Montana has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, each serving distinct geographic and educational markets. The University of Montana School of Social Work in Missoula, accredited since 2001, is the older and higher-ranked program, offering an Advanced Generalist concentration, a Law dual degree, and online delivery added in 2021. UM does not offer Advanced Standing per the CSWE directory. Carroll College's Department of Social Work in Helena, which received CSWE accreditation in 2021, offers a Clinical concentration with Advanced Standing and online delivery also added in 2021. The two programs, separated by approximately 115 miles, together provide coverage across western Montana's two largest non-Billings cities.
Montana's social work landscape is characterized by vast geography, a small and dispersed population of approximately 1.1 million, seven federally recognized tribes on four reservations, significant rural and frontier workforce shortages, and a behavioral health crisis driven by methamphetamine, opioids, and alcohol use disorder that affects urban, rural, and tribal communities alike. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) estimates consistently document social work workforce shortages across most of the state, particularly in eastern Montana's agricultural and energy communities, the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in the south, and the Fort Peck Reservation in the northeast.
Montana social work licensing is administered by the Montana Board of Behavioral Health within the Department of Labor and Industry. Both the LMSW and LCSW follow the standard national exam-based pathway. The state's geographic scale means that field placement coordination for online students requires active engagement between students and program field directors to identify appropriate supervised practice sites in home communities.
All 2 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Montana
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. UM: Missoula + online (2021), no Advanced Standing. Carroll: Helena + online (2021), Advanced Standing available.
- #1
University of Montana School of Social Work
Missoula, MT · On-Campus or Online
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours No Advanced Standing Accred. since 2001Why It Ranks Here
The University of Montana School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2001, the longest continuous accreditation of any MSW program in Montana. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. A dual-degree program with Law is available. Online delivery was added in 2021. Advanced Standing is not available per the CSWE directory, which is an important distinction for BSW holders planning their academic pathway. UM is the flagship research university of Montana, located in Missoula. The Law dual degree is a nationally uncommon offering and is particularly relevant in Montana, where rural, tribal, and frontier legal-social work practice intersect in contexts including child welfare law, tribal family law, disability rights, and public benefits advocacy. Missoula's location provides access to Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital, the two primary healthcare social work employers in western Montana, as well as the Salish and Kootenai Tribes' social services on the nearby Flathead Reservation.
Public (University of Montana). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Carroll College Department of Social Work
Helena, MT · On-Campus or Online
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2021Why It Ranks Here
Carroll College's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2021, making it the newer of Montana's two MSW programs. One concentration is listed: Clinical or Direct Practice. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2021, the same year as accreditation, making the program accessible statewide from launch. Carroll College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, the state capital. Helena is Montana's fourth-largest city and the center of state government social services employment, including the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) headquarters and its contracted behavioral health and child welfare providers. The Clinical concentration prepares graduates for direct clinical practice and licensure. The 2021 accreditation date and private institutional character place Carroll College second in this state ranking; the Clinical track, Advanced Standing availability, and Helena's state government employer base are meaningful programmatic advantages.
Private (Carroll College, Catholic liberal arts college). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Montana
Billings is Montana's largest city and primary social work labor market, though neither MSW program is located there. Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings), and the Crow Agency Indian Health Service hospital on the Crow Reservation to the south are the primary healthcare social work employers in the eastern half of the state. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Billings office, the Department of Corrections, and the behavioral health provider network in Yellowstone County employ a substantial number of public-sector social workers. MSW graduates from UM and Carroll College who are willing to relocate to Billings access this market routinely.
Missoula, home to UM, is western Montana's primary social work market. Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital are the dominant healthcare employers. The Western Montana Mental Health Center, operated as the designated community mental health center for a multi-county region, and the county social services offices are major public-sector employers. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' social services programs on the Flathead Reservation to the north provide tribal social work employment opportunities. Missoula's growing population and its concentration of nonprofits serving housing, domestic violence, refugee, and substance use disorder populations make it one of Montana's richer social work labor markets relative to its size.
Helena, home to Carroll College, is the center of state government social services employment. The Montana DPHHS headquarters and its divisions including the Child and Family Services Division, Addictive and Mental Disorders Division, and the Disability Services Division are headquartered in Helena and employ the largest concentration of public-sector social workers outside of Billings. St. Peter's Health in Helena and the AWARE Inc. community mental health center are additional employers. Carroll College's proximate location to these state agencies is a meaningful employment advantage for its graduates.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Montana; Montana Board of Behavioral Health.
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 Montana-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.