Arkansas has 3 CSWE-accredited MSW programs serving the state's three distinct population centers and a statewide online option. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Social Work, accredited since 1969, is the state's oldest and highest-ranked program, anchoring the capital city with Clinical and Macro concentrations, a Gerontology certificate, and dual degrees in Law and Public Policy. The University of Arkansas Fayetteville, accredited since 2003, serves the rapidly growing northwest Arkansas corridor, where the presence of Walmart's global headquarters in Bentonville has driven one of the most sustained metropolitan expansions in the South. Arkansas State University, accredited in 2008, transitioned to fully online delivery in 2024 after closing its Jonesboro campus and now serves students statewide with a Clinical concentration and Addictions certificate.
Arkansas's social work landscape is shaped by persistent rural poverty across the Delta region in the east, the Ozarks in the north, and the Ouachita communities in the west, alongside a distinct urban corridor running from Little Rock through northwest Arkansas. The Arkansas Department of Human Services, which administers child welfare, Medicaid, behavioral health, and aging services, is the dominant public-sector employer of MSW graduates in the state. UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) in Little Rock, the state's academic medical center, is the largest healthcare social work employer. The opioid and methamphetamine crisis has driven significant expansion in behavioral health social work employment across the state, particularly in rural and small-town settings.
Arkansas social work licensing is administered by the Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board. The LMSW and LCSW follow the standard national exam-based pathway. Arkansas consistently appears among states with significant rural social work workforce shortages, and the expansion of online delivery by all three Arkansas programs since 2018 reflects a policy orientation toward reaching working adults in rural and underserved communities who cannot relocate for graduate education.
All 3 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Arkansas
Scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. All data sourced from the CSWE accreditation directory and official program pages (.edu). Accreditation years are Initial Accreditation Dates from the CSWE directory. ASU Jonesboro campus closed 2024; online delivery only per CSWE.
- #1
University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Social Work
Little Rock, AR · On-Campus or Online
8.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1969Why It Ranks Here
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1969, the longest continuous accreditation history of any MSW program in Arkansas. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical or Direct Practice and Macro Social Work. A Gerontology certificate is available. Dual-degree programs with Law and with Public Policy are offered, a pairing of cross-disciplinary options that reflects the program's policy and advocacy orientation alongside its clinical track. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2018. UALR is a metropolitan public research university in Little Rock, the state capital and Arkansas's largest city. The program's location in the capital city is significant: Little Rock is the center of Arkansas state government social services employment, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) health system, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services. The Macro Social Work concentration and the Law and Public Policy dual degrees position UALR graduates for leadership in the public sector, advocacy, and social policy at the state and federal level. The Gerontology certificate addresses Arkansas's rapidly aging rural population and the growing demand for gerontological social work across healthcare and community aging services.
Public (University of Arkansas at Little Rock). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
University of Arkansas Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, Department of Social Work
Fayetteville, AR · On-Campus or Online
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2003Why It Ranks Here
The University of Arkansas Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2003 and offers one concentration: Advanced Generalist. A dual-degree program with Law is available through the UA School of Law in Fayetteville. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2018. UA Fayetteville is the flagship research university of the University of Arkansas System, located in Fayetteville in northwest Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas, anchored by Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville (home to Walmart's global headquarters), has grown into one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the South. The UA social work program's location in Fayetteville provides access to the emerging Northwest Arkansas social work market, which includes Washington Regional Medical Center, Northwest Medical Center, the Walmart and Tyson Foods supplier ecosystem's workforce social services, a large and growing immigrant community (particularly Marshallese and Latinx populations), and a rapidly developing nonprofit and social services sector. The Law dual degree at UA Fayetteville is through the UA School of Law and prepares graduates for legal-social work intersections in family law, immigration law, and child welfare.
Public (University of Arkansas, flagship research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #3
Arkansas State University Department of Social Work
Jonesboro (Online), AR · Online
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2008Why It Ranks Here
Arkansas State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2008 and offers one concentration: Clinical or Direct Practice. An Addictions certificate is available. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year are offered. The Jonesboro campus, where the program was originally based, closed in 2024 per the CSWE directory; delivery is now fully online. ASU is a public university headquartered in Jonesboro in northeast Arkansas. The fully online format extends the program's reach across Arkansas and to students in neighboring states. The Addictions certificate is highly relevant to Arkansas's behavioral health landscape, where opioid, methamphetamine, and alcohol use disorders are significant drivers of social services demand. The 2008 accreditation date and the transition to online-only delivery are the primary factors placing ASU third in this state ranking; the Clinical concentration and Addictions certificate are meaningful programmatic features for students planning clinical licensure and behavioral health practice.
Public (Arkansas State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Arkansas
Little Rock is Arkansas's primary social work labor market. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center, the state's academic medical center and the largest employer in central Arkansas, is the dominant healthcare social work employer. Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and CHI St. Vincent Infirmary are the other major hospital-based employers in the capital region. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), headquartered in Little Rock, administers the state's child welfare, Medicaid, behavioral health, developmental disabilities, and aging services systems and employs the largest concentration of public-sector social workers in the state. The Arkansas Children's Hospital, a freestanding pediatric hospital in Little Rock, is a major employer of pediatric and child welfare social workers. The Arkansas Community Correction system and the Arkansas Division of Youth Services employ social workers in criminal justice-adjacent settings.
Northwest Arkansas, anchored by Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, is the state's fastest-growing social work market. Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, NWA Children's Hospital, and Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers are the primary healthcare employers. The Marshallese community in Springdale, one of the largest Marshallese populations outside the Marshall Islands, has generated significant demand for culturally competent social workers in healthcare navigation, family services, and immigration support. The Walmart and Tyson Foods supplier ecosystem and the associated tech and retail economy have driven rapid population growth that has outpaced the social services infrastructure, creating expanding workforce opportunities. The Northwest Arkansas Council and United Way of Northwest Arkansas coordinate a range of social services that employ licensed social workers.
The Arkansas Delta in the eastern part of the state, one of the most persistently impoverished regions in the United States, has significant social work workforce needs but limited employment infrastructure. St. Bernards Healthcare in Jonesboro is the primary healthcare employer in northeast Arkansas. Delta communities in Phillips, Lee, Mississippi, and Chicot counties have documented shortages of licensed social workers, particularly in behavioral health and child welfare. The fully online ASU program, despite the Jonesboro campus closure, continues to reach students in these communities through online delivery.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Arkansas; Arkansas Social Work Licensing Board.
How We Ranked These Programs
Each program is scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Arkansas-specific adjustments are made. Programs are ordered by composite score. For the full methodology, see our ranking methodology page.
- CSWE Accreditation (25%): Active accreditation status and continuous accreditation history.
- Program Leadership (15%): Faculty credentials, research output, and peer-assessment scores.
- Pathways (15%): Concentration variety, Advanced Standing availability, and dual-degree options.
- Delivery Format (15%): Online, hybrid, and in-person availability; start-term flexibility.
- Employer Signal (15%): Field placement hours required, practicum site depth, and documented placement infrastructure.
- Cost & Affordability (10%): Published tuition per credit or per year, in-state vs. out-of-state differential.
- Reputation (5%): U.S. News peer-assessment scores and institutional recognition.