Nebraska has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, one in each of the state's two largest cities. The University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work, accredited since 1940, is one of the oldest continuously accredited MSW programs in the United States and dominates the Nebraska social work academic landscape. It offers an Advanced Generalist concentration, three dual degrees with Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Public Health, Advanced Standing, online delivery since 2021, and a Kearney site extending its reach to central Nebraska. Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, accredited in 2021, is a private liberal arts institution offering a Trauma concentration, Advanced Standing, and weekend or evening delivery. NWU does not offer online delivery per the CSWE directory.
Omaha is Nebraska's largest city and the primary social work labor market in the Great Plains. Nebraska Medicine, the academic medical center affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is one of the state's top healthcare social work employers. CHI Health (CommonSpirit Health), which operates a large regional hospital network including CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, and Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha employ significant numbers of healthcare social workers. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Social Services, and the Omaha nonprofit sector, including the Nebraska Family Alliance, Lutheran Family Services, and Heartland Family Service, constitute the primary non-healthcare employer base. Omaha's substantial Latino immigrant community in the South Omaha neighborhoods and a large African American population on the north side generate significant social work workforce demand in culturally competent practice.
Lincoln, home to NWU, is the state capital and second-largest city. Bryan Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Lincoln-based facilities are the primary healthcare employers. The Nebraska DHHS Lincoln headquarters and its behavioral health, child welfare, and Medicaid programs employ the largest concentration of state government social workers outside Omaha. Nebraska social work licensing is administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health Licensure Unit, which issues the LMSW and the LCSW along with the Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) credential for clinical graduates.
All 2 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Nebraska
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. UNO: Omaha + Kearney + online (2021). NWU: Lincoln on-campus only; no online delivery per CSWE.
- #1
University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work
Omaha, NE · On-Campus or Online
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1940Why It Ranks Here
The University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1940, one of the longest continuous accreditation histories in the nation and by far the longest of any MSW program in Nebraska. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. Three dual-degree programs are offered: Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Public Health, a combination of dual degrees that is unusually broad and prepares graduates for cross-sector leadership roles in law enforcement-adjacent social work, public service management, and population health. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2021. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory. The program operates from the Omaha campus and a Kearney site, extending its reach to central Nebraska. UNO is a metropolitan research university in the University of Nebraska system. Omaha's large social work employer base, including Nebraska Medicine, CHI Health (CommonSpirit), Children's Hospital and Medical Center, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and Douglas County's social services system, provides one of the richest field placement and employment environments in the Great Plains.
Public (University of Nebraska at Omaha). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Nebraska Wesleyan University Department of Social Work
Lincoln, NE · On-Campus
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2021Why It Ranks Here
Nebraska Wesleyan University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2021, making it the newer of Nebraska's two MSW programs. One concentration is listed: Trauma. Advanced Standing is available. Weekend and evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. No online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026. Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the United Methodist Church, located in Lincoln, the state capital. The Trauma concentration is a nationally relevant specialization that prepares graduates for trauma-informed practice across child welfare, domestic violence services, behavioral health, and veteran services settings. Lincoln's social services landscape, including Bryan Health, the University of Nebraska Medical Center network, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Lincoln offices, and a substantial nonprofit social services sector, provides employment access for NWU graduates. The 2021 accreditation date and the on-campus-only format are primary factors placing NWU second in this state ranking.
Private (Nebraska Wesleyan University, United Methodist-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Nebraska
Omaha is the dominant social work labor market in Nebraska and among the stronger markets in the Great Plains region. Nebraska Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha is the state's flagship academic medical center and a major employer of healthcare social workers across inpatient, cancer care, transplant, and specialty services. CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center and Methodist Health System are the other large Omaha hospital-based employers. Children's Hospital and Medical Center, one of the top pediatric hospitals in the Midwest, employs pediatric and child welfare social workers. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' Omaha-area offices, Douglas County Health Center, and the range of nonprofit behavioral health and community services organizations in Omaha are the primary non-healthcare employers. Omaha's Benson and South neighborhoods and the heavily Latino South Omaha community have grown significantly, driving demand for social workers with bilingual and bicultural competencies.
Lincoln is the state capital and the second-largest social work market. Bryan Health (Bryan Medical Center and Bryan Heart Institute) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Lincoln facilities are the primary healthcare employers. The Nebraska DHHS Lincoln headquarters, the Department of Correctional Services, the Revisor of Statutes and the Legislature's social policy research infrastructure, and the extensive Lincoln nonprofit social services sector employ a substantial share of Lincoln's licensed social work workforce. Lincoln's large Sudanese refugee community, one of the largest in the United States relative to city population, generates ongoing demand for culturally competent social workers in refugee resettlement, workforce development, and community health.
Central Nebraska, served by UNO's Kearney site, includes communities in Grand Island, Kearney, and the surrounding agricultural regions. These communities face persistent social work workforce shortages in behavioral health, child welfare, and rural health settings. UNO's Kearney site is the primary academic resource for central Nebraska students who want to complete an MSW without relocating to Omaha or Lincoln.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Nebraska; Nebraska DHHS Behavioral Health Licensure.
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 Nebraska-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.