New Jersey has 8 CSWE-accredited MSW programs concentrated in the densely populated northeastern corridor of the state and extending to the southern shore and the Philadelphia-adjacent Camden region. Rutgers School of Social Work dominates the state ranking both by longevity (CSWE accreditation since 1957) and by national recognition (#12, U.S. News), and is the only New Jersey MSW program with a national ranking. Its six-site network spanning New Brunswick, Camden, Newark, Bordentown, Mays Landing, and Jersey City makes it the most geographically accessible program in the state.
New Jersey's MSW landscape reflects the state's unique geographic position between two major metropolitan areas: most programs are clustered in or near the New York City metro corridor (Union, West Long Branch, Mahwah, South Orange, Montclair), while Rutgers' Camden site and Stockton University's Atlantic City campus serve the Philadelphia-adjacent south. This positioning gives New Jersey MSW graduates access to some of the deepest social work labor markets in the country, including major healthcare systems, public sector agencies, and nonprofit organizations in both the New York and Philadelphia metro areas.
New Jersey's licensing structure uses an unusual naming convention: the bachelor's-level credential is the CSW (Certified Social Worker), while the master's-level non-clinical credential is the LSW (Licensed Social Worker). In most other states, these labels are reversed or use different terms (LBSW for bachelor's, LMSW for master's). Prospective students coming from other states should be aware of this distinction when researching licensure portability.
All 8 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in New Jersey
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. Rutgers ranking (#12 nationally) confirmed from the school's official website. Monmouth's 54-credit curriculum is below the standard 60 credits used by most programs. Ramapo requires 1,000 field hours vs. the 900-hour standard. Montclair State's online track requires New Jersey residency.
- #1 National #12
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Social Work
New Brunswick, NJ · On-Campus or Online
9.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1957Why It Ranks Here
Rutgers School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1957, the oldest MSW program in New Jersey by 41 years, and is ranked 12th nationally by U.S. News and World Report, the only nationally ranked program in the state. Two advanced specializations are offered: Clinical Social Work and Management and Policy. Five dual-degree programs are available: MSW with Law (JD), Criminal Justice (MA), Public Health (MPH), Public Policy (MPP), and Pastoral Studies, the deepest dual-degree portfolio of any New Jersey MSW program. The school operates from six physical sites across the state: New Brunswick (1957), Camden (1957), Newark (1957), Bordentown (2006), Mays Landing (2008), and Jersey City (2013), plus online delivery since 2018. The geographic reach of Rutgers' campus network is unmatched in New Jersey, providing access from the Philadelphia suburbs through the central Jersey corridor to the New York City metro. Over 250 faculty and 1,000+ practicum learning sites are affiliated with the program. Advanced Standing is available.
Public (Rutgers University, R1 flagship). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Monmouth University School of Social Work
West Long Branch, NJ · On-Campus or Online
7.5
54 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2000Why It Ranks Here
Monmouth University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2000. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical Practice with Families and Children and Global and Community Practice. The Global and Community Practice concentration is nationally distinctive, preparing graduates for assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation at the community, organizational, and international levels, a practice focus uncommon among New Jersey programs. Monmouth is a Coverdell Peace Corps Fellows host program, providing subsidized MSW enrollment for returning Peace Corps volunteers. The program requires 54 credit hours, below the standard 60 required by most programs; students should confirm field hour requirements directly with the program. Online delivery is available alongside the West Long Branch campus option. Advanced Standing is available. Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch in Monmouth County on the New Jersey Shore, in the New York metropolitan commuter belt.
Private (Monmouth University). Contact the program for current tuition rates and financial aid information.
View program page → - #3
Kean University Department of Graduate Social Work
Union, NJ · On-Campus or Online
7.2
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1998Why It Ranks Here
Kean University's Department of Graduate Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1998, the second-oldest MSW program in New Jersey after Rutgers. A Clinical or Direct Practice concentration is offered, with the curriculum emphasizing evidence-based clinical skills for practice with individuals, families, and groups. Online delivery has been available since 2019. Advanced Standing is available. Kean is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the United States, and the program's student body reflects the diversity of the Union County and Newark metropolitan area. Kean University is a public institution in Union, in Union County, in the dense northeast New Jersey corridor adjacent to the New York City metropolitan labor market. Union County and the surrounding Essex County (Newark) area constitute one of the largest social work employment markets in New Jersey.
Public (Kean University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #4
Stockton University School of Social Work
Atlantic City, NJ · On-Campus (Hybrid)
6.8
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2009Why It Ranks Here
Stockton University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2009 and operates from the Atlantic City campus in a hybrid format, with classes held Monday and Wednesday evenings. A Social Justice concentration is the program's singular focus, preparing graduates to work with marginalized populations using an anti-racist, anti-oppression, and social, economic, racial, and environmental justice framework. This Social Justice concentration is uncommon among New Jersey MSW programs and positions graduates for advocacy, policy, and direct practice in underserved communities. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credit hours for CSWE-accredited BSW holders (one year full-time or two years part-time). No fully online delivery is offered; the program operates in hybrid modality with in-person evening classes. Stockton University is a public liberal arts university based in Galloway Township with a campus presence in Atlantic City, the primary city in Atlantic County and one of the most economically disadvantaged urban areas in New Jersey. The Atlantic City location provides practicum access to underserved coastal New Jersey communities.
