Faith-Based Rankings
Best Faith-Based Advanced Standing MSW Programs, Top 15 (2026)
Published
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
This list sits at the overlap of two things: a Master of Social Work offered by a religiously affiliated institution, and an Advanced Standing track that finishes the accredited degree in about a year for BSW holders. Both conditions have to be true and both are sourced rather than inferred. The affiliation does not affect the score, and the degree is the same licensable MSW awarded anywhere else.
The 15 highest-scoring CSWE-accredited Advanced Standing MSW programs at religiously affiliated institutions: the accelerated track that lets CSWE-accredited BSW holders finish a master's in roughly a year. We identify faith affiliation from IPEDS and Advanced Standing availability from the CSWE directory, then rank the eligible programs on the same data-driven model used in our national ranking.
What are the 15 best faith-based advanced standing MSW programs?
The 15 best faith-based advanced standing MSW programs are below, each scored as a weighted composite of five factors computed from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs and the institution's Carnegie research classification. Affiliation and Advanced Standing availability set eligibility; neither is part of the score.
- #1 Roman Catholic National #9
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO, MO · CSWE-Accredited since 1930 · Online or On-Campus
9.5
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 8 concentrations Online option Carnegie R1Saint Louis University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1930, making it the second-oldest continuously accredited program in Missouri. The concentration menu is the widest in Missouri at eight options: Clinical or Direct Practice, Community Development and Social Systems, Management or Administration, Mental Health, Other, Social Policy, Aging and Gerontological Practice, and Macro Social Work. Four dual-degree programs are available: Criminal Justice, Law (JD), Other, and Public Health (MPH). The combination of an Aging and Gerontological Practice concentration and a Macro Social Work specialization, both uncommon at the master's level, broadens graduate career pathways into population health policy and nonprofit leadership. Online delivery has been available since 2018. Advanced Standing is available. SLU is a Jesuit private research university in St. Louis; the School of Social Work operates within SLU's core commitments to service, justice, and care for the whole person, which shape the program's community engagement emphasis without mandating a theological curriculum.
https://www.slu.edu/social-work/academics/social-work/social-work-msw.php - #2 Roman Catholic National #30
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL, IL · CSWE-Accredited since 1921 · Online or On-Campus
8.7
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionLoyola University Chicago's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1921 and is among the oldest continuously accredited social work programs in Illinois. Loyola is a large Jesuit research university on Chicago's Near North Side. The program offers two delivery formats beyond the standard campus track: an online MSW available since 2022, and an Online Bilingual (Spanish-English) MSW track available since 2018, one of a small number of bilingual online social work programs in the country. The bilingual track addresses a documented workforce need in Chicago's large Spanish-speaking communities, particularly in neighborhoods like Pilsen, Little Village, and Humboldt Park. Advanced Standing is available. Chicago campus students have direct access to the full Cook County and City of Chicago practicum placement network.
https://www.luc.edu/socialwork/ - #3 Roman Catholic National #32
Catholic University of America
Washington, DC, DC · CSWE-Accredited since 1923 · Online or On-Campus
8.7
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 4 concentrations Online optionThe National Catholic School of Social Service at Catholic University of America has held CSWE accreditation since 1923, one of the oldest continuously accredited MSW programs in the country and the only accredited program based in the District of Columbia. The 60-credit curriculum splits evenly between generalist and specialized practice, with 12 of those credits spent across two field internships. Two specializations are offered: Clinical, which prepares students for licensed independent practice, and Community, Administration and Policy Practice, which is built around policy analysis and structural change rather than direct service. The generalist curriculum and the Clinical specialization are both published in online and on-campus versions; the CAPP specialization is listed on campus only, which matters if macro practice is the reason you are applying. Students may finish full-time in two years or extend part-time to five. A dual degree with law and embedded certificates in addictions and child welfare are also available.
https://ncsss.catholic.edu/academics/msw-program/index.html - #4 Roman Catholic National #46
Fordham University
New York, NY, NY · CSWE-Accredited since 1929 · Online or On-Campus
8.5
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online option Carnegie R2Fordham's Graduate School of Social Service holds CSWE accreditation dating to 1929, making it the second-oldest continuously accredited MSW program in New York. The program operates from two campus locations, a Manhattan site at Lincoln Center and a Westchester site in West Harrison, along with an online track added in 2018. At 62 credits, the program is slightly larger than the standard 60-credit MSW, reflecting a curricular depth that includes both clinical and macro practice tracks. Fordham schedules primarily part-time, evening, and weekend cohorts, making it well suited for working adults across New York City and the Hudson Valley. Advanced Standing is available for eligible BSW holders. Fordham also appears at rank 17 on our national MSW ranking.
