Kentucky has 9 CSWE-accredited MSW programs distributed across its major cities and extended through online delivery to rural regions. The University of Louisville Kent School, with CSWE accreditation dating to 1937, is the state's oldest social work program and one of the longest continuously accredited programs in the United States. The University of Kentucky, the state's flagship R1 land-grant university, anchors the Lexington market with an online and hybrid MSW offering seven supplemental graduate certificates for specialization depth.
Kentucky's MSW landscape is notable for its strong online infrastructure: five of nine programs operate fully online, and two others offer hybrid or online tracks. This reflects the state's significant rural and Appalachian geography, where campus access is limited and social work workforce shortages are most acute. Eastern Kentucky's Appalachian counties have among the highest rates of opioid use disorder in the nation, driving demand for social workers with substance use disorder and behavioral health clinical training. University of Pikeville, the only CSWE-accredited MSW program physically located in eastern Kentucky, focuses its entire curriculum on mental health and addictions specifically to address this need.
Kentucky's licensing structure is distinct from many neighboring states: there is no LBSW or LMSW designation. Master's-level social workers obtain the CSW (Certified Social Worker) after passing the ASWB Master exam, and the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) after two years of supervised post-master's clinical experience. The Kentucky Board of Social Work maintains jurisdiction over all three credential categories.
Which MSW programs in Kentucky 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. University of Louisville awards the MSSW degree title (CSWE-accredited). WKU satellite sites at Cookeville TN, Paducah, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown are closed; program now operates from Bowling Green and online. NKU program now delivered online.
- #1
University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work and Family Science
Louisville, KY · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1937
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work and Family Science is the oldest social work program in Kentucky by more than three decades and one of the longest continuously accredited programs in the United States, accredited since 1937. The degree awarded is the Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW), a CSWE-accredited professional degree that qualifies graduates for Kentucky CSW and LCSW licensure. Seven areas of professional focus are offered: Alcohol and Drug Counseling, Cancer and Health Social Work, Forensic Social Work, Gerontology, Mental Health, Military Social Work, and School Social Work, a breadth of specialization that is unusual among Kentucky programs. Per the CSWE directory, dual-degree options with Law and Theology/Divinity are available; prospective students should confirm current availability with the program. Online delivery has been available since 2012. Advanced Standing is available. The Kent School is part of the University of Louisville, a public metropolitan research university in Louisville, Kentucky's largest city and the economic center of the state.
Public (University of Louisville, metropolitan research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Louisville Kent School of Social Work and Family Science - #2
University of Kentucky College of Social Work
Lexington, KY · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1970
8.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Kentucky College of Social Work is housed at the state's flagship R1 land-grant research university. The degree is the MSW, available in online and hybrid formats. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credit hours for CSWE-accredited BSW holders. Seven graduate certificates can be pursued alongside the MSW, including Rural Health and Wellbeing, Military Behavioral Health, Child Welfare Practice, School Social Work, and Clinical Social Work, providing unusually deep specialization options within a single program. No GRE is required for admission. Online delivery has been available since 2018. The CSWE directory lists a partnership delivery site at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, providing a military-affiliated track. Lexington is Kentucky's second-largest city and the center of the Bluegrass region, with UK HealthCare, CHI Saint Joseph Health, and a significant concentration of state government and nonprofit social services employers.
Public (University of Kentucky, R1 flagship). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Kentucky College of Social Work - #3
Western Kentucky University Department of Social Work
Bowling Green, KY · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 2002
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingWestern Kentucky University's Department of Social Work is the third-oldest MSW program in Kentucky, accredited since 2002. An Advanced Generalist practice model is used throughout the curriculum. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery has been available since 2016. Two graduate certificates can be pursued alongside the MSW: School Social Work and Trauma and Resilience. The Trauma and Resilience certificate is particularly relevant to WKU's rural service region, which includes communities with above-average rates of adverse childhood experiences and substance use. The program formerly operated satellite sites at Cookeville (TN), Paducah, Owensboro, and Elizabethtown; those locations have since closed. WKU is a public university in Bowling Green, the fourth-largest city in Kentucky and the regional hub for south-central Kentucky and southern Kentucky's rural communities.
