Hawaii has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, both located in Honolulu on Oahu. The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, accredited since 1942, anchors the state with a four-concentration portfolio, a Law dual degree, online delivery since 2006, and Advanced Standing. It is one of the oldest continuously accredited MSW programs in the country and the only MSW program in Hawaii with a long accreditation history, giving it a dominant position in Hawaii's social work workforce pipeline. The program is named for Myron B. Thompson, a nationally recognized Hawaiian social work leader and civic figure.
Hawai'i Pacific University's School of Social Work, accredited since 2005, offers two concentrations including a distinctive Military Social Work track. HPU's Honolulu location is adjacent to Pearl Harbor and several of the Pacific's major military installations, making the Military Social Work concentration unusually well-positioned for field placement and employment in military-facing social work practice. Online delivery was added in 2024. HPU is a private university; its Kapolei and Pearl City sites closed in 2024 per the CSWE directory, and delivery is now from the Honolulu campus and online.
Hawaii's social work landscape is shaped by several distinctive features: a large and growing Native Hawaiian population with specific culturally grounded social work practice needs, a substantial active-duty military and veteran community, one of the oldest median-age populations among U.S. states, and a high cost of living that strains access to social services. The Department of Human Services, the Child Welfare Services division, the Hawaii State Hospital, and the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System are the major public-sector employers of MSW graduates in the state.
All 2 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Hawai'i
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. UH Manoa: Honolulu + online (2006). HPU: Honolulu + online (2024); Kapolei and Pearl City closed 2024 per CSWE.
- #1
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work
Honolulu, HI · On-Campus or Online
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1942Why It Ranks Here
The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1942, one of the longest continuous accreditation histories in the country and the longest of any MSW program in Hawaii. Four concentrations are offered: Children, Youth, and Families; Healthcare; Mental Health; and Aging and Gerontological Practice. A dual-degree program with Law is available. Online delivery was added in 2006, making it one of the earliest MSW programs nationally to offer online delivery. Advanced Standing is available. UH Manoa is the flagship research university of the University of Hawaii system. The Thompson School is named for Myron B. Thompson, a prominent Hawaiian social worker and civic leader. The four-concentration portfolio is substantial for any MSW program and reflects the diverse social work practice contexts in Hawaii, from the child welfare system to Native Hawaiian health to military social work to gerontological practice serving Hawaii's rapidly aging population. The program's location in Honolulu and its online option since 2006 give it exceptional reach across all the Hawaiian islands and the Pacific region.
Public (University of Hawai'i at Manoa, flagship research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Hawai'i Pacific University School of Social Work
Honolulu, HI · On-Campus or Online
6.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2005Why It Ranks Here
Hawai'i Pacific University's School of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2005 and offers two concentrations: Advanced Generalist and Military Social Work. Online delivery was added in 2024 per the CSWE directory. Advanced Standing is available. Weekend and evening delivery options are available. The Kapolei and Pearl City sites listed in the CSWE directory closed in 2024; delivery is now from the Honolulu campus and online. HPU is a private university in Honolulu. The Military Social Work concentration is a nationally significant distinction: HPU's Honolulu location near Pearl Harbor and several major military installations, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Schofield Barracks, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, makes this concentration particularly relevant. Hawaii hosts the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and is home to a substantial active-duty, reserve, and veteran population. The Military Social Work concentration prepares graduates for practice with service members, veterans, and military families in settings served by the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense, and military-adjacent nonprofits. The 2005 accreditation date and private institutional status place HPU second in this state ranking.
Private (Hawai'i Pacific University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Hawai'i
Oahu, home to Honolulu and approximately 75 percent of Hawaii's population, is the dominant social work labor market. The Queen's Health Systems and Hawaii Pacific Health are the two largest non-military health systems, each operating major hospitals in Honolulu including Queen's Medical Center and Pali Momi Medical Center. Tripler Army Medical Center on Oahu, a major U.S. Army hospital serving active-duty personnel and their families across the Pacific region, is a significant employer of military social workers. The VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS), headquartered in Honolulu, serves veterans across Hawaii and the Pacific Islands and is the primary federal employer of licensed social workers in the state.
The Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS), including the Child Welfare Services branch, Med-QUEST Division (Medicaid), and the Benefit, Employment and Support Services division, is the primary state government employer of social workers in Hawaii. The Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe is the state's designated psychiatric hospital and a major employer of clinical social workers. The Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, along with their contracted community mental health centers, employ a large share of Hawaii's licensed social work workforce. The Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and Shriner's Hospital for Children are additional child welfare and healthcare employers in Honolulu.
Native Hawaiian health and cultural services organizations are a distinctive sector of Hawaii's social work labor market. Papa Ola Lokahi, the Alu Like organization, and community health centers serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Waianae, Nanakuli, and across Oahu employ social workers with cultural competency in Hawaiian practices and values. UH Manoa's Aging and Gerontological Practice concentration addresses the needs of Hawaii's rapidly aging population, which is projected to have a disproportionately high share of elderly residents relative to working-age adults by 2030.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hawai'i; Hawaii DCCA, Social Work Licensing.
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 Hawaii-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.