Louisiana has 5 CSWE-accredited MSW programs anchored by Tulane University School of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1927 under predecessor bodies that merged into CSWE in 1952, giving Tulane one of the longest accreditation histories of any graduate social work program in the United States. Tulane offers a Clinical or Direct Practice concentration alongside dual degrees with Law and Public Health, and is consistently recognized among the top-ranked schools of social work nationally. Louisiana State University's School of Social Work in Baton Rouge, accredited since 1940, is the state's flagship public program and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration with dual degrees in Law and Public Health, online delivery since 2015, and direct proximity to the state's central social services agencies.
Louisiana is notable for having two HBCU-based CSWE-accredited MSW programs. Southern University at New Orleans, accredited since 1985, offers three concentrations covering Children, Youth, and Families; Healthcare; and Mental Health, with a Child Welfare certification and online delivery added in 2025. It serves one of the most socially complex urban environments in the country. Grambling State University, accredited since 1998, is the only CSWE-accredited MSW program serving north Louisiana, covering communities in the Shreveport-Bossier City corridor, Monroe, and rural north Louisiana parishes where social work workforce shortages are acute. Grambling is also the only Louisiana program without online delivery, operating solely from its campus in Grambling.
Louisiana social work licensing is administered by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) and follows the LBSW, LMSW, and LCSW structure. Louisiana additionally recognizes the LCSW-BACS (Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Approved Clinical Supervisor), an advanced supervisory credential uncommon among U.S. states. Louisiana's high poverty rate, consistently among the top three states nationally, high rates of child maltreatment, and significant behavioral health challenges across both urban and rural parishes create strong structural demand for MSW-level practitioners across all five programs' geographic service areas.
Which MSW programs in Louisiana 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. Tulane and LSU accreditation dates reflect predecessor accreditation under AASSW before CSWE was established in 1952. Grambling State University has no online option per CSWE directory. SUNO online delivery added 2025 per CSWE.
- #1
Tulane University School of Social Work
New Orleans, LA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1927
9.2
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingTulane University School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1927, under predecessor accreditation bodies that merged into CSWE in 1952, giving Tulane one of the longest continuous accreditation histories of any MSW program in the United States and the longest in Louisiana by 13 years. One concentration is offered: Clinical or Direct Practice. Three dual-degree programs are available, with Law (JD), Public Health (MPH), and Other, a combination that positions graduates for clinical, public health, and interdisciplinary practice roles. Online delivery was added in 2018. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory, providing more flexible entry points than most Louisiana programs. Tulane is a private R1 research university in New Orleans and is consistently recognized among the top-ranked graduate schools of social work nationally. Tulane's New Orleans location provides access to one of the most complex social work environments in the country, shaped by high poverty rates, post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding, and the city's distinctive healthcare, child welfare, and community development infrastructure.
Private (Tulane University, R1 research university). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Tulane University School of Social Work - #2
Louisiana State University School of Social Work
Baton Rouge, LA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1940
7.8
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingLouisiana State University's School of Social Work holds the second-longest continuous accreditation history in Louisiana, reflecting predecessor accreditation under the American Association of Schools of Social Work, dating to 1940. LSU began graduate social work education in 1910, with the degree designated as a Master of Arts until 1947 when the MSW degree was formally established. One concentration is offered: Advanced Generalist, preparing graduates for versatile practice across Louisiana's diverse social services sectors. Dual-degree programs are available with Law (JD) and Public Health (MPH). Online delivery was added in 2015. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year are offered. LSU is Louisiana's flagship public R1 research university in Baton Rouge, the state capital. The program's Baton Rouge location provides access to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services central office, the Office of Behavioral Health, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, and the state's primary legislative and regulatory social services infrastructure.
Public (Louisiana State University and A&M College, R1 flagship research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Louisiana State University School of Social Work - #3
Southern University at New Orleans School of Social Work
New Orleans, LA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1985
6.8
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingSouthern University at New Orleans (SUNO) School of Social Work is one of two HBCU-based MSW programs in Louisiana. Three concentrations are offered: Children, Youth, and Families; Healthcare; and Mental Health, covering the primary practice domains relevant to New Orleans's social work labor market. A Child Welfare certification is available. Online delivery was added in 2025. Advanced Standing is available. SUNO is a public HBCU in New Orleans and part of the Southern University System. As an HBCU, SUNO plays a distinct role in training social workers from Black and underrepresented communities for practice in New Orleans's neighborhoods, where historical and structural inequities continue to shape demand for culturally competent social work services. The concentration in Children, Youth, and Families is particularly relevant to the high rates of child poverty in New Orleans and across Louisiana.
Public (Southern University at New Orleans, HBCU). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Southern University at New Orleans School of Social Work - #4
Grambling State University School of Social Work
Grambling, LA · On-Campus · CSWE-accredited since 1998
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingGrambling State University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1998; a prior accreditation period of 1989 to 1996 is also noted in the CSWE directory. One concentration is offered: Clinical or Direct Practice. No online option is currently listed in the CSWE directory, making Grambling the only Louisiana program operating solely from a physical campus. Advanced Standing is available. Grambling is a public HBCU in north Louisiana and the only CSWE-accredited MSW program serving the northern half of the state, covering communities in the Shreveport-Bossier City corridor, Monroe, and rural north Louisiana parishes where social work workforce shortages are acute. The Clinical concentration prepares graduates for licensure and practice in a region where access to licensed behavioral health services is significantly limited relative to population need.