Public (Stockton University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #5
Seton Hall University College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
South Orange, NJ · On-Campus or Online
6.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2015Why It Ranks Here
Seton Hall University's MSW has held CSWE accreditation since 2015. Two concentrations are offered: Behavioral Health and Forensic Social Work. Seton Hall describes its Forensic Social Work program as the only graduate forensic social work program in New Jersey, preparing students for practice at the intersection of social work and the legal and criminal justice systems, including courts, corrections, victim services, and child welfare proceedings. The Behavioral Health concentration focuses on mental health and addiction recovery. A licensure preparation seminar is included in the curriculum. Online delivery has been available since initial accreditation in 2015. Advanced Standing is available. Seton Hall is a private Catholic university in South Orange in Essex County. The program is well-positioned for the Essex County, Newark, and broader northeastern New Jersey social work labor market. No dual-degree programs are listed in the CSWE directory.
Private (Seton Hall University, Catholic). Contact the program for current tuition rates and financial aid information.
View program page → - #6
Ramapo College of New Jersey Department of Social Work
Mahwah, NJ · On-Campus (Hybrid)
6.2
60 credits 1,000 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2015Why It Ranks Here
Ramapo College of New Jersey's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2015. An Advanced Generalist practice model is offered across all program tracks. The program requires 1,000 field hours for the full-time and part-time tracks, above the 900-hour standard required by most New Jersey programs, providing expanded practicum depth. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credits and approximately 500 field hours. The program is delivered in a hybrid format from the Mahwah campus. Ramapo College is a public liberal arts college in Mahwah in Bergen County, in northern New Jersey adjacent to the New York State border and within the greater New York City metropolitan area. Bergen County is one of the most densely populated and affluent counties in New Jersey, with significant social work employment in healthcare, schools, and behavioral health systems. No dual-degree programs are listed in the CSWE directory.
Public (Ramapo College of New Jersey). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #7
Montclair State University Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy
Montclair, NJ · On-Campus or Online
5.9
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2018Why It Ranks Here
Montclair State University's Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy received CSWE accreditation in 2018. Two concentrations are offered: Children, Youth and Families and Clinical Practice. The Children, Youth and Families concentration prepares graduates for clinical and advocacy work with vulnerable children, adolescents, and families across mental health, school, child welfare, and community settings. An online track was added in 2025. Advanced Standing is available at 33 credit hours. The online track requires New Jersey residency for enrollment. The program uses a cohort-based model. In-person practicums are required in years two and three regardless of delivery format. Montclair State University is a public research university in Montclair in Essex County, in the densely populated northeastern New Jersey corridor. No dual-degree programs are listed in the CSWE directory.
Public (Montclair State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #8
Fairleigh Dickinson University Department of Social Work
Online, NJ · Online
5.4
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2020Why It Ranks Here
Fairleigh Dickinson University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2020 and has operated fully online in an asynchronous format since initial accreditation. An Advanced Generalist practice model is offered. The standard track requires 60 credit hours and 900 practicum hours; the Advanced Standing track requires 30 credit hours and 500 practicum hours. Courses are asynchronous, allowing students to complete work on their own schedule. Students work with a practicum coordinator to secure field placements locally in their home communities, in settings including hospitals, schools, mental health agencies, and criminal justice organizations. Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with campuses in Teaneck and Florham Park, New Jersey, though the MSW program is delivered entirely online. The fully online, asynchronous format makes FDU's MSW accessible to students across New Jersey and beyond who require maximum scheduling flexibility.
Private (Fairleigh Dickinson University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in New Jersey
New Jersey's social work labor market is anchored by its proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, two of the largest metropolitan economies in the country. RWJBarnabas Health, the state's largest health system with hospitals across northern, central, and southern New Jersey, is a major employer of healthcare and medical social workers. Hackensack Meridian Health, Atlantic Health System, and Virtua Health round out the major healthcare social work employers. New Jersey's Department of Children and Families (DCF) operates child protective services and family support programs statewide and is a primary public-sector employer for MSW graduates.
The northeastern New Jersey corridor, which includes Essex County (Newark), Hudson County (Jersey City), Union County, and Bergen County, functions as an extension of the New York City social work labor market. Social workers with MSW degrees from programs in this corridor can access positions in New York City's hospital systems, behavioral health organizations, and city agencies while maintaining New Jersey licensure through reciprocity agreements. New Jersey's high cost of living is offset by correspondingly higher social work wages: healthcare social workers in New Jersey earn among the highest median wages in the country.
Southern New Jersey, including Atlantic City, Camden, and the Shore communities, has distinct workforce dynamics. Atlantic City and the surrounding Atlantic County communities face concentrated poverty and high demand for social workers in behavioral health, housing instability, and family services. Camden, one of the poorest cities in the United States, has significant nonprofit, healthcare, and child welfare social work employment. Rutgers' Camden site and Stockton University's Atlantic City campus are specifically positioned to serve these southern New Jersey labor markets.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Jersey; NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, State 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 New Jersey-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.