Washington state has 4 CSWE-accredited MSW programs anchored by the University of Washington School of Social Work in Seattle, which has maintained continuous accreditation since 1934 and is consistently recognized as one of the top-ranked graduate social work programs in the country. UW operates from the main Seattle campus and a Tacoma site (since 1998), with online delivery newly added in 2025. The program's position within UW's R1 research infrastructure, its dual degrees with Public Health and Public Administration, and its deep practicum networks across the Seattle metro area's healthcare and social services systems set it decisively apart from the other Washington programs.
Seattle University, accredited in 2016, offers the broadest concentration menu in Washington at five specializations, including dedicated tracks in Substance Use Disorders and Trauma, both directly aligned to well-documented behavioral health challenges in Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound region. Eastern Washington University (accredited 1976) serves the Inland Northwest and Spokane metro from campuses in Cheney, Spokane, and Everett, offering dual degrees with Law and Public Administration, which is uncommon for a regional comprehensive university, and is the only Washington program without an Advanced Standing option per CSWE. Walla Walla University, a private Seventh-day Adventist institution, serves southeast Washington and Montana from College Place and Billings, with online delivery added in 2025.
Washington's social work licensing uses a four-tier structure that differs from most states. The LASW (Licensed Advanced Social Worker) is the entry-level master's license, earned by passing the ASWB Master's examination after completing an accredited MSW. The LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker) is the clinical license, requiring approximately 3,200 hours of supervised post-graduate clinical experience over at least two years. Washington does not use the LMSW designation used in most states; prospective students planning to transfer licenses across state lines should verify reciprocity with the destination state's licensing board.
Which MSW programs in Washington 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. UW online delivery launched 2025 per CSWE. EWU Advanced Standing listed as false in CSWE directory. Walla Walla Billings MT site active since 2000; Missoula MT closed 2024; online added 2025.
- #1
University of Washington School of Social Work
Seattle, WA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1934
9.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingThe University of Washington School of Social Work holds the longest continuous accreditation history of any Washington program and among the oldest in the country, dating to 1934. Three concentrations are offered: Clinical or Direct Practice, Community Development and Social Systems, and Management or Administration. Dual-degree programs are available with Public Health (MPH) and Public Administration (MPA). The program operates from the main Seattle campus and a Tacoma campus (since 1998), with online delivery added in 2025. UW is consistently recognized as one of the top-ranked graduate social work programs in the country, a position supported by its research output, faculty scholarship, and position within one of the largest and most research-productive public universities in the United States. Advanced Standing is available. UW is Washington's flagship R1 research university and a member of the Association of American Universities, situated in a city with one of the strongest and fastest-growing social work labor markets in the Pacific Northwest.
Public (University of Washington, R1 flagship). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
University of Washington School of Social Work - #2
Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry, Social Work Program
Seattle, WA · On-Campus · CSWE-accredited since 2016
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingSeattle University's Social Work Program offers five concentrations: Substance Use Disorders, Clinical or Direct Practice, Healthcare, Mental Health, and Trauma. The five-concentration menu, and its particular combination of Trauma and Substance Use Disorders alongside the standard clinical and healthcare tracks, is distinctively broad for a program of this size and reflects the clinical social work workforce needs of a major West Coast urban area with documented behavioral health challenges. Advanced Standing is available. The program is currently on-campus in Seattle only; no online option is listed in the CSWE directory. Seattle University is a private Jesuit research university in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood, adjacent to a cluster of major hospitals including Swedish Medical Center, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Harborview Medical Center, creating direct field placement and employment access for clinical and healthcare social work students.
Private (Seattle University, Jesuit research university). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry, Social Work Program - #3
Eastern Washington University Department of Social Work
Cheney, WA · On-Campus · CSWE-accredited since 1976
7.0
60 credits 900 field hours No Advanced StandingEastern Washington University's Department of Social Work holds the second-longest continuous accreditation of any Washington program, dating to 1976. An Advanced Generalist concentration is offered. Three dual-degree programs are available: Law (JD), Public Administration (MPA), and Other, a breadth of dual-degree options that is uncommon for a regional comprehensive university. Advanced Standing is not available, per the CSWE directory, making EWU the only Washington program without an Advanced Standing pathway. The program operates from campuses in Cheney, Spokane, and Everett; the Vancouver campus closed in 2021. EWU is a public comprehensive university in Cheney, adjacent to Spokane, serving the Inland Northwest region of eastern Washington and the Spokane metro area. The Spokane campus particularly expands access to students in Washington's second-largest metro, where workforce demand for social workers is substantial across Providence Health and Services, MultiCare Deaconess Hospital, and the Spokane County community behavioral health and child welfare systems.
Public (Eastern Washington University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
Eastern Washington University Department of Social Work - #4
Walla Walla University School of Social Work and Sociology
College Place, WA · On-Campus or Online · CSWE-accredited since 1989
5.8
60 credits 900 field hours ✓ Advanced StandingWalla Walla University's School of Social Work 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.
