Florida · MSW programs by city
Best MSW Programs near Orlando, FL (2026)
Published · Last updated
Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology
Orlando, Florida (population 320,742) has 2 CSWE-accredited MSW programs based in the city , with 1 more accredited program within about 60 miles. 8 Florida programs also offer an online option. Every program below is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the requirement for Florida licensure.
Best MSW programs in Orlando, FL
Accredited programs with a campus in Orlando, FL, ranked by our five-factor model. National and online rank badges appear only for programs in the top 25 (nationally, or among online programs).
- #1 In Orlando, FL
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL, FL · CSWE-accredited since 1993 · Online or On-Campus
7.3
1 concentration ✓ Advanced Standing Online option Carnegie R1Why it ranks here
University of Central Florida has held CSWE accreditation since 1993, 33 years of standing as of 2026. The MSW is offered both online and on campus (Orlando, FL). It records 1 concentration (Clinical or Direct Practice). An Advanced Standing track is available for qualified BSW holders. Students can enroll full-time or part-time. The program also offers 1 embedded certificate. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R1 classification for very high research activity.
Concentrations
Clinical or Direct Practice
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (30%) 6.0
- Pathways & laddering (22%) 5.5
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (18%) 10.0
- Delivery format (18%) 7.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
- #2 In Orlando, FL
Ana G. Mendez University
Orlando, FL, FL · CSWE-accredited since 2021 · Online or On-Campus
5.7
1 concentration ✓ Advanced Standing Online optionWhy it ranks here
Ana G. Mendez University has held CSWE accreditation since 2021, 5 years of standing as of 2026. The MSW is offered both online and on campus (Orlando, FL; Tampa, FL; Miami Lakes, FL). It records 1 concentration (Clinical or Direct Practice). An Advanced Standing track is available for qualified BSW holders. Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Concentrations
Clinical or Direct Practice
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (30%) 2.6
- Pathways & laddering (22%) 4.7
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (18%) 5.0
- Delivery format (18%) 10.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
Best MSW programs near Orlando, FL
Accredited programs whose nearest campus is within about 60 miles of Orlando, FL, ranked by our five-factor model. Each card shows the campus city and straight-line distance from the city center.
- #1 Lakeland · ~49 mi
Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL, FL · CSWE-accredited since 2017 · On-Campus
5.0
1 concentration ✓ Advanced Standing On-campusWhy it ranks here
Southeastern University has held CSWE accreditation since 2017, 9 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Lakeland, FL). It records 1 concentration (Clinical or Direct Practice). An Advanced Standing track is available for qualified BSW holders. Students can enroll full-time or part-time. The program also offers 1 embedded certificate.
Concentrations
Clinical or Direct Practice
Five-factