Nebraska has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs, one in each of the state's two largest cities. The University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work, accredited since 1940, is one of the oldest continuously accredited MSW programs in the United States and dominates the Nebraska social work academic landscape. It offers an Advanced Generalist concentration, three dual degrees with Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Public Health, Advanced Standing, online delivery since 2021, and a Kearney site extending its reach to central Nebraska. Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, accredited in 2021, is a private liberal arts institution offering a Trauma concentration, Advanced Standing, and weekend or evening delivery. NWU does not offer online delivery per the CSWE directory.
Omaha is Nebraska's largest city and the primary social work labor market in the Great Plains. Nebraska Medicine, the academic medical center affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is one of the state's top healthcare social work employers. CHI Health (CommonSpirit Health), which operates a large regional hospital network including CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, and Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha employ significant numbers of healthcare social workers. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Douglas County Social Services, and the Omaha nonprofit sector, including the Nebraska Family Alliance, Lutheran Family Services, and Heartland Family Service, constitute the primary non-healthcare employer base. Omaha's substantial Latino immigrant community in the South Omaha neighborhoods and a large African American population on the north side generate significant social work workforce demand in culturally competent practice.
Lincoln, home to NWU, is the state capital and second-largest city. Bryan Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Lincoln-based facilities are the primary healthcare employers. The Nebraska DHHS Lincoln headquarters and its behavioral health, child welfare, and Medicaid programs employ the largest concentration of state government social workers outside Omaha. Nebraska social work licensing is administered by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health Licensure Unit, which issues the LMSW and the LCSW along with the Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) credential for clinical graduates.
Which MSW programs in Nebraska 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. UNO: Omaha + Kearney + online (2021). NWU: Lincoln on-campus only; no online delivery per CSWE.
- #1
University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work
Omaha, NE · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1940
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1940, one of the longest continuous accreditation histories in the nation and by far the longest of any MSW program in Nebraska. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. Three dual-degree programs are offered: Criminal Justice, Public Administration, and Public Health, a combination of dual degrees that is unusually broad and prepares graduates for cross-sector leadership roles in law enforcement-adjacent social work, public service management, and population health. Advanced Standing is available. Online delivery was added in 2021. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory. The program operates from the Omaha campus and a Kearney site, extending its reach to central Nebraska. UNO is a metropolitan research university in the University of Nebraska system. Omaha's large social work employer base, including Nebraska Medicine, CHI Health (CommonSpirit), Children's Hospital and Medical Center, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and Douglas County's social services system, provides one of the richest field placement and employment environments in the Great Plains.
Public (University of Nebraska at Omaha). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Social Work - #2
Nebraska Wesleyan University Department of Social Work
Lincoln, NE · On-Campus · CSWE-accredited since 2021
5.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingNebraska Wesleyan University's Department of Social Work is the newer of Nebraska's two MSW programs, accredited since 2021. One concentration is listed: Trauma. Advanced Standing is available. Weekend and evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. No online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026. Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the United Methodist Church, located in Lincoln, the state capital. The Trauma concentration is a nationally relevant specialization that prepares graduates for trauma-informed practice across child welfare, domestic violence services, behavioral health, and veteran services settings. Lincoln's social services landscape, including Bryan Health, the University of Nebraska Medical Center network, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Lincoln offices, and a substantial nonprofit social services sector, provides employment access for NWU graduates. The 2021 accreditation date and the on-campus-only format are primary factors placing NWU second in this state ranking.
Private (Nebraska Wesleyan University, United Methodist-affiliated). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Nebraska Wesleyan University Department of Social Work
How long does an MSW take in Nebraska, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Nebraska 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 Nebraska?