Public (Western Kentucky University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Western Kentucky University Department of Social Work - #4
Spalding University School of Social Work
Louisville, KY · Hybrid (On-Campus + Online) · CSWE-accredited since 1999
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingSpalding University's School of Social Work offers a single Integrative Practice concentration, combining clinical and macro social work preparation with equal curriculum weight given to both practice levels, an approach that is uncommon among Kentucky programs and designed to produce practitioners effective at both direct client work and community and organizational practice. Advanced Standing is available at 31 credit hours. The program operates in a hybrid format: face-to-face class meetings on Thursday and Friday evenings comprise approximately half of instruction, with the remainder delivered online or through experiential learning. A minimum of 900 field hours is required. Online delivery was expanded in 2022. Spalding is a private Catholic university in Louisville, with access to the University of Louisville Health network, Norton Healthcare, and a broad ecosystem of faith-based and nonprofit social services organizations.
Private (Spalding University, Catholic). Contact the program for current tuition rates and financial aid information.
Spalding University School of Social Work - #5
Campbellsville University Carver School of Social Work
Campbellsville, KY · Online · CSWE-accredited since 2008
6.4
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingCampbellsville University's Carver School of Social Work has operated fully online since initial accreditation, making it the longest-running fully online MSW program in Kentucky. The program was reaffirmed by CSWE in 2024, with next reaffirmation scheduled for 2032. Four specialized tracks are offered: Clinical, Substance Use Disorder, Faith-Based, and Forensic Social Work. The combination of Faith-Based and Forensic tracks within a single program is nationally rare. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credit hours, completable in as few as nine months. Field placements are arranged locally by students. Campbellsville is a private Baptist university in rural Taylor County in south-central Kentucky. The online format serves students statewide, particularly in rural communities of south-central Kentucky where campus-based MSW programs are not accessible.
Private (Campbellsville University, Baptist). $624 per credit hour as of 2025-2026. Contact the program for updated rates.
Campbellsville University Carver School of Social Work - #6
Northern Kentucky University School of Social Work
Highland Heights, KY · Online · CSWE-accredited since 2010
6.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingNorthern Kentucky University's School of Social Work offers a specialization in Clinical Behavioral Health and Community Practice, with micro-credentials available in trauma-informed care, forensic social work, gerontology, and veteran services. Online delivery has been available since 2022. Advanced Standing is available. The CSWE directory lists Clinical, Community Development/Social Systems, Human Behavior, and Behavioral Health as distinct practice areas; the program website consolidates these under a unified Clinical Behavioral Health and Community Practice specialization. NKU is a public university in Highland Heights, directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. The Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area provides substantial practicum and employment opportunities in healthcare, behavioral health, and nonprofit social services. NKU's Northern Kentucky location positions it as the primary CSWE-accredited MSW program serving the Covington, Newport, and Highland Heights corridor of the Cincinnati metro.
Public (Northern Kentucky University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Northern Kentucky University School of Social Work - #7
Brescia University Marilyn Younger Conley School of Social Work
Owensboro, KY · Online · CSWE-accredited since 2016
5.8
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingBrescia University's Marilyn Younger Conley School of Social Work has operated fully online with synchronous weekly class sessions since initial accreditation. Classes meet weekly in real time using video conferencing, providing synchronous instruction that distinguishes the program from fully asynchronous online programs. An Advanced Generalist practice model is offered. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credit hours, completable in one year full-time or two years part-time. Students arrange field placements locally, with 900 hours required for the standard track. Brescia is a private Catholic university in Owensboro, western Kentucky's largest city. The program serves students across western Kentucky and surrounding regions where campus-based MSW access is limited.
Private (Brescia University, Catholic). $685 per credit hour as of 2025-2026. Contact the program for updated rates.
Brescia University Marilyn Younger Conley School of Social Work - #8
Eastern Kentucky University Department of Social Work
Richmond, KY · Online · CSWE-accredited since 2020
5.4
63 credits 900 field hours No Advanced StandingEastern Kentucky University's Department of Social Work offers a fully online MSW. The program requires 63 credit hours, delivered in 7-week asynchronous modules, slightly above the standard 60 credits required by most programs. Rather than traditional named concentrations, students select from approved interdisciplinary university certificate programs and complete three elective courses from that certificate's curriculum alongside an interprofessional practicum and capstone, integrating social work practice with fields such as gerontology, public health, and related areas. No Advanced Standing option is listed in the CSWE directory. EKU is a public university in Richmond in Madison County, in the east-central Bluegrass region. The fully online format extends access across eastern Kentucky, including Appalachian counties with persistent social work workforce shortages in behavioral health, child welfare, and substance use services.