https://www.fordham.edu/graduate-school-of-social-service/ - #5 Roman Catholic National #61
Marywood University
Scranton, PA, PA · CSWE-Accredited since 1969 · Online or On-Campus
8.0
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionMarywood University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1969, matching Temple's accreditation history and representing one of the two longest records among programs outside Pennsylvania's state-related universities. The program is delivered from the Scranton campus in Lackawanna County, the primary city of Northeastern Pennsylvania. An online track was added in 2025. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical Social Work and Macro Social Work Practice. Marywood operates within a Catholic Institutional Humanistic Education tradition under the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM). Advanced Standing, full-time, and part-time enrollment are available. A Pocono campus that operated through 2022 has closed; all instruction is now delivered from Scranton or online.
https://www.marywood.edu/academics/ssw - #6 United Methodist National #70
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, GA, GA · CSWE-Accredited since 1928 · Online or On-Campus
8.0
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 2 concentrations Online optionClark Atlanta University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1928, the oldest social work program in Georgia, and describes itself as the nation's first accredited school of social work at a historically Black college or university. The accredSince date of 1928 reflects accreditation by CSWE's predecessor body, the American Association of Schools of Social Work; CSWE as currently constituted was founded in 1952. Two specializations are offered: Children, Youth and Families and Behavioral Health. The program employs an Afrocentric framework as a core curriculum element, described as a culturally grounded practice model that integrates cultural experiences, values, and interpretations across people of African descent, providing a distinctive pedagogical approach uncommon among MSW programs. Online delivery has been available since 2023. Advanced Standing is available. Clark Atlanta is a private HBCU in Atlanta's historically Black university cluster (Atlanta University Center Consortium) alongside Morehouse and Spelman colleges. No dual-degree programs are listed in the CSWE directory.
https://www.cau.edu/school-of-social-work - #7 Roman Catholic National #82
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX, TX · CSWE-Accredited since 1945 · Online or On-Campus
7.6
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionOur Lady of the Lake University's Worden School of Social Service holds the longest CSWE accreditation history in Texas, dating to 1945, predating UT Austin's 1952 accreditation. The school was founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence and operates within a Catholic liberal arts institutional context, serving predominantly Hispanic and Latino communities in San Antonio and South Texas. A La Feria campus in the Rio Grande Valley extends access to students in the border region, alongside an online track available since 2021. The Worden School is one of the oldest continuously accredited social work programs in the South and has a substantial alumni presence in San Antonio's public human services and nonprofit sectors. Advanced Standing is available.
https://www.ollusa.edu/worden-school/programs/masters-in-social-work-msw/index.html - #8 Seventh Day Adventists National #88
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI, MI · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · Online or On-Campus
7.4
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionAndrews University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1997 and offers an unusually broad set of specialization options for a program of its size: Trauma-Informed Practice, Clinical Practice, Human Services Management, School Social Work, Medical Social Work, and International Social Work. An online track was added in 2022. Advanced Standing is available. Andrews is a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Berrien Springs in Southwest Michigan, near the Michigan-Indiana border. Six dual-degree programs are available: MSW/MBA, MSW/MDiv, MSW/MPH, MSW/MSCID (Community and International Development), MSW/MAYAM (Administration), and others. The MSW/MDiv dual degree is rare nationally and serves students integrating pastoral ministry with clinical social work.
https://www.andrews.edu/cas/socialwork/ - #9 Roman Catholic National #93
Barry University
Miami Shores, FL, FL · CSWE-Accredited since 1968 · Online or On-Campus
7.3
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionBarry University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1968, the second-oldest accreditation history in Florida after FSU. Barry is a private Dominican Catholic university in Miami Shores, adjacent to Miami. The program offers a Trauma concentration, a distinctive specialization in trauma-informed and resiliency-focused clinical social work practice that differentiates it from most Florida programs offering only a general clinical track. Both on-campus and online delivery have been available since 2018. Advanced Standing is available. A doctoral program (DSW and PhD) is also offered, situating Barry's MSW within a broader research and professional doctorate environment. The South Florida location provides practicum placement access to the full Miami metro social services infrastructure.
