Best Online Social Work Master’s Programs of 2026

Why We Chose It: Columbia's online program offers four method specializations and seven field-of-practice concentrations.

Online Columbia University MSW students must choose one of four method specializations and one of seven field-of-practice concentrations. The method of specialization refers to the kind of social work skillset you want to develop, such as clinical social work, while the fields of practice refer to the domain you want to work in after graduation, such as children and families. 

The four method specialization options are advanced clinical practice, integrated practice, policy, and management for social justice. While a student's specialization can help them develop skills in a particular area, they are also welcome to take classes in other concentrations per Columbia's cross-disciplinary approach.

Columbia's field of practice options are aging, contemporary social issues, children's services, school-based services, international social welfare, workplace services, and health and mental health services. The fields of practice target the types of clients students may want to work with after graduating. 

What We Like About Columbia

• Columbia offers six program pathways, including a one-year residency program for working professionals and a transfer pathway. 
• Online students have the opportunity to conduct research in conjunction with Columbia's 16 research centers and programs. 
• Ninety-six percent of Columbia's online MSW graduates are employed after graduation. An additional 2% pursue further education. 

What We Don't Like

• Columbia's MSW program is the most expensive in this ranking, with a cost of approximately $2,000 per credit. 
• A summary of professional experience is required for admission to the MSW program. 
• Start dates vary depending on the program pathway a student chooses.

Why We Chose It: UGA charges the lowest per-credit tuition on this list and offers 15 scholarships.

The University of Georgia's online master's in social work program costs just $645 per credit hour, making it one of the cheapest online master's programs for students. While the University of Oklahoma charges the same per credit rate, Georgia does not require students to pay an online course fee. UGA Online does not charge a higher tuition rate for out-of-state students, making it a significantly more affordable option for non-Georgia residents who would typically have to pay $1,287 per credit hour for an in-person MSW degree. 

UGA's School of Social Work also offers 15 scholarships that are available to MSW students. While some of these scholarships are only available to select student groups — such as single-parent students or students within the macro practice specialization — most are available to all MSW students. 

What We Like About UGA

• UGA's MSW program is taught by on-campus faculty, ensuring that distance learners receive the same high-quality education as in-person students. 
• UGA's cohort model means students work their way through the program as a group, allowing more opportunities for connection among peers. 
• The only in-person component is the 16-credit-hour field practicum, which qualifies students to be licensed social workers in Georgia after graduation. 

What We Don't Like

• UGA's MSW application requires a personal statement and three letters of recommendation. 
• Elective courses are only available during the summer semester under UGA's recommended course schedule. 

Why We Chose It: Michigan offers individualized supports to help online students secure required field placements.

The University of Michigan's MSW program goes above and beyond what most programs provide to help students secure field placements, also known as practicum experiences. To become a licensed social worker, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) requires MSW students to complete at least 900 hours of supervised field education. Michigan's Office of Field Education supports students in securing field placements, working with online students to identify six potential sites in their area. The office also requires all fieldwork sites to agree to “support the assignment of students without discrimination," especially for LGBTQ+ students. 

Michigan also offers seminars and an advanced field education course to supplement a student's practicum experience. In SW691, for example, students work with their field instructor to engage in tasks that bridge classroom learning with hands-on experience.

What We Like About U-M

• Full-time students taking 14-16 credits each semester can complete the program in just three semesters. 
• Michigan offers two online social work certificate programs: Social Work Essentials and MasterTrack Certificate.
• Michigan's School of Social Work has a database of over 100 grants and scholarships that social work students may qualify for. 

What We Don't Like

• Michigan's MSW program is the most expensive among the four public universities in this ranking, with in-state tuition exceeding $1,000 per credit hour. 
• Michigan requires two hours of synchronous learning each week, which means students must log in at a set time. 

Why We Chose It: UNC's community, management, and policy practice concentration prepares students for nonclinical work.

UNC Chapel Hill's online MSW program has students choose between two concentrations: the community, management, and policy practice concentration (CMPP) and the direct practice concentration (DP). While most MSW programs focus on clinical practice, the CMPP concentration prepares students for work in administration, management, community, and policy practice. 

Online MSW students first complete 29 credits of the generalist curriculum. Then, they proceed to 33 credit hours of specialized courses, which may include the CMPP concentration. Classes include Implementing Evidence-Informed Practice with Organizations and Communities and Interorganizational and Community-Level Theory and Practice. Students must complete a 12-credit specialized practicum at this stage of the program, which requires their field experience to be related to their CMPP concentration.

What We Like About UNC Chapel Hill

• Online students are assigned a student success coach and a practicum education faculty advisor to support their educational journey. 
• UNC offers an Advanced Standing track designed for students interested in serving rural communities, particularly in eastern or western regions of North Carolina. 
• UNC's 80% completion rate among low-income students is the highest among all ranked institutions. 

What We Don't Like

• UNC does not accept credit for prior learning (CPL); only transfer credits from approved graduate-level courses are accepted. 
• UNC charges a $300 practicum education fee for each semester a student is registered for their practicum placement. 

Why We Chose It: Students who have graduated with a BSW can complete OU's MSW program in just 15 months.

The University of Oklahoma's online MSW program can be completed in as few as 15 months. Students who graduated with a bachelor's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) are eligible to enroll in OU's Advanced Standing track. If accepted, students will only need to complete 33 credit hours across 10 courses to graduate, rather than the standard 60 credit hours across courses for non-BSW graduates. 

At an accelerated pace, students in the Advanced Standing track take three courses per semester, including one 16-week course and two consecutive eight-week courses. Advanced Standing students won't have to complete foundational social work courses and can avoid six credit hours of practicum experience. This accelerated track is the same $645 per credit hour as the standard track. 

What We Like About OU

• OU also offers an accelerated option for the standard 60-credit MSW program, which can be completed in as few as 30 months. 
• Students can start the Advanced Standing track in the fall, spring, or summer. 
• OU employs two coordinators on the Field Education team who are dedicated to helping online students find field placements near their residences. 

What We Don't Like

• The standard 60-credit MSW program only has start dates in the fall and spring semesters, while the Advanced Standing track also offers a summer start date. 
• All courses include synchronous live sessions, which require students to log on at a set time.