Hawaii has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, both located in Honolulu on Oahu. The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, accredited since 1942, anchors the state with a four-concentration portfolio, a Law dual degree, online delivery since 2006, and Advanced Standing. It is one of the oldest continuously accredited MSW programs in the country and the only MSW program in Hawaii with a long accreditation history, giving it a dominant position in Hawaii's social work workforce pipeline. The program is named for Myron B. Thompson, a nationally recognized Hawaiian social work leader and civic figure.
Hawai'i Pacific University's School of Social Work, accredited since 2005, offers two concentrations including a distinctive Military Social Work track. HPU's Honolulu location is adjacent to Pearl Harbor and several of the Pacific's major military installations, making the Military Social Work concentration unusually well-positioned for field placement and employment in military-facing social work practice. Online delivery was added in 2024. HPU is a private university; its Kapolei and Pearl City sites closed in 2024 per the CSWE directory, and delivery is now from the Honolulu campus and online.
Hawaii's social work landscape is shaped by several distinctive features: a large and growing Native Hawaiian population with specific culturally grounded social work practice needs, a substantial active-duty military and veteran community, one of the oldest median-age populations among U.S. states, and a high cost of living that strains access to social services. The Department of Human Services, the Child Welfare Services division, the Hawaii State Hospital, and the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System are the major public-sector employers of MSW graduates in the state.
Which MSW programs in Hawai'i are CSWE-accredited?
Every CSWE-accredited MSW program in the state is listed here, 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. UH Manoa: Honolulu + online (2006). HPU: Honolulu + online (2024); Kapolei and Pearl City closed 2024 per CSWE.
- #1
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work
Honolulu, HI · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1942
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1942, one of the longest continuous accreditation histories in the country and the longest of any MSW program in Hawaii. Four concentrations are offered: Children, Youth, and Families; Healthcare; Mental Health; and Aging and Gerontological Practice. A dual-degree program with Law is available. Online delivery was added in 2006, making it one of the earliest MSW programs nationally to offer online delivery. Advanced Standing is available. UH Manoa is the flagship research university of the University of Hawaii system. The Thompson School is named for Myron B. Thompson, a prominent Hawaiian social worker and civic leader. The four-concentration portfolio is substantial for any MSW program and reflects the diverse social work practice contexts in Hawaii, from the child welfare system to Native Hawaiian health to military social work to gerontological practice serving Hawaii's rapidly aging population. The program's location in Honolulu and its online option since 2006 give it exceptional reach across all the Hawaiian islands and the Pacific region.
Public (University of Hawai'i at Manoa, flagship research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work - #2
Hawai'i Pacific University School of Social Work
Honolulu, HI · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 2005
6.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingHawai'i Pacific University's School of Social Work offers two concentrations: Advanced Generalist and Military Social Work. Online delivery was added in 2024 per the CSWE directory. Advanced Standing is available. Weekend and evening delivery options are available. The Kapolei and Pearl City sites listed in the CSWE directory closed in 2024; delivery is now from the Honolulu campus and online. HPU is a private university in Honolulu. The Military Social Work concentration is a nationally significant distinction: HPU's Honolulu location near Pearl Harbor and several major military installations, including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Schofield Barracks, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, makes this concentration particularly relevant. Hawaii hosts the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and is home to a substantial active-duty, reserve, and veteran population. The Military Social Work concentration prepares graduates for practice with service members, veterans, and military families in settings served by the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense, and military-adjacent nonprofits. The 2005 accreditation date and private institutional status place HPU second in this state ranking.
Private (Hawai'i Pacific University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Hawai'i Pacific University School of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Hawai'i, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Hawai'i takes two years of full-time study, and what it costs turns mostly on whether the program is public or private. The Master of Social Work here is built on 60 credits and 900 hours of supervised field placement. Every one runs an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. 1 sit at public universities and one at a private one, which is usually the largest single difference in what you will pay. Each card links to the program's own tuition page. The field-hour rules that apply everywhere are set out in our guide to CSWE accreditation.
What is the job market like for MSW graduates in Hawai'i?
Oahu, home to Honolulu and approximately 75 percent of Hawaii's population, is the dominant job market for MSW graduates. The Queen's Health Systems and Hawaii Pacific Health are the two largest non-military health systems, each operating major hospitals in Honolulu including Queen's Medical Center and Pali Momi Medical Center. Tripler Army Medical Center on Oahu, a major U.S. Army hospital serving active-duty personnel and their families across the Pacific region, is a significant employer of military social workers. The VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS), headquartered in Honolulu, serves veterans across Hawaii and the Pacific Islands and is the primary federal employer of licensed social workers in the state.
The Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS), including the Child Welfare Services branch, Med-QUEST Division (Medicaid), and the Benefit, Employment and Support Services division, is the primary state government employer of social workers in Hawaii. The Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe is the state's designated psychiatric hospital and a major employer of clinical social workers. The Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, along with their contracted community mental health centers, employ a large share of Hawaii's licensed social work workforce. The Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and Shriner's Hospital for Children are additional child welfare and healthcare employers in Honolulu.
Native Hawaiian health and cultural services organizations are a distinctive sector of Hawaii's social work labor market. Papa Ola Lokahi, the Alu Like organization, and community health centers serving Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Waianae, Nanakuli, and across Oahu employ social workers with cultural competency in Hawaiian practices and values. UH Manoa's Aging and Gerontological Practice concentration addresses the needs of Hawaii's rapidly aging population, which is projected to have a disproportionately high share of elderly residents relative to working-age adults by 2030.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hawai'i; Hawaii DCCA, Social Work Licensing.
Which MSW programs in Hawai'i offer a dual degree?
One MSW program in Hawai'i offers a dual degree: University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (Law). Each is recorded in the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.
A dual degree takes longer than an MSW alone but less time than the two degrees taken separately, because a block of credits counts toward both. They suit a specific plan rather than general ambition: a JD pairs with policy, child welfare and forensic practice, an MPH with hospital and public health settings, an MBA with nonprofit management. If you do not have that plan yet, the standard MSW leaves the option open.
Which MSW program in Hawai'i has been accredited the longest?
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa has been accredited the longest of any MSW program in Hawai'i, holding CSWE accreditation since 1942, which is 84 years of continuous standing as of 2026. The state's newest accredited program, Hawai‘i Pacific University, dates to 2005.
Longevity is worth something specific: it means a program has met the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards across many reaffirmation cycles rather than once. It is not the same as quality, and a recently accredited program has been held to the current standards rather than grandfathered against older ones. Both hold identical standing for licensure.
How did we rank these Hawai'i MSW programs?
We ranked these Hawai'i MSW programs on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking, applied identically to every accredited program in the state. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Hawaii-specific adjustments are made. Programs are ordered by composite score. For the full methodology, see our ranking methodology page.
Accreditation is 25% of the score because it is the only pass-or-fail factor here: Hawai'i licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Hawai'i run from one holding that status since 1942 to one accredited as recently as 2005, and a longer record means more reaffirmation cycles survived.
Weights: CSWE accreditation 25%, program leadership 15%, pathways 15%, delivery format 15%, employer signal 15%, cost 10%, reputation 5%. Each factor is defined in full on our ranking methodology page.
How do you become a licensed social worker in Hawai'i?
You become a licensed social worker in Hawai'i by completing a CSWE-accredited MSW, passing the ASWB examination at the level your license requires, and, for a clinical license, logging supervised hours afterwards. Licensing here is administered by the Hawai'i social work licensing board. Hawai'i offers more than one route to licensure, pick the branch that matches the kind of practice you want. License names, exams, and supervised-hour requirements come from the ASWB Social Work Regulatory Database.
Master's social work license route in HI
MSW → LSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Pass the ASWB Masters exam and apply for the LSW (Licensed Social Worker).
Clinical social work license route in HI
MSW → LCSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 5 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Hawai'i social work licenses at a glance
Master's license
Licensed Social Worker
Clinical license
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Source: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Social Work Regulatory Database, 2026. License requirements change, so always confirm current rules with the Hawai'i licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Hawai'i
Common questions about MSW programs in Hawai'i, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Hawai'i?
What do social workers earn in Hawai'i?
What are Hawai'i's social work licensing requirements?
Which Hawai'i program is best for military social work?
Can I complete a UH Manoa or HPU MSW from the neighbor islands (Maui, Kauai, Big Island)?
Where does the data on this page come from?
The data on this page comes from the sources below, and from nothing else: no commercial directories, no other ranking sites.
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs covers which Hawai'i programs hold accreditation, the year each was first accredited, approved campus locations, concentrations, dual degrees and plan-of-study options.
- Individual program pages (.edu) supply curriculum detail, field-hour requirements, delivery format and cohort scheduling. Each program card links to the page it was written from.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Hawai'i supplies the employment and wage figures in the job-market section, May 2025 release.
- ASWB Social Work Laws and Regulations Database supplies license names, examination levels and supervised-hour requirements, read 2026.
- Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education supplies the research classification used in the ranking model.
What are the best MSW programs near Hawai'i?
The best MSW programs near Hawai'i are in the neighboring states below, all CSWE-accredited. Licensure is state by state, so check a program across the border against the rules where you intend to practice.