https://www.barry.edu/en/academics/social-work/?r=rdt&rdts=www.barry.edu - #10 Roman Catholic National #98
University of Saint Thomas
Saint Paul, MN, MN · CSWE-Accredited since 1990 · Online or On-Campus
7.2
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 3 concentrations Online optionThe University of Saint Thomas School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1990, initially as part of a joint collaborative program with St. Catherine University (1990 to 2019) and subsequently as an independent program. Three concentrations are offered: Clinical Practice, Aging and Gerontological Practice, and Immigrants and Refugees. The Immigrants and Refugees concentration is particularly well matched to the Twin Cities, which has the largest Somali diaspora community in the United States and large Hmong and Karen populations. An online track has been available since 2018. A dual MSW/JD with the Saint Thomas School of Law is available. Advanced Standing is offered. Saint Thomas is a Catholic university affiliated with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
https://health.stthomas.edu/social-work/index.html - #11 Baptist National #117
Baylor University
Waco, TX, TX · CSWE-Accredited since 2001 · Online or On-Campus
6.8
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 2 concentrations Online optionBaylor University's Garland School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2001 and is one of a small number of R1 research universities in the country with a Baptist institutional affiliation. The school is named after Diana Garland, a former dean and prominent social work educator. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical Practice and Community Development and Social Systems, addressing both direct clinical and community/organizational career paths. An online track has been available since 2018. Multiple cohort start dates and Advanced Standing are offered. A Houston campus that operated through 2022 has since closed.
https://socialwork.web.baylor.edu/current-students/msw - #12 Free Methodist National #125
Roberts Wesleyan University
Rochester, NY · CSWE-Accredited since 1997 · Online or On-Campus
6.7
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 2 concentrations Online optionRoberts Wesleyan University's MSW program has held CSWE accreditation since 1997, the longest accreditation history among Christian-affiliated MSW programs currently operating in New York State. The program transitioned to fully online delivery in 2021, and its Rochester campus location ended in 2024. The program now operates entirely online, with multiple cohort start dates and evening/weekend scheduling options. Roberts Wesleyan's institutional context is grounded in the Wesleyan Holiness tradition, though the program is open to students of all backgrounds. Advanced Standing is available for eligible BSW graduates. New York students arrange practicum placements locally regardless of online delivery.
https://www.roberts.edu/graduate/programs/social-work-msw/ - #13 Roman Catholic National #140
St. Ambrose University
Davenport, IA, IA · CSWE-Accredited since 1999 · Online or On-Campus
6.6
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionSt. Ambrose University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1999 and offers dual-degree programs with Business Administration (MBA) and Public Health (MPH), both facilitating practice in healthcare administration and community health settings. Online delivery has been available since 2018. Advanced Standing is available. St. Ambrose is a private Catholic-affiliated university in Davenport, the largest city in Iowa's Quad Cities metropolitan area. The Quad Cities metro spans both sides of the Mississippi River, encompassing Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois, creating a bi-state social work labor market with GenesisCare Health System, UnityPoint Health-Trinity, and a large network of behavioral health and social services agencies on both sides of the river. The MBA dual degree supports graduates pursuing nonprofit management or healthcare administration careers in the Quad Cities region.
https://www.sau.edu/master-of-social-work/accreditation - #14 Churches of Christ National #141
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX, TX · CSWE-Accredited since 2007 · Online or On-Campus
6.6
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 2 concentrations Online option Carnegie R2Abilene Christian University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2007, one of the longer accreditation histories among private Christian-affiliated programs in Texas. An online track was added in 2025. An Advanced Generalist concentration is offered along with additional specialization options. Full-time, part-time, and Advanced Standing enrollment are available. ACU operates within a Churches of Christ institutional context and admits students of all backgrounds. Abilene serves as the primary licensed social work access point for a large rural West-Central Texas region.
https://acu.edu/academics/health-behavioral-sciences/social-work/ - #15 Seventh Day Adventists National #145
Walla Walla University
College Place, WA, WA · CSWE-Accredited since 1989 · Online or On-Campus
6.5
/ 10.0
✓ Advanced Standing 1 concentration Online optionWalla Walla University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1989 and offers a Clinical or Direct Practice concentration. Advanced Standing is available. The program operates from College Place, Washington (adjacent to Walla Walla), a Billings, Montana site that has been active since 2000, and online delivery launched in 2025. A Missoula, Montana site operated from 1997 through 2024. Walla Walla University is a private Seventh-day Adventist institution; the social work program reflects the SDA church's global health and humanitarian mission, and graduates work across both faith-based and secular healthcare, community services, and clinical settings. The multi-state delivery model, including the long-established Billings site, positions Walla Walla as a regional provider of accredited MSW education for students across southeast Washington, northeast Oregon, and Montana.
https://wallawalla.edu/socialwork
How do faith-based advanced standing MSW programs compare?