Private (Walla Walla University, Seventh-day Adventist). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
Walla Walla University School of Social Work and Sociology
How long does an MSW take in Washington, and what does it cost?
An MSW in Washington 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. 3 run an Advanced Standing track, which finishes the degree in about a year for BSW holders. 2 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 Washington?
Seattle is the dominant job market for MSW graduates in Washington and one of the fastest-growing in the Pacific Northwest. UW Medicine, comprising University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and its regional affiliate network, is the largest academic health system in the Pacific Northwest and a primary employer of clinical and medical social workers. Harborview Medical Center, the region's only Level I trauma center and primary safety-net hospital, is particularly significant: it serves a high volume of patients experiencing trauma, behavioral health crises, homelessness, and complex social needs, creating sustained demand for MSW-level social workers with trauma-informed and harm-reduction competencies. Swedish Medical Center (now part of Providence Health), Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and Seattle Children's Hospital are additional major healthcare employers in the Seattle metro.
The public behavioral health and social services system in King County generates substantial social work employment. King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division funds a large network of community mental health centers, crisis services, and substance use treatment programs across the county. The Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), the primary state child welfare agency, operates offices throughout the Seattle and Tacoma metro areas. Catholic Community Services, DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center), and Plymouth Housing are among the largest nonprofit employers of social workers in the region, serving populations experiencing homelessness, chronic mental illness, and behavioral health challenges that are prominent in Seattle's downtown and urban neighborhoods.
Tacoma and Pierce County represent Washington's second social work labor market. MultiCare Health System, the largest locally owned nonprofit health system in Washington, is the primary healthcare employer in Pierce County. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and Pierce County Alliance, the region's behavioral health managed care organization, fund the community mental health system where many MSW-level practitioners are employed. EWU's Tacoma delivery through UW's Tacoma site and the broader western Washington network provide practicum pipelines for this market.
Spokane and eastern Washington are served primarily by Eastern Washington University's program. Providence Health and Services, MultiCare Deaconess, and Inland Northwest Behavioral Health (now part of Lifepoint) are the major healthcare employers. Washington State University's Spokane medical campus, which includes a medical school, creates healthcare-adjacent social work employment in the Spokane area. Rural eastern Washington and the Columbia Basin face persistent social work shortages, particularly in child welfare and behavioral health services for agricultural communities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Washington; Washington DOH, Social Worker Licensing.
What can you specialize in with an MSW in Washington?
You can specialize in Clinical or Direct Practice, Advanced Generalist, Community Development and Social Systems and Healthcare with an MSW in Washington, the concentrations recorded with CSWE by four of the state's four accredited programs. Programs across the state record eight distinct concentrations in total.
Seven concentrations are offered by a single program in Washington, including Advanced Generalist, Community Development and Social Systems and Healthcare, so a student set on Advanced Generalist 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.
Which MSW programs in Washington offer a dual degree?
Two MSW programs in Washington offer a dual degree: Eastern Washington University (Law and Public Administration) and University of Washington (Public Administration and Public Health). 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.
How did we rank these Washington MSW programs?
We ranked these Washington 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 Washington-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: Washington licenses no graduate of an unaccredited program. Accredited programs in Washington run from one holding that status since 1934 to one accredited as recently as 2016, 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 Washington?
You become a licensed social worker in Washington 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 Washington social work licensing board. Washington 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 WA
MSW → LSWAA → LASW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the LSWAA (Licensed Social Worker Associate Advanced) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Complete 3,200 hours of supervised practice over 3 to 10 years and pass the ASWB Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam, then apply for the LASW (Licensed Advanced Social Worker), the state's independent (non-clinical) practice license.
Clinical social work license route in WA
MSW → LSWAIC → LICSW
- 1
Earn a CSWE-accredited MSW.
- 2
Register as the LSWAIC (Licensed Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical) to begin supervised practice.
- 3
Complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice over 2 to 10 years and pass the ASWB Clinical exam, then apply for the LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), which authorizes independent clinical practice and clinical diagnosis.
Washington social work licenses at a glance
Provisional master's license
Licensed Social Worker Associate Advanced
Advanced generalist (independent) license
Licensed Advanced Social Worker
Pre-clinical (associate) license
Licensed Social Worker Associate Independent Clinical
Clinical license
Licensed Independent 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 Washington licensing board before applying.
Common questions about MSW programs in Washington
Common questions about MSW programs in Washington, on accreditation, cost, format and licensure.
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Washington state?
What do social workers earn in Washington state?
What are Washington's social work licensing levels?
Does Eastern Washington University offer Advanced Standing?
Which Washington MSW program is best for students interested in substance use or trauma?
Which Washington cities have MSW programs?
Find CSWE-accredited programs in and near specific Washington 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 Washington 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, Washington 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 Washington?
The best MSW programs near Washington 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.