Maryland has 3 CSWE-accredited MSW programs: a nationally recognized flagship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore; an HBCU program at Morgan State University; and a distributed regional program at Salisbury University that serves the state's Eastern Shore and rural communities. Maryland's relatively small number of MSW programs (three for a state of 6 million) reflects the proximity of the Baltimore-Washington corridor to the substantial Washington, DC-area programs at Catholic University, Howard University, and George Mason University in neighboring Virginia and DC, which serve the region's demand alongside the Maryland programs.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work anchors the state with the only program described as among the national top 10% per U.S. News. UMB's dual-degree portfolio is among the most distinctive in the country, combining the typical Law, Public Health, and Business Administration options with an MSW/Jewish Studies combination and an MSW/Public Policy dual degree, the latter highly relevant for graduates pursuing legislative social work and policy advocacy in Maryland's state government and the federal agencies concentrated in the DC corridor. Morgan State University's four-concentration menu, including Aging and Gerontological Practice, and its HBCU mission serve a critical role in the Baltimore social work workforce.
Maryland's licensing system uses terminology that differs from most states. The entry-level master's license is the LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker), not the LMSW designation used in most states. After the LGSW, graduates pursuing non-clinical practice may apply for the LCSW (Licensed Certified Social Worker) after 2,000 hours of supervised experience, while those pursuing clinical practice apply for the LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker, Clinical) after 3,000 hours. Licensing is administered by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.
All 3 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Maryland
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. UMaryland About page describes the School as "among the top 10% of best schools of social work" per U.S. News. Salisbury campus locations per CSWE: Salisbury, Wye Mills, Hagerstown, North East, California MD, and Online/UMGC (2014-present). Maryland uses LGSW, LCSW, and LCSW-C licensing tiers.
- #1
University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work
Baltimore, MD · On-Campus or Online
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1963Why It Ranks Here
The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1963 and is described on its About page as among the top 10% of best schools of social work per U.S. News and World Report, placing it among the top-ranked programs nationally. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical or Direct Practice and Macro Social Work. The dual-degree portfolio is the most distinctive in Maryland and among the most unusual nationally: joint programs are available with Business Administration (MBA), Jewish Studies, Law (JD), Public Health (MPH), and Public Policy (MPP). The MSW with Jewish Studies is exceptionally rare among MSW programs nationally, facilitated by UMB's relationship with nearby institutions in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The Law and Public Policy dual degrees position graduates for policy advocacy, legislative social work, and nonprofit legal services. The program operates from Baltimore and a Rockville site serving the Washington, DC suburbs, with online delivery launched in 2022. Advanced Standing is available. UMB is a specialized public health sciences campus of the University of Maryland System and the state's primary academic medical center university, home to the University of Maryland Medical System.
Public (University of Maryland, Baltimore, R1 health sciences campus). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Morgan State University School of Social Work
Baltimore, MD · On-Campus or Online
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2005Why It Ranks Here
Morgan State University's School of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2005 and offers four concentrations: Substance Use Disorders, Children Youth and Families, Other, and Aging and Gerontological Practice. The Aging concentration is one of two available at a Maryland MSW program and is relevant given Maryland's rapidly growing older adult population and the particular aging-in-place and eldercare challenges concentrated in Baltimore's Black communities. Online delivery has been available since 2018. Advanced Standing is available. Morgan State is a historically Black public university in Baltimore and Maryland's designated Preeminent HBCU; it is an R2 doctoral research university with a mission focused on producing graduates who contribute to the social and economic development of Maryland and the nation. Morgan State's School of Social Work draws students from Baltimore's Black and underserved communities and prepares graduates who reflect and serve those communities across child welfare, behavioral health, aging, and substance use systems.
Public (Morgan State University, HBCU, R2 research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #3
Salisbury University Social Work Department
Salisbury, MD · On-Campus or Online
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2001Why It Ranks Here
Salisbury University's Social Work Department has held CSWE accreditation since 2001 and offers two concentrations: Clinical or Direct Practice and Macro Social Work. A dual-degree option (Other) is listed in the CSWE directory. The program operates from an unusually distributed set of campus locations: Salisbury (Eastern Shore main campus), Wye Mills (centrally located on Maryland's Eastern Shore), Hagerstown (western Maryland), North East (Cecil County, northeastern Maryland), and California, Maryland (Southern Maryland), in addition to online delivery through a partnership with University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) since 2014. This distributed campus model gives Salisbury University the broadest geographic footprint of any Maryland program and positions it as the primary accredited MSW provider for rural and suburban Maryland regions outside Baltimore and the DC suburbs. Advanced Standing is available. Salisbury is a public comprehensive university in Salisbury on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Public (Salisbury University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Maryland
Baltimore is Maryland's primary social work labor market. The University of Maryland Medical System, the state's largest health system anchored by University of Maryland Medical Center and University of Maryland Shore Medical Center, is a primary employer of clinical and medical social workers and the primary practicum site for UMB SSW students. Johns Hopkins Medicine, including Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, is Baltimore's second major academic health system and another primary healthcare social work employer. MedStar Health, with Union Memorial Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital in Baltimore, rounds out the major private healthcare employers.
The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), which administers child welfare, adult protective services, homeless services, and economic support, employs social workers across Baltimore City and all 23 Maryland counties through the Local Departments of Social Services (LDSS). Baltimore City's Department of Social Services handles one of the highest child welfare caseloads per capita in the state, given Baltimore's concentrated poverty and legacy of residential segregation. The Maryland Department of Health, which administers behavioral health services through the Behavioral Health Administration, funds a network of community mental health centers, crisis services, and substance use treatment programs throughout Baltimore and the state.
The Washington, DC suburbs � Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County � represent a large and growing social work labor market directly accessible to graduates of UMB's Rockville site and Salisbury's northern Maryland campuses. Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services is one of the largest county-level social service departments in the region. Federal agencies concentrated in the DC corridor, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration, create unique federal-employment social work positions that require MSW-level training.
Maryland's Eastern Shore, served primarily by Salisbury University, has persistent social worker shortages in child welfare, aging, and behavioral health services. Rural Eastern Shore counties have aging populations, documented opioid challenges, and limited access to mental health professionals. Salisbury's distributed campus model and UMGC online partnership are directly designed to address these workforce gaps across the five-county Salisbury metro area and neighboring rural communities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Maryland; Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.
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 Maryland-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.