non-resident: 60 credits · ≈$35,034 est. total cost (TIC)
• Advanced standing — GA resident: 33 credits · ≈$9,700 est. total cost (TIC)

Key Faculty

• Dr. Hanae Kanno, Associate Professor — trauma and secondary traumatic stress in mental-health professionals; author of “Hidden Trauma Victims” (Social Work in Mental Health, 2017); 80+ international presentations

Description

Virginia Commonwealth University — Online MSW

Richmond, VA · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

VCU’s social work school dates to 1917, and its online MSW is excellent for students looking for research opportunities. At VCU’s online MSW,  students can join funded research assistantships alongside faculty working in severe mental illness, substance-use genetics, and maternal mental health.

You choose a Clinical or Macro concentration and complete roughly 1,050 field hours — but placements run only through agencies in Virginia or the D.C. metro, which effectively defines who this program is for. Coursework blends synchronous and asynchronous formats with limited campus visits.

The 60-credit regular track runs two years full-time; the 42-credit advanced-standing track compresses into three continuous semesters.

• Program page: VCU School of Social Work — MSW program options
• Format: Blended live-online and asynchronous coursework, cohort-based (about 3 live online sessions per course each semester); concentrations in Clinical Social Work Practice and Macro Social Work Practice
• Regular track: 60 credits · 2 years full-time / 4 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 42 credits (12 bridge + 30 concentration) · 1 year over 3 continuous semesters, full-time only; requires a BSW earned within the past 5 years and a 3.0 GPA
• Field education: Approximately 1,050 hours
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (reaffirmation cycle); VCU holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Restriction & eligibility note: Field placements can be completed only through community agencies in Virginia or the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
• Best for: Virginia and D.C.-area students who want a historic, research-intensive program with a clear clinical or macro concentration

Tuition & Total Cost

In-state tuition is $634 per credit and out-of-state $750, and every online student also pays a $100-per-credit program fee, so the 60-credit track runs about $44,040 in-state (about $51,000 out-of-state) and the 42-credit advanced-standing track about $30,828 in-state (about $35,700 out-of-state). Rates confirmed on the VCU online M.S.W. tuition and financial aid page.

• Regular (in-state): 60 credits · $38,040 tuition · $44,040 TIC
• Regular (out-of-state): 60 credits · $45,000 tuition · $51,000 TIC
• Advanced standing (in-state): 42 credits · $26,628 tuition · $30,828 TIC
• Advanced standing (out-of-state): 42 credits · $31,500 tuition · $35,700 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Gary S. Cuddeback, Dean and Professor — severe mental illness, mental-health services, and the intersection of mental health and the criminal-legal system.
• Dr. Karen G. Chartier, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Research on Behavioral & Emotional Health — substance-use disorders and genetics in diverse populations; leads the “Spit for Science” initiative.

Description

Walden University — Online MSW

Minneapolis, MN · Private (for-profit; Adtalem Global Education) · CSWE-accredited

Walden was among the first online MSW programs to earn CSWE accreditation, in 2013, and it remains built for working adults who need pacing options: Traditional, Traditional Fast Track, and Advanced Standing tracks all run fully online on a quarter-credit system, with asynchronous coursework, a weekly live field seminar, and two immersive Skills Labs.

Clinical focus areas cover addictions, child and family welfare, and healthcare social work. Because Walden is a for-profit institution that makes no licensure guarantee, confirm with your state board that the degree meets your licensure requirements before enrolling — portability rules vary by state.

• Program page: Walden University — Master of Social Work
• Format: 100% online, asynchronous, plus a weekly live field seminar and two immersive Skills Labs; quarter-credit system; Traditional, Traditional Fast Track, and Advanced Standing options
• Traditional track: ~92 quarter-credits · ~2 years full-time / ~3 years part-time
• Advanced standing: 52–57 quarter-credits; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program
• Field education: Supervised field practicum arranged locally (CSWE requirements apply); confirm exact hours with the program
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (MSW since 2013 — among the first online MSWs accredited); Walden holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Concentrations: Generalist with clinical focus areas: addictions; family, child, and juvenile-justice systems; medical and healthcare social work
• Restriction & eligibility note: For-profit institution; Walden disclaims licensure guarantees, which vary by state, so applicants should confirm portability with their state board; the quarter-credit basis is not directly comparable to semester programs
• Best for: Working adults who need maximum scheduling flexibility and multiple pacing options, and who have checked licensure portability for their state

Tuition & Total Cost

Walden’s MSW is billed at $570 per quarter credit hour (rates effective on or after February 2026) plus a $185 per-quarter program fee; at a standard full-time pace the roughly 92-quarter-credit traditional track runs about $54,290 and the 52-quarter-credit advanced-standing track about $30,750, before books.