Top 15 of the 57 CSWE-accredited Advanced Standing MSW programs at religiously affiliated institutions. National rank is the program's position among all 350 accredited MSW programs in our model.
| # | Institution | State | Affiliation | Format | Natl. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Louis University | MO | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #9 | 9.5 |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago | IL | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #30 | 8.7 |
| 3 | Catholic University of America | DC | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #32 | 8.7 |
| 4 | Fordham University | NY | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #46 | 8.5 |
| 5 | Marywood University | PA | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #61 | 8.0 |
| 6 | Clark Atlanta University | GA | United Methodist | Online or On-Campus | #70 | 8.0 |
| 7 | Our Lady of the Lake University | TX | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #82 | 7.6 |
| 8 | Andrews University | MI | Seventh Day Adventists | Online or On-Campus | #88 | 7.4 |
| 9 | Barry University | FL | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #93 | 7.3 |
| 10 | University of Saint Thomas | MN | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #98 | 7.2 |
| 11 | Baylor University | TX | Baptist | Online or On-Campus | #117 | 6.8 |
| 12 | Roberts Wesleyan University | NY | Free Methodist | Online or On-Campus | #125 | 6.7 |
| 13 | St. Ambrose University | IA | Roman Catholic | Online or On-Campus | #140 | 6.6 |
| 14 | Abilene Christian University | TX | Churches of Christ | Online or On-Campus | #141 | 6.6 |
| 15 | Walla Walla University | WA | Seventh Day Adventists | Online or On-Campus | #145 | 6.5 |
Who is an advanced standing MSW for?
Advanced Standing is built for graduates who already hold a CSWE-accredited BSW. Because the foundation year repeats material a BSW already covered, these programs waive it, so a qualified applicant can earn the MSW in roughly 30-40 credits and about a year of full-time study, often at a lower total cost than a two-year track. A faith-based Advanced Standing program pairs that efficiency with a religiously affiliated institution, and many students complete their accelerated field placement with faith-aligned organizations:
- Denominational social-service agencies (for example, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, and Jewish Family Services)
- Faith-based nonprofits, community ministries, and chaplaincy programs
- Religiously affiliated hospitals, hospices, and behavioral-health systems
- Refugee resettlement and humanitarian-aid organizations
- Rescue missions, recovery, and homeless-services programs
- Faith-mission foster care, adoption, and family-services agencies
Licensure and scope of practice are identical no matter where you study. See state-by-state rules on the credentials page, compare every accelerated option in our best Advanced Standing MSW ranking, or browse all religiously affiliated programs in our faith-based MSW ranking.
How do we identify and rank faith-based advanced standing programs?
We identify and rank faith-based advanced standing programs on two sourced conditions, both of which must be true: IPEDS records a religious affiliation for the institution, and the CSWE directory records an Advanced Standing track for the program. We do not guess affiliation from an institution's name, and we do not infer Advanced Standing, both come from the underlying datasets. Programs at public universities, at private institutions with no reported religious affiliation, or without a recorded Advanced Standing track are not eligible.
Once eligibility is set, every program is scored on the same five-factor, data-driven model applied to all 350 accredited MSW programs nationally. Nothing in the score is opinion, affiliation, or format: each factor maps to a verifiable field in the CSWE directory or to the institution's Carnegie research classification. Because CSWE's EPAS standards require a 900-hour field-education minimum for every accredited MSW, field hours are a shared floor across programs rather than a scored differentiator.
| Factor | Weight | What we measure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accreditation longevity | 30% | Years since the program first earned CSWE accreditation. Long, continuous standing signals a program that has met EPAS standards across many review cycles. | CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs |
| Pathways & laddering | 22% | Number of concentrations, whether an Advanced Standing track is offered for BSW holders, and the count of embedded certificates and dual-degree options. | CSWE Directory (concentrations, advanced standing, certificates, dual degrees) |
| Prestige (Carnegie research tier) | 18% | The institution's 2025 Carnegie research classification: R1 (very high research) and R2 (high research) earn the highest marks; other institutions share a common baseline. | Carnegie Classifications (ACE) |
| Delivery format | 18% | Whether the program offers an online option, how many approved campus locations it operates, and whether evening/weekend delivery is available. | CSWE Directory (online option, approved locations, plan of study) |
| Schedule flexibility | 12% | Availability of both full-time and part-time plans of study. | CSWE Directory (program plan) |
Scores are assigned on a 1-10 scale per factor, then multiplied by the factor weight and summed to produce a composite out of 10.0. For the full editorial seven-factor model used on hand-reviewed national programs, see our ranking methodology.
Common questions about faith-based advanced standing MSW programs
What is an Advanced Standing MSW?
What makes a program "faith-based"?
How many faith-based MSW programs offer Advanced Standing?
Does religious affiliation affect the ranking?
Is a faith-based Advanced Standing MSW still CSWE-accredited and licensure-eligible?
Sources
- Religious affiliation: IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2022 (religious affiliation), via the Urban Institute Education Data API (educationdata.urban.org), mirroring IPEDS Institutional Characteristics.
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs for accreditation status, Advanced Standing availability, and program structure.
- Carnegie Classifications (ACE) for the research-tier prestige factor.
- Scoring follows the data-driven model documented above and on our methodology page.
Last updated 2026-09-09. Affiliation reflects the latest available IPEDS Institutional Characteristics release.