Omaha is the dominant job market for MSW graduates in Nebraska and among the stronger markets in the Great Plains region. Nebraska Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha is the state's flagship academic medical center and a major employer of healthcare social workers across inpatient, cancer care, transplant, and specialty services. CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center and Methodist Health System are the other large Omaha hospital-based employers. Children's Hospital and Medical Center, one of the top pediatric hospitals in the Midwest, employs pediatric and child welfare social workers. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services' Omaha-area offices, Douglas County Health Center, and the range of nonprofit behavioral health and community services organizations in Omaha are the primary non-healthcare employers. Omaha's Benson and South neighborhoods and the heavily Latino South Omaha community have grown significantly, driving demand for social workers with bilingual and bicultural competencies.
Lincoln is the state capital and the second-largest social work market. Bryan Health (Bryan Medical Center and Bryan Heart Institute) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Lincoln facilities are the primary healthcare employers. The Nebraska DHHS Lincoln headquarters, the Department of Correctional Services, the Revisor of Statutes and the Legislature's social policy research infrastructure, and the extensive Lincoln nonprofit social services sector employ a substantial share of Lincoln's licensed social work workforce. Lincoln's large Sudanese refugee community, one of the largest in the United States relative to city population, generates ongoing demand for culturally competent social workers in refugee resettlement, workforce development, and community health.
Central Nebraska, served by UNO's Kearney site, includes communities in Grand Island, Kearney, and the surrounding agricultural regions. These communities face persistent social work workforce shortages in behavioral health, child welfare, and rural health settings. UNO's Kearney site is the primary academic resource for central Nebraska students who want to complete an MSW without relocating to Omaha or Lincoln.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Nebraska; Nebraska DHHS Behavioral Health Licensure.
Which MSW program in Nebraska has been accredited the longest?
University of Nebraska at Omaha has been accredited the longest of any MSW program in Nebraska, holding CSWE accreditation since 1940, which is 86 years of continuous standing as of 2026. The state's newest accredited program, Nebraska Wesleyan University, dates to 2021.
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.
Can you earn an MSW online in Nebraska in 2026?
You can earn an MSW online in Nebraska at one of the state's two accredited programs: University of Nebraska at Omaha. It records an online option in the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs.
Accreditation covers every approved delivery method under the same degree, so an online MSW carries the same standing for licensure as the on-campus version and the ASWB examination does not distinguish between them. Field placement is the part that stays local: coursework is delivered online, but the 900 supervised hours happen at an agency, which for most students means one within commuting distance of home.
How did we rank these Nebraska MSW programs?
We ranked these Nebraska 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 Nebraska-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: Nebraska licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Nebraska run from one holding that status since 1940 to one accredited as recently as 2021, 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 Nebraska?
You become a licensed social worker in Nebraska 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 Nebraska social work licensing board. Nebraska 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.
Advanced generalist social work license route in NE
MSW → PCMSW → CMSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the PCMSW (Provisional Certified Master Social Worker) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and pass the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, then apply for the CMSW (Certified Master Social Worker), the state's independent (non-clinical) practice license.
Clinical social work license route in NE
MSW → PMHP → LIMHP → LMHP
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the PMHP (Provisional Mental Health Practitioner) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LIMHP (Licensed independent mental health practitioner).
- 4
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice, then apply for the LMHP (Licensed Mental Health Practitioner), which authorizes independent clinical practice.
Nebraska social work licenses at a glance
Provisional master's license
Provisional Certified Master Social Worker
Advanced generalist (independent) license
Certified Master Social Worker
Pre-clinical (associate) license
Provisional Mental Health Practitioner
Clinical license
Licensed independent mental health practitioner
Clinical license
Licensed Mental Health Practitioner
Source: Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Social Work Regulatory Database, 2026. License requirements change, so always confirm current rules with the Nebraska licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Nebraska
Common questions about MSW programs in Nebraska, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Nebraska?
What do social workers earn in Nebraska?
What are Nebraska's social work licensing requirements?
What does UNO's triple dual degree offering mean for students?
Is Nebraska Wesleyan's Trauma concentration a good fit for child welfare or domestic violence practice?
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 Nebraska 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, Nebraska 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 Nebraska?
The best MSW programs near Nebraska 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.