Mississippi has 4 CSWE-accredited MSW programs distributed across the southern, central, Delta, and northern regions of the state. The University of Southern Mississippi School of Social Work in Hattiesburg, accredited since 1974, is the state's oldest program and operates from two locations: Hattiesburg and Long Beach on the Gulf Coast, the only MSW campus presence on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. USM offers multiple cohort entry options including weekend-only cohorts, which are uncommon among Mississippi's programs. Jackson State University in the state capital, accredited since 1997, is an HBCU and offers a Children, Youth, and Families concentration alongside online delivery and a Gerontology certification, serving the largest social work market in the state.
Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, accredited in 2005, is the state's second HBCU MSW program and occupies a uniquely important position as the only CSWE-accredited graduate social work program physically located within the Mississippi Delta. The Delta counties consistently have among the highest rates of child poverty, food insecurity, and healthcare access limitations of any region in the United States, and MVSU's Children, Youth, and Families concentration directly addresses the social work workforce needs of this region. The University of Mississippi in Oxford, accredited in 2008, offers a Clinical concentration with no online delivery and no Advanced Standing option, accepting only full-time students.
Mississippi social work licensing is administered by the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists under the LBSW, LMSW, and LCSW structure. Mississippi consistently has among the highest child poverty rates, lowest per-capita income, and highest rates of food insecurity of any U.S. state, which creates a structural demand for social work services that significantly exceeds the current licensed workforce supply, particularly in rural Delta and coastal communities.
All 4 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Mississippi
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. University of Mississippi: no Advanced Standing, no online delivery, full-time only per CSWE. MVSU: CSWE accredSince 2005; degree granted since 1978 per CSWE degree field. USM: no online delivery per CSWE.
- #1
University of Southern Mississippi School of Social Work
Hattiesburg, MS · On-Campus
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1974Why It Ranks Here
The University of Southern Mississippi School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1974, the longest continuous accreditation history of any MSW program in Mississippi. One concentration is listed: Other, reflecting a generalist-to-clinical curriculum not narrowly labeled under a single track. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend-only cohort options are offered per the CSWE directory, expanding access for working adults. No online delivery is currently listed. The program operates from the main Hattiesburg campus and a Long Beach site on the Gulf Coast, serving the southern half of Mississippi including the Gulf Coast communities of Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. USM is a public R2 research university in Hattiesburg. The Long Beach site provides the only MSW campus presence on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a region with distinct social work workforce needs shaped by post-Hurricane Katrina reconstruction history, tourism industry employment patterns, and Gulf Coast healthcare infrastructure.
Public (University of Southern Mississippi, R2 research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Jackson State University School of Social Work
Jackson, MS · On-Campus or Online
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1997Why It Ranks Here
Jackson State University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1997 and is one of two HBCU-based MSW programs in Mississippi. One concentration is offered: Children, Youth, and Families, aligned to the high rates of child poverty and child welfare system involvement in Mississippi, which consistently has among the highest rates in the United States. A Gerontology certification is available, addressing Mississippi's aging population and the significant workforce shortage in geriatric social work across the state. Online delivery was added in 2018. Advanced Standing is available. JSU is a public HBCU and R2 research university in Jackson, the state capital and largest city. As an HBCU in Mississippi's capital city, JSU plays a particularly significant role in training Black social workers for practice in a state where the majority of child welfare, behavioral health, and community social services clients are from Black communities.
Public (Jackson State University, HBCU, R2 research university). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #3
Mississippi Valley State University Department of Social Work
Itta Bena, MS · On-Campus
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2005Why It Ranks Here
Mississippi Valley State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2005; the CSWE directory notes the MSW degree has been granted since 1978. One concentration is offered: Children, Youth, and Families. Advanced Standing is available. No online delivery is currently listed. MVSU is a public HBCU in Itta Bena in Leflore County, located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, one of the most economically distressed and socially underserved regions in the United States. MVSU's location makes it the only CSWE-accredited MSW program physically embedded in the Delta, serving communities in Washington, Sunflower, Leflore, Bolivar, and adjacent counties where child poverty rates, limited healthcare access, and social services workforce shortages are among the most severe in the country. The Children, Youth, and Families concentration is directly aligned to the most acute social work need in the Delta region.
Public (Mississippi Valley State University, HBCU). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #4
University of Mississippi Department of Social Work
Oxford, MS · On-Campus
5.0
60 credits 900 field hours No Advanced Standing Accred. since 2008Why It Ranks Here
The University of Mississippi Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2008 and offers one concentration: Clinical or Direct Practice. No online delivery is currently listed and no Advanced Standing is available per the CSWE directory. The program accepts only full-time students. Ole Miss is a public R1 research university in Oxford in north Mississippi. The Clinical concentration and Oxford's location near the Tennessee state line position the program to serve a region with documented social work shortages in behavioral health and healthcare settings. The 2008 accreditation date and the absence of Advanced Standing and online delivery are the primary factors placing this program fourth in this ranking.
Public (University of Mississippi, R1 research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Mississippi
Jackson is Mississippi's largest social work labor market. University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), the state's only academic medical center and Level I trauma center, and Merit Health Central are the primary healthcare employers for clinical and medical social workers in the Jackson metro. The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS), established as an independent agency in 2016 following federal oversight concerns about the state's child welfare system, employs the largest concentration of public-sector social workers in the state and maintains its headquarters in Jackson. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health (DMH), which administers the state's network of regional mental health centers, and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' social services division in Choctaw are additional major employers in the central Mississippi market. JSU's field placement network is deeply integrated with UMMC, MDCPS, and the Jackson-area mental health provider community.
Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast represent two distinct markets served by USM's dual-campus model. In Hattiesburg, Forrest General Hospital (an independent regional hospital), Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources, and the Lamar-Forrest-Perry county human services offices are the primary employers. On the Gulf Coast, Singing River Health System (serving Jackson and George counties), Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, and the Gulf Coast Mental Health Center serve the Gulfport-Biloxi corridor. The Gulf Coast's tourism-dependent economy creates specific social work needs around low-wage workforce housing instability, substance use, and seasonal employment volatility that are distinct from the state's interior.
The Mississippi Delta, served primarily by MVSU, has some of the most acute social work workforce shortages in the country. Most Delta counties have no licensed clinical social workers in private practice. The Delta region's child welfare cases are handled by MDCPS regional offices in Greenwood, Cleveland, and Greenville that are chronically understaffed. Delta Health Center (a federally qualified health center network with multiple Delta locations), the North Mississippi Health Services system, and a network of Head Start and early childhood programs are the primary institutional employers in the region. MVSU graduates entering these settings often represent the only MSW-level practitioners in their counties.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Mississippi; Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists.
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 Mississippi-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.