Indiana has 6 CSWE-accredited MSW programs anchored by the Indiana University School of Social Work, which has operated since 1923 and delivers from campuses across the state. No other Indiana program approaches IU's combination of accreditation history, concentration breadth (seven options), statewide geographic presence, and dual-degree partnerships with Law and Public Health. IU's statewide campus network, spanning Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, New Albany, Gary, Bloomington, and Lafayette, makes it one of the few MSW programs in the country operating from more than five campus locations within a single state, serving as essentially the backbone of Indiana's social work workforce pipeline.
The University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, accredited since 1995, is the second-strongest program in the state and the primary MSW provider for southwest Indiana. USI's MSW/MPA dual degree, available with the School of Public Administration, is an uncommon combination nationally and is positioned for graduates interested in social work roles at the intersection of government policy and direct service. Indiana State University in Terre Haute (2012), University of Indianapolis (2016), Indiana Wesleyan University (2016, online), and Ball State University in Muncie (2019) round out the state's program landscape.
Indiana's social work licensing structure uses the term "LSW" (Licensed Social Worker) for the master's level rather than the "LMSW" used in most states, which can cause confusion for practitioners planning to transfer licensure across state lines. The LCSW requires a minimum of 2 years of supervised post-graduate clinical practice; Indiana does not specify a precise post-graduate hour count in the same way as states like Kansas (4,000 hours) or Colorado (3,360 hours). Licensing is administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.
All 6 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Indiana
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. IU campus locations per CSWE: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, New Albany, Gary, Bloomington, Lafayette (2023); online since 2018; Richmond site closed 2026. Indiana uses "LSW" (not LMSW) for the master's license level.
- #1
Indiana University School of Social Work
Indianapolis, IN · On-Campus or Online
8.8
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1923Why It Ranks Here
The Indiana University School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1923, the longest continuous accreditation history of any Indiana MSW program and one of the oldest in the United States. Seven concentrations are offered: Substance Use Disorders, Children Youth and Families, Healthcare, Mental Health, School Social Work, Leadership, and Other, the broadest concentration menu in Indiana. Dual-degree programs are available with Law (JD) and Public Health (MPH). The program operates from campuses across the state: Indianapolis (IUPUI), Fort Wayne, South Bend, New Albany (IU Southeast), Gary (IU Northwest), Bloomington, and Lafayette (added 2023), giving it the most geographically comprehensive footprint of any Indiana social work program, supplemented by online delivery since 2018. The Richmond site, which operated since 1923, closed in 2026. The combination of a 1923 accreditation date, seven concentrations, a statewide multi-campus delivery model, and two dual degrees gives IU a decisive advantage in this ranking over all other Indiana programs. Advanced Standing is available. Indiana University is Indiana's flagship R1 research university system.
Public (Indiana University, R1 research university system). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
University of Southern Indiana Department of Social Work
Evansville, IN · On-Campus or Online
6.9
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1995Why It Ranks Here
The University of Southern Indiana Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1995, the second-longest continuous accreditation of any Indiana MSW program. A Clinical or Direct Practice concentration is offered. A dual-degree program is available with Public Administration (MPA), an uncommon combination that positions graduates for social work leadership in government agencies, municipal departments, and public health systems. Online delivery was added in 2024. Advanced Standing is available. USI is a public university in Evansville in southwest Indiana, the third-largest city in Indiana. Evansville is the hub of the tristate Evansville metropolitan area spanning Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois, with Deaconess Health System and Ascension St. Vincent Evansville serving as the primary healthcare employers for clinical social workers in the region. USI's public tuition and regional market position make it the primary accessible MSW option for social work students in southwest Indiana.
Public (University of Southern Indiana). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #3
Indiana State University Department of Social Work
Terre Haute, IN · On-Campus
6.3
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2012Why It Ranks Here
Indiana State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2012 and offers a Clinical or Direct Practice concentration. Advanced Standing is available. ISU is a public university in Terre Haute in west-central Indiana, midway between Indianapolis and the Illinois border. The program serves students in Vigo County and the surrounding west-central Indiana corridor, a region with documented social worker shortages in child welfare, behavioral health, and aging services. Union Hospital in Terre Haute and a network of community mental health centers and social services agencies provide the primary practicum network. No online delivery is currently listed. The 2012 accreditation date reflects its position as a younger program relative to IU and USI.
