Kansas has 6 CSWE-accredited MSW programs distributed across its three major cities and supplemented by two fully online options. The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, accredited since 1947, is the flagship program and the only one in Kansas offering both a named Macro Social Work concentration and a dual degree with Law. KU operates from multiple sites, including Lawrence, Overland Park (serving the Kansas City metro), and Salina, with online delivery added in 2023. Washburn University in Topeka adds a second MSW/JD dual-degree option, facilitated by the co-location of Washburn's law school on the same campus, an arrangement uncommon in graduate social work education.
Wichita, Kansas's largest city, is home to both Wichita State University (Advanced Generalist concentration) and Newman University (Trauma, School Social Work, and Management concentrations). Newman's Trauma concentration is one of the few in Kansas and is aligned to demand from Wichita's military-adjacent communities and behavioral health sector. Newman also operates a site in Colorado Springs, Colorado, unusual for a Kansas-accredited program. Fort Hays State University and the University of Saint Mary round out the state with fully online options, with the University of Saint Mary offering a Forensic Social Work concentration that is rare in Kansas.
Kansas social work licensing follows the LBSW, LMSW, LCSW structure, with the LCSW requiring 4,000 hours of supervised post-graduate clinical experience, one of the higher LCSW hour requirements among U.S. states. Licensing is administered by the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (KSBSRB). Rural social work workforce shortages are significant in western Kansas, the Flint Hills, and the southeast corner of the state, with online programs at Fort Hays and USM positioned to address pipeline needs in these underserved communities.
All 6 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Kansas
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. KU online delivery and Salina site added 2023 per CSWE. Newman operates sites in Wichita KS and Colorado Springs CO under Kansas accreditation; online delivery added 2023.
- #1
University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
Lawrence, KS · On-Campus or Online
8.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1947Why It Ranks Here
The University of Kansas School of Social Welfare has held CSWE accreditation since 1947, the longest continuous accreditation history of any Kansas MSW program. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical or Direct Practice and Macro Social Work, with the explicitly labeled Macro Social Work concentration being relatively uncommon at the master's level nationally. A dual-degree program is available with Law (JD). The program operates from multiple sites: the main Lawrence campus, an Overland Park site serving the Kansas City metro area, a Salina site added in 2023 for central Kansas, and online delivery also launched in 2023. The Overland Park site provides access to the large Kansas City metropolitan social work labor market on the Kansas side of the state line. Advanced Standing is available. KU is a public R1 research university in Lawrence and Kansas's flagship university. The School of Social Welfare is one of the oldest graduate schools of social work in the region and the only program in Kansas with dual-degree options in both law and a named Macro concentration.
Public (University of Kansas, R1 research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Washburn University Department of Social Work
Topeka, KS · On-Campus
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1996Why It Ranks Here
Washburn University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1996 and offers three concentrations: Clinical or Direct Practice, Healthcare, and School Social Work. A dual-degree program is available with Law (JD), a partnership facilitated by Washburn University School of Law being on the same Topeka campus, making Washburn one of the few programs in Kansas with a co-located MSW and law school. The School Social Work concentration is one of two in Kansas and prepares graduates for educational settings in alignment with Kansas school social work licensing requirements. No online delivery is currently listed; the program operates on-campus in Topeka. Advanced Standing is available. Washburn is a public university in Topeka, the Kansas state capital, providing direct access to state government agencies, the Menninger Clinic (a nationally recognized psychiatric treatment and research institution), and Topeka's social services and behavioral health infrastructure.
Public (Washburn University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #3
Wichita State University School of Social Work
Wichita, KS · On-Campus
6.8
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2000Why It Ranks Here
Wichita State University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2000 and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration, preparing graduates for versatile practice across Wichita's health, nonprofit, and government social services sectors. No online delivery is currently listed; the program operates on-campus in Wichita. Advanced Standing is available. WSU is a public metropolitan research university in Wichita, Kansas's largest city. The program's urban campus location provides access to Via Christi Health (now Ascension Via Christi), Wesley Medical Center, and a large network of behavioral health, child welfare, and community social services agencies that constitute the primary social work labor market in south-central Kansas.