Because the program is quarter-based, these figures are not directly comparable with semester programs. Rates confirmed in the Walden University student handbook.

• Traditional: 92 qtr credits · $52,440 tuition · $54,290 TIC
• Advanced standing: 52 qtr credits · $29,640 tuition · $30,750 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Nicole Cavanagh, MSW Field Director and Core Faculty — field education and clinical supervision; dually licensed (LISW-AP/CP).
• Donna McElveen, Director of Field Education, MSW Program — field-education administration and placement.

Description

West Virginia University — Online MSW

Morgantown, WV · Public research university (R1) · CSWE-accredited

If rural behavioral health is where you’re headed, West Virginia University built its online MSW for that work: an Appalachian integrated-behavioral-health mission, a dedicated Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Training program, and digital-literacy training woven throughout — skills telehealth-era practice actually demands.

Every online student pays the in-state rate of about $676 a credit, and the program has held CSWE accreditation since 1942. The 60-credit regular track runs part-time over three years; the 36-credit advanced-standing track adds a new 12-month full-time online option for 2026. No GRE (2.75 GPA minimum, 3.0 preferred).

• Program page: WVU — Online MSW Program
• Format: Online (regular track part-time only) plus on-campus options; rural service-delivery emphasis with digital literacy integrated throughout
• Regular track: 60 credits · 3 years (online, part-time)
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · 2 years part-time, or a new-for-2026 pilot 12-month full-time online option (summer admission); requires a BSW earned within the past 8 years
• Field education: 900 hours (300 generalist + 600 advanced) or 600 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited since 1942 — one of the longest-standing programs; WVU holds HLC institutional accreditation; no GRE (2.75 GPA required, 3.0 preferred)
• Best for: Students drawn to rural and Appalachian integrated behavioral health who want flat in-state tuition regardless of residency

Tuition & Total Cost

The online social work program charges an all-in $768 per credit hour — $616 university tuition, $52 college tuition, and a $100 online learning fee — at the same rate regardless of residency, so the 60-credit track totals about $46,080 and the 36-credit advanced-standing track about $27,648. Rates confirmed on the WVU tuition schedule for Morgantown online programs.

• Regular: 60 credits · $46,080 tuition · $46,080 TIC
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · $27,648 tuition · $27,648 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Carrie W. Rishel, Professor and Director of the PhD Program and the Rural Integrated Behavioral Health Training program — child and adolescent behavioral health, prevention-focused and trauma-informed practice, and integrated rural service delivery.
• Dr. Kristina M. Hash, Professor — rural aging and gerontology; author of “Aging in Rural Places” (2015) and “Photography in Social Work and Social Change” (2022).

Description

Western Kentucky University — Online MSW

Bowling Green, KY · Public regional university · CSWE-accredited

Western Kentucky University aims its online MSW at one workforce gap — staffing rural Kentucky — through an advanced-generalist curriculum with a rural social work practice specialization. Classes meet live on Zoom in Tuesday/Thursday evening cohorts, which gives you a real classroom community online but rules out anytime-anywhere study; the mandatory orientation is held online via Zoom.

Tuition runs a flat $707 a credit regardless of residency. The 60-hour traditional track takes about three part-time years; BSW holders with a 3.0 GPA can finish the 30-credit advanced-standing track in roughly a year. No GRE.

• Program page: WKU — Department of Social Work
• Format: Online via synchronous Zoom cohorts (sessions Tuesday or Thursday); mandatory orientation held online (a separate hybrid track meets on the Bowling Green campus); not fully asynchronous
• Traditional track: 60 credit hours · ~3 years part-time (online)
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · ~1 year full-time; requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within 7 years and a 3.0 GPA (2.75–2.99 by interview)
• Field education: ~900 hours (traditional) or ~500 hours (advanced standing)
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (aligned to the 2022 EPAS); WKU holds SACSCOC institutional accreditation; no GRE
• Concentration: Advanced Generalist with a rural social work practice focus
• Restriction & eligibility note: Online classes meet synchronously on weeknight evenings via Zoom, so the program is not fully asynchronous
• Best for: Students focused on rural practice who want a synchronous cohort community and a flat per-credit rate regardless of residency

Tuition & Total Cost

At WKU’s distance-learning graduate rate of $707 per credit hour, charged the same regardless of residency and with the campus athletic, student-center, union, and parking fees waived for fully online students, the 60-credit track totals about $42,420 and the 30-credit advanced-standing track about $21,210. Rates confirmed on the WKU graduate financial information page.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $42,420 tuition · $42,420 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $21,210 tuition · $21,210 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Erin Warfel, Assistant Professor, MSW Program Director, and MSW Online Coordinator — children’s mental health, juvenile justice, and therapeutic foster care; Research Fellow, LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education & Research.
• Dr. Austin Griffiths, Associate Professor, MSW Program — child-welfare workforce and rural practice (PhD, University of Kentucky).
• Dr. Dana Sullivan, Professor, MSW Program (PhD, University of Louisville).

