Delaware has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: Delaware State University's Department of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1986. DSU is an HBCU and the only CSWE-accredited MSW program in the state, serving as the sole in-state pathway to a CSWE-accredited master's degree in social work for all Delaware social workers. The program operates from three locations covering the state's three counties: the main campus in Dover (Kent County), a Wilmington site serving New Castle County in the north, and a Georgetown site serving Sussex County in the south. Online delivery was added in 2018. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend or evening options provide flexibility for working professionals.
DSU's HBCU identity is integral to its MSW program's character and mission. Delaware's Black and African American population is concentrated in Wilmington and the New Castle County communities of the Wilmington metro, and DSU's program has historically been a significant pathway for Black social workers in the state. The Advanced Generalist concentration prepares graduates for the full range of micro, mezzo, and macro practice settings. Delaware's small size relative to its neighboring states means that students in Wilmington and northern Delaware also have access to MSW programs in nearby Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but DSU is the only in-state CSWE-accredited option.
Delaware social work licensing is administered by the Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners within the Division of Professional Regulation. Delaware's social work workforce is shaped by its position in the Mid-Atlantic corridor: ChristianaCare, the dominant health system in the state, is headquartered in Wilmington and employs a large concentration of healthcare social workers. The state's growing behavioral health system, including Connections Community Support Programs, Brandywine Counseling, and SODAT Delaware, and the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, together constitute the primary non-healthcare employer base for MSW graduates.
The 1 CSWE-Accredited MSW Program in Delaware
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 year is the Initial Accreditation Date from the CSWE directory. DSU operates Dover, Wilmington, and Georgetown locations plus online (2018) per the CSWE directory.
- #1
Delaware State University Department of Social Work
Dover, DE · On-Campus or Online
8.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1986Why It Ranks Here
Delaware State University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1986, making it the sole CSWE-accredited MSW program in Delaware and the state's only pathway to a CSWE-accredited master's degree in social work. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2018. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend or evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. The program operates from three campus locations: Dover (the main campus and state capital), Wilmington (Delaware's largest city), and Georgetown (serving Sussex County in southern Delaware), providing coverage across the length of the state. Delaware State University is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), one of a small number of HBCUs nationally with a CSWE-accredited MSW program. DSU's HBCU identity is particularly relevant to the program's mission in Delaware, where Black and African American residents make up approximately 23 percent of the state population and are disproportionately represented among social services recipients. DSU's Wilmington site provides direct access to Delaware's largest and most diverse social work labor market.
Public HBCU (Delaware State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Delaware
Delaware's social work labor market is heavily concentrated in the Wilmington metro and New Castle County in the northern part of the state. ChristianaCare, the dominant health system in Delaware and one of the largest non-profit health systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, operates Christiana Hospital in Newark and Wilmington Hospital and employs the largest concentration of healthcare social workers in the state. Nemours Children's Health, with its flagship Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, is a major employer of pediatric and family social workers. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilmington provides federal employment. The Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF), which includes the Division of Family Services, the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services, and behavioral health divisions, is the primary public-sector employer.
Central and southern Delaware, served by DSU's Dover and Georgetown campuses, have smaller but growing social work markets. Bayhealth Medical Center in Dover and Beebe Healthcare in Lewes are the primary healthcare employers in Kent and Sussex counties. The Sussex County social services infrastructure, including a significant agricultural and seasonal worker population in the Delmarva Peninsula, employs social workers in immigration services, migrant labor support, and family services. Georgetown and the surrounding communities have a large Latinx population engaged in poultry processing and agricultural work, creating specific social work workforce demand in immigration and labor welfare services.
Delaware's proximity to Philadelphia means that many Delaware MSW graduates work across the state border in the greater Philadelphia healthcare and social services market. This dynamic effectively expands the employment pool for DSU graduates beyond Delaware's borders, particularly for those in Wilmington and northern New Castle County.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Delaware; Delaware Board of Social Work Examiners.
How We Ranked This Program
Each program is scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Delaware-specific adjustments are made. 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.