Public (Indiana State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #4
University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work
Indianapolis, IN · On-Campus
6.2
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2016Why It Ranks Here
The University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work received CSWE accreditation for its MSW program in 2016 and offers five concentrations: Substance Use Disorders, Children Youth and Families, Clinical or Direct Practice, Healthcare, and Mental Health. The five-concentration menu is the second-broadest in Indiana after Indiana University and provides meaningful clinical specialization across substance use, pediatric, general clinical, medical, and mental health practice areas. No dual-degree programs are listed and no online delivery is currently listed; the program is on-campus in Indianapolis. Advanced Standing is available. UIndy is a private university in Indianapolis with practicum placement access across the Indianapolis metropolitan area's large healthcare, behavioral health, and social services infrastructure. The Substance Use Disorders concentration is particularly timely given Indiana's documented opioid and stimulant use crises.
Private (University of Indianapolis). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #5
Indiana Wesleyan University
Online, IN · Online
5.8
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2016Why It Ranks Here
Indiana Wesleyan University's MSW program received CSWE accreditation in 2016 and has operated entirely online. An Advanced Generalist concentration is offered. Advanced Standing is available. IWU is a private Wesleyan-affiliated university in Marion, Indiana; the MSW program incorporates a faith-based perspective rooted in Wesleyan theology, which may appeal to students from Methodist or broadly evangelical Christian backgrounds. The fully online format provides statewide and national access, with students arranging local field placements in their home communities. IWU's online MSW provides an additional private-university option in Indiana for students who prefer a smaller faith-integrated academic context outside the public university system.
Private (Indiana Wesleyan University, Wesleyan-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #6
Ball State University Department of Social Work
Muncie, IN · On-Campus
5.6
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2019Why It Ranks Here
Ball State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2019 and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration. Advanced Standing is available. Ball State is a public university in Muncie in east-central Indiana, serving students in Delaware County and the surrounding east-central Indiana region. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and a network of community behavioral health and social services agencies in Muncie provide the primary practicum network. The 2019 accreditation date is among the most recent in Indiana, accounting for its lower ranking relative to longer-established programs. Ball State's public university status and accessible tuition make it the primary on-campus MSW option for students in east-central Indiana who are not served by IU's Fort Wayne or Indianapolis campuses.
Public (Ball State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Indiana
Indianapolis is Indiana's dominant social work labor market. IU Health, the largest health system in Indiana and one of the largest in the Midwest, employs clinical and medical social workers across IU Health University Hospital, Riley Hospital for Children, and its regional affiliate network. Ascension St. Vincent Indianapolis, Franciscan Health Indianapolis, and Community Health Network (Community East and Community North hospitals) are additional major healthcare employers. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), which administers child welfare, Medicaid, mental health, and aging services through its Division of Family Resources, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, and Division of Aging, is the primary state-level public employer for social workers in Indiana, with its central offices and primary workforce concentrated in Indianapolis.
Fort Wayne is Indiana's second city and second social work market. Parkview Health, anchored by Parkview Regional Medical Center, is the primary healthcare employer in northeast Indiana. Lutheran Health Network (now Ascension) and a network of Allen County social services, behavioral health, and child welfare agencies provide additional employment. Fort Wayne's German and Hispanic communities create demand for multilingual social work services in both direct practice and community organization roles. IU's Fort Wayne campus is the primary MSW pipeline for northeast Indiana.
South Bend, Gary, and Evansville each represent distinct regional labor markets. South Bend's market is anchored by Beacon Health System and Saint Joseph Health System (Mishawaka), with significant social service needs in St. Joseph County driven by poverty, housing instability, and immigration. Gary and Northwest Indiana sit within the greater Chicago metro labor market, and social workers in Lake County and Porter County often compete for positions across the Indiana-Illinois state line. Evansville, served by USI's MSW program, has a tristate labor market spanning Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois, with Deaconess Health System and Ascension St. Vincent as the major healthcare employers.
Indiana has a well-documented opioid and substance use crisis, creating sustained demand for social workers with substance use disorder credentials and clinical skills across all regions of the state. IU's Substance Use Disorders concentration and UIndy's comparable track address this workforce need directly. Rural Indiana, particularly in the south-central and southeast counties, also has persistent social worker shortages in child welfare and behavioral health that online programs at IU and Indiana Wesleyan University help address.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Indiana; Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Social Work.
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 Indiana-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.