Description

Western New Mexico University — Online MSW

Silver City, NM · Public · Hispanic-Serving Institution · CSWE-accredited

If self-paced modules feel isolating, Western New Mexico University is one of the few budget-priced online MSW programs taught entirely through live videoconference classes, at about $343.96 per credit for New Mexico residents.

The advanced-generalist curriculum leans hard into rural and frontier practice, with electives you will rarely find elsewhere: human trafficking, military families, eco-social work, and outdoor behavioral healthcare.

New Mexico students headed for child-welfare careers can apply for Title IV-E stipends through NM CYFD, and a 39-credit advanced-standing track accepts a BSW earned within the past eight years.

• Program page: WNMU School of Social Work — MSW
• Format: 100% online via synchronous (live) videoconferencing; small classes; advanced-generalist curriculum
• Traditional track: 60 credits · 2–3 years
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · 12–18 months; requires a BSW earned within the past 8 years
• Field education: 900 clock hours traditional (four practicums) or 450 hours advanced standing; students identify their own local placement (supervisor must hold a CSWE-accredited MSW with 2+ years of experience) — faculty travel to placements within New Mexico
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited (initial accreditation 2013, reaffirmed for 8 years in June 2025); WNMU holds HLC institutional accreditation
• Transfer note: Up to one-third of credits may transfer in; SWK 501 is required for New Mexico licensure
• Best for: Students who want live online classes at a low sticker price, and those aiming at rural or frontier practice

Tuition & Total Cost

At $343.96 per credit in combined graduate tuition and fees for New Mexico residents, plus roughly $50 per credit in online course and social work program fees, the 60-credit MSW runs about $23,638 and the 39-credit advanced-standing track about $15,364. Rates confirmed on the WNMU tuition and fees schedule.

• Traditional — NM resident: 60 credits · $20,638 tuition · $23,638 TIC
• Traditional — non-resident: 60 credits · $26,255 tuition · $29,255 TIC
• Advanced standing — NM resident: 39 credits · $13,414 tuition · $15,364 TIC
• Advanced standing — non-resident: 39 credits · $17,066 tuition · $19,016 TIC

Key Faculty

• Yesenia Acosta (LCSW, CCM), Associate Professor — case management and clinical practice

Description

Widener University — Online MSW

Chester, PA · Private nonprofit · CSWE-accredited

Career-changers are Widener’s core audience: the 57-credit regular track admits students from any bachelor’s field, runs fully online with no residency, and starts in January, May, or August.

The curriculum is trauma-informed throughout, with paths you won’t find at most competitors — a trauma-recovery certificate, a social work / human sexuality dual degree, and a dual MSW/MEd. At $1,020 per credit the full track totals $58,140, with a 36-credit advanced-standing option for BSW holders (3.3 GPA, earned within six years).

Widener participates in Yellow Ribbon, and select on-campus advanced-standing graduates pursuing Pennsylvania licensure can access no-cost clinical supervision.

• Program page: Widener University Online MSW
• Format: 100% online, no residency; asynchronous, with a trauma-informed emphasis. Three start dates (January, May, August). An on-campus option is also available.
• Traditional track: Regular Standing = 57 credits (19 courses); about three years; bachelor’s in any field; GPA 3.0 (conditional admission if lower); up to 9 transfer credits.
• Advanced standing: 36 credits (waives 7 courses); about two years; BSW from a CSWE-accredited program within six years; GPA 3.3.
• Field education: Two field placements on the regular track.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by MSCHE. No GRE required.
• Concentrations: Generalist or clinical track with a trauma-recovery emphasis; distinctive trauma-recovery certificate, social work / human sexuality dual degree, and dual MSW/MEd.
• Licensure note: Select on-campus advanced-standing graduates pursuing Pennsylvania licensure can access no-cost clinical supervision.
• Best for: Career-changers from any bachelor’s background who want an affordable, no-residency online MSW with a trauma focus.

Tuition & Total Cost

Widener’s online MSW is $1,020 per credit at a flat rate regardless of residency, so the 57-credit Regular Standing track totals about $58,140 in tuition and the 36-credit Advanced Standing track about $36,720.

A $50 per-semester fee adds a few hundred dollars across the program, bringing the all-in cost to roughly $58,490 and $36,920 respectively. Rates confirmed on the Widener online MSW tuition page.

• Regular Standing: 57 credits · $58,140 tuition · $58,490 TIC
• Advanced standing: 36 credits · $36,720 tuition · $36,920 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Jennifer Cullen, Director, Center for Social Work Education — leads the BSW, MSW, and PhD programs.
• Dr. Marina Barnett, Associate Professor and Assistant Provost for Civic Engagement — community-participatory research.

Description

Winthrop University — Online MSW

Rock Hill, SC · Public regional university · CSWE-accredited

Winthrop refuses to make you choose micro or macro on day one: its single Empowerment Practice concentration spans individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations, so the decision can wait until you’ve actually done the work.

The program reports licensure-exam pass rates above the national average for two consecutive years, and courses run fully asynchronous in seven-week terms with August, January, or May starts. At $699 per credit regardless of residency, the 60-credit track totals about $41,940, with a 39-credit Advanced Standing path for BSW holders and 930 field hours on the traditional route.

• Program page: Winthrop — Online MSW
• Format: 100% online and asynchronous in 7-week terms; August, January, or May start dates. Campus and weekend-cohort formats also available.
• Traditional track: 60 credits · about 3 years part-time · 930 field hours.
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · about 2 years part-time (or 1 year full-time on campus, May start) · 600 practicum hours. Requires a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Field education: 930 hours (Traditional) or 600 hours (Advanced Standing).
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; institutionally accredited by SACSCOC.
• Concentrations: Single advanced concentration — Empowerment Practice — across individuals, families, small groups, communities, and organizations.
• Licensure note: Winthrop reports MSW licensure-exam pass rates above the national average for two consecutive years (program-reported).
• Best for: Cost-conscious students who want an affordable, fully online South Carolina public MSW with flexible start dates.

Tuition & Total Cost

Winthrop charges $699 per credit for the online MSW at a single rate for all online students regardless of residency, so the 60-credit Traditional track runs about $41,940 and the 39-credit Advanced Standing track about $27,261.

Winthrop does not bill online students the on-campus fees that residential students pay, so tuition is effectively the all-in cost, apart from a $75-per-semester library fee. Rate confirmed on the Winthrop online MSW FAQ.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $41,940 tuition · $41,940 TIC
• Advanced standing: 39 credits · $27,261 tuition · $27,261 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Anthony J. Hill, Chair and graduate program director; Professor — financial social work and adolescent resilience.
• Dr. Sara English, Associate Professor and Gerontology program director — aging and long-term-care relationships.
• Dr. Kori Bloomquist, Associate Professor — recipient of the 2024 Jane LaRoche Graduate Faculty Award.

Description

Yeshiva University (Wurzweiler) — Online MSW

New York, NY · Private (Jewish-sponsored, nonsectarian) university · CSWE-accredited

Wurzweiler lets you set the dial on format rather than picking it for you: fully asynchronous, live virtual classes, or a blend, full- or part-time, across a 60-credit curriculum at $1,250 per credit.

The school describes its group-work major as the only one in the country — a real differentiator if group practice is your direction — and adds embedded certificates in Gerontology & Palliative Care and CASAC substance-abuse counseling, drawing on more than 66 years of Jewish communal-service tradition.

New online students may qualify for a degree-completion scholarship of up to 10%, and a 30-credit advanced-standing track serves recent BSW graduates. No GRE.

• Program page: Wurzweiler MSW
• Format: Flexible online—fully asynchronous, live virtual classes, or a blend; also on-campus. Full- and part-time, with summer start blocks (June/July).
• Traditional track: 60 credits; about 2 years full-time at two courses per term, or up to 5 years part-time at one course per term.
• Advanced standing: 30 credits of concentration coursework, roughly 1–1.5 years; requires a BSW from a CSWE- or CASWE-accredited program within the past 5 years. Confirm the current minimum GPA (commonly cited as 3.0) directly with the school.
• Accreditation: CSWE-accredited; the university is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
• Concentrations: Clinical practice and social justice, with a distinctive group-work major and a Jewish communal-service heritage. Optional embedded certificates: Gerontology & Palliative Care, and CASAC (substance-abuse counseling).
• Admissions note: No GRE required. New online students may qualify for a degree-completion scholarship of up to 10%.
• Best for: Students who want schedule flexibility (asynchronous, live, or blended), a group-work specialization, or the school’s Jewish communal-service tradition.

Tuition & Total Cost

Wurzweiler tuition is billed at $1,250 per credit under Yeshiva’s official graduate fee schedule, plus a $135 registration fee and a $150 graduation fee, so the 60-credit track totals about $75,285 and the 30-credit advanced-standing track about $37,785. Because those fees are charged per semester, part-time students pacing over more terms may pay slightly more.

• Traditional: 60 credits · $75,000 tuition · $75,285 TIC
• Advanced standing: 30 credits · $37,500 tuition · $37,785 TIC

Key Faculty

• Dr. Hanni Flaherty, Assistant Professor — clinical social work and text-based/tele-mental-health psychotherapy.
• Dr. Nancy L. Beckerman, Professor — trauma-informed therapy, medical social work, and HIV/AIDS.