Public (Eastern Kentucky University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Eastern Kentucky University Department of Social Work - #9
University of Pikeville School of Social Work
Pikeville, KY · Online · CSWE-accredited since 2020
5.2
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Pikeville's School of Social Work offers a fully online MSW specializing in mental health and addictions. All coursework is focused on clinical practice with individuals, families, and small groups experiencing mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Advanced Standing is available at 30 credit hours, with an accelerated track completable in less than one year. University of Pikeville is a private university in Pikeville in Pike County, in the heart of eastern Kentucky's Appalachian coalfields. The program is uniquely positioned to address the region's severe behavioral health workforce shortage: Pike County and surrounding Appalachian counties have among the highest rates of opioid use disorder and overdose mortality in the nation, creating significant demand for clinically trained social workers with substance use disorder expertise. UPike is the only CSWE-accredited MSW program physically based in eastern Kentucky.
Private (University of Pikeville). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
University of Pikeville School of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Kentucky, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Kentucky 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 to 63 credits and 900 hours of supervised field placement. 8 run an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. 5 sit at public universities and 4 at private ones, 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 Kentucky?
Louisville is Kentucky's largest job market for MSW graduates. The University of Louisville Health network, Norton Healthcare, Baptist Health Louisville, and Kindred Healthcare together employ a large share of the state's healthcare social workers. The Metro United Way and a dense nonprofit sector in Jefferson County create MSW-level positions in poverty services, housing, and community mental health. Louisville Metro Government's Department of Community Services and Louisville/Jefferson County's Family and Children's Place are major employers for child welfare and family services social workers.
Lexington is the state's second major labor market. UK HealthCare, the University of Kentucky's hospital system, is the largest healthcare employer in central Kentucky and a primary practicum and employment destination for social workers with clinical and medical specializations. CHI Saint Joseph Health, Bluegrass Care Navigators (hospice and palliative care), and a growing behavioral health and nonprofit sector round out Lexington's MSW labor market. The Kentucky Department for Community Based Services and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, both headquartered in Frankfort and operating regional offices statewide, are major public-sector employers for child welfare and human services social workers.
Eastern Kentucky presents a distinct workforce dynamic: the region faces severe shortages of behavioral health clinicians and social workers relative to population need, driven by elevated rates of opioid use disorder, poverty, and adverse childhood experiences in the Appalachian coalfields. ARH (Appalachian Regional Healthcare) hospitals, behavioral health agencies, and the region's child welfare system create persistent demand for social workers willing to practice in Pikeville, Hazard, Paintsville, and surrounding communities. Programs such as University of Pikeville and Eastern Kentucky University are specifically positioned to serve this workforce pipeline.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Kentucky; Kentucky Board of Social Work.
How long does an MSW take in Kentucky if you already have a BSW?
An MSW in Kentucky takes about a year if you already have a BSW, because Advanced Standing is offered at every one of the state's nine accredited programs: Brescia University, Campbellsville University, Eastern Kentucky University and Northern Kentucky University among others. A standard MSW runs two years.
Advanced Standing waives the foundation year for graduates of a CSWE-accredited BSW, which is why the route is only open to that degree and not to a bachelor's in psychology or sociology. Every accredited program in Kentucky offers it.
Which MSW programs in Kentucky offer an embedded certificate?
Five MSW programs in Kentucky offer an embedded certificate alongside the degree, covering Addictions, Child and Family, Mental Health, Administration or Management and Gerontology. These are recorded in the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.
An embedded certificate is completed inside the MSW rather than after it, so it usually adds no extra semesters. It is worth checking what the certificate actually is before it sways a decision: some are a formal credential recognized by employers or a state agency, others are simply a named set of electives on the transcript.
How did we rank these Kentucky MSW programs?
We ranked these Kentucky 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 Kentucky-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: Kentucky licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Kentucky run from one holding that status since 1937 to one accredited as recently as 2020, 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 Kentucky?
You become a licensed social worker in Kentucky 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 Kentucky social work licensing board. Kentucky 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 KY
MSW → CSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete supervised practice at least 2 years and pass the ASWB Masters exam, then apply for the CSW (Certified Social Worker).
Clinical social work license route in KY
MSW → LCSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete supervised practice 2 to 3 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Kentucky social work licenses at a glance
Master's license
Certified 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 Kentucky licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Kentucky
Common questions about MSW programs in Kentucky, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Kentucky?
What do social workers earn in Kentucky?
What are the social work licensing requirements in Kentucky?
Does the University of Louisville award an MSW or an MSSW?
Which Kentucky MSW programs best serve rural and Appalachian communities?
Which Kentucky cities have MSW programs?
Find CSWE-accredited programs in and near specific Kentucky cities, with nearby campuses, online options, and local salary and job-market data.
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 Kentucky 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, Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
The best MSW programs near Kentucky 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.