Public (Grambling State University, HBCU). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Grambling State University School of Social Work - #5
Louisiana Christian University Department of Social Work
Pineville, LA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 2017
5.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingLouisiana Christian University's Department of Social Work offers three concentrations: Advanced Generalist, Healthcare, and Mental Health. A Behavioral Health certification is available. Online delivery was added in 2023. Advanced Standing is available. LCU (formerly Louisiana College) is a private Baptist-affiliated university in Pineville in central Louisiana, adjacent to Alexandria. The social work program does not mandate a theological curriculum and graduates are fully prepared for secular licensure and employment. LCU's central Louisiana location serves a region where social work workforce shortages are significant in both healthcare and child welfare settings. The 2017 accreditation date is the primary factor placing LCU fifth in this ranking.
Private (Louisiana Christian University, Baptist-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Louisiana Christian University Department of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Louisiana, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Louisiana 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. 3 sit at public universities and 2 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 Louisiana?
New Orleans is Louisiana's largest job market for MSW graduates and one of the most structurally complex in the South. Ochsner Health System, the largest nonprofit health system in Louisiana, and LCMC Health operate multiple hospitals and outpatient facilities across the metro and are primary employers of healthcare and medical social workers. LSU Health New Orleans, Tulane Medical Center, and Children's Hospital New Orleans anchor the academic medical and pediatric social work market. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Region 3 office and the Metropolitan Human Services District, which administers behavioral health services across Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes, employ the largest concentrations of public-sector social workers in the city. Post-Hurricane Katrina recovery and the ongoing work of community development and housing organizations continue to sustain demand for macro and community social work practitioners.
Baton Rouge, the state capital, is the second major Louisiana social work market. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center (OLOL), Baton Rouge General Medical Center, and the Baton Rouge-area facilities of Ochsner and Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System are the primary healthcare employers for clinical and medical social workers. The Louisiana DCFS headquarters, the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), the Department of Corrections, and the Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs are all based in Baton Rouge, generating substantial public-sector MSW employment across child welfare, adult services, behavioral health, and corrections policy. LSU's School of Social Work, located on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, maintains deep practicum relationships with these agencies.
North Louisiana, anchored by Shreveport-Bossier City, is the third major market and the service area most dependent on Grambling State University's pipeline. LSU Health Shreveport (a major academic medical center), Willis-Knighton Health (the largest private health system in north Louisiana), and the Caddo and Bossier parish human services and child welfare systems employ the majority of MSW practitioners in the region. Rural north Louisiana parishes, including Claiborne, Lincoln, Union, Morehouse, and others adjacent to Grambling's campus, have among the most acute social work workforce shortages in the state, with limited access to licensed clinical social workers in private practice and reliance on community mental health centers that struggle to recruit MSW-level staff.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Louisiana; Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners.
Which cities in Louisiana have CSWE-accredited MSW programs?
Baton Rouge, Grambling, New Orleans and Pineville have CSWE-accredited MSW programs in Louisiana, 4 cities in total across the state's 5 accredited programs, according to the approved teaching locations each records with CSWE.
Location matters more for an MSW than for most master's degrees, because the 900 hours of field education have to happen at an agency that will take you, and programs place students through partnerships built up near their campuses. Studying near where you intend to practice tends to mean placement in the network you will later job-hunt in. Four programs in Louisiana also offer online coursework, which widens the choice for students outside those cities.
What can you specialize in with an MSW in Louisiana?
You can specialize in Advanced Generalist, Clinical or Direct Practice, Healthcare and Mental Health with an MSW in Louisiana, the concentrations recorded with CSWE by five of the state's five accredited programs. Programs across the state record five distinct concentrations in total.
One concentration is offered by a single program in Louisiana, including Children, Youth, and Families, so a student set on Children, Youth, and Families has one option in state rather than a choice of several. Concentration is the part of the curriculum that follows the generalist foundation year the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards require of every accredited program.
How did we rank these Louisiana MSW programs?
We ranked these Louisiana 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 Louisiana-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: Louisiana licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Louisiana run from one holding that status since 1927 to one accredited as recently as 2017, 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 Louisiana?
You become a licensed social worker in Louisiana 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 Louisiana social work licensing board. Louisiana 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 LA
MSW → CSW → LMSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the CSW (Certified Social Worker) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Pass the ASWB Masters exam and apply for the LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker).
Clinical social work license route in LA
MSW → LCSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Louisiana social work licenses at a glance
Provisional master's license
Certified Social Worker
Master's license
Licensed Master 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 Louisiana licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Louisiana
Common questions about MSW programs in Louisiana, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Louisiana?
What do social workers earn in Louisiana?
What are Louisiana's social work licensing requirements?
Which Louisiana MSW programs are HBCU-based?
Does Louisiana have any fully online MSW programs?
Which Louisiana cities have MSW programs?
Find CSWE-accredited programs in and near specific Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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, Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
The best MSW programs near Louisiana 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.