Public (Wichita State University, metropolitan research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #4
Newman University Department of Social Work
Wichita, KS · On-Campus or Online
6.4
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2000Why It Ranks Here
Newman University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2000 and offers three concentrations: Management or Administration, School Social Work, and Trauma, with the Trauma concentration being one of the few in Kansas and aligned to demand created by Wichita's military-adjacent communities and growing behavioral health sector. A dual-degree program is available with Business Administration (MBA). Online delivery was added in 2023. The program also operates a site in Colorado Springs, Colorado, unusual for a Kansas-accredited institution, reflecting Newman's multi-site delivery model. Advanced Standing is available. Newman is a private Catholic-affiliated university in Wichita; the social work program does not mandate a theological curriculum and graduates are fully prepared for secular licensure and employment. The MBA dual degree is uncommon in Kansas and prepares graduates for nonprofit executive, healthcare administration, and social enterprise leadership roles.
Private (Newman University, Catholic-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #5
Fort Hays State University Department of Social Work
Online, KS · Online
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2020Why It Ranks Here
Fort Hays State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2020 and operates entirely online. A Clinical or Direct Practice concentration is offered. Advanced Standing is available. FHSU is a public university in Hays in north-central Kansas. The fully online MSW is particularly relevant for students in rural western Kansas, an area with persistent social work workforce shortages in child welfare, aging services, and behavioral health, where driving distance to any campus-based MSW program can exceed 200 miles. FHSU's online format and public tuition structure make it an accessible option for rural Kansans pursuing clinical licensure without relocating.
Public (Fort Hays State University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #6
University of Saint Mary
Online, KS · Online
5.2
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2022Why It Ranks Here
The University of Saint Mary received CSWE accreditation for its MSW program in 2022 and delivers entirely online. Three concentrations are offered: Healthcare, Forensic Social Work, and Mental Health. The Forensic Social Work concentration is rare in Kansas and prepares graduates for practice in courts, corrections, victim advocacy, and juvenile justice settings. Advanced Standing is available. USM is a private Catholic-affiliated university in Leavenworth, Kansas; the MSW program is delivered fully online and does not mandate a religious curriculum. The Healthcare and Mental Health concentrations provide additional clinical pathways for graduates entering Kansas's expanding healthcare and behavioral health sectors. The 2022 accreditation date accounts for the lower state ranking.
Private (University of Saint Mary, Catholic-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Kansas
Wichita is Kansas's largest social work labor market. Ascension Via Christi Health, the largest healthcare system in Wichita, and Wesley Medical Center (a HCA affiliate) are the primary healthcare employers for clinical and medical social workers in south-central Kansas. The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Region 5 office in Wichita is the primary public-sector child welfare employer in the region. The Behavioral Health Services of South Central Kansas, Harbor House domestic violence services, and a dense network of community behavioral health centers anchor the nonprofit social services sector. Wichita's military community near McConnell Air Force Base also generates demand for veteran and family social work services.
Topeka, the state capital, has a distinctive social work labor market shaped by state government agencies and institutional healthcare. The Menninger Clinic, a nationally recognized psychiatric hospital and research institution, employs clinical social workers in inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings and is a prominent field placement site for Washburn University students. The Kansas Department for Children and Families headquarters, Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), and the Kansas Department of Corrections are all based in Topeka, generating substantial public-sector social work employment across child welfare, adult services, and corrections.
The Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side of the state line, primarily Johnson County (Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee) and Wyandotte County (Kansas City, KS), is the third significant Kansas social work market and the one with the strongest wages. KU's Overland Park site was established specifically to serve this market. The University of Kansas Health System (KU Medical Center), Children's Mercy Hospital (technically in Missouri but serving the Kansas City bi-state metro), and a large network of county human services agencies and behavioral health providers employ MSW practitioners across all specializations.
Rural Kansas has among the most significant social work workforce shortages of any state. Western Kansas counties, the Flint Hills, and the southeast corner of the state all have documented gaps in licensed social workers. Many rural Kansas counties have no licensed clinical social workers in private practice, creating reliance on community mental health centers that themselves struggle to recruit MSW-level staff. Fort Hays State's fully online program with Hays as its institutional base directly addresses the western Kansas pipeline, and KU's Salina site adds a central Kansas access point for the region.",
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Kansas; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory 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 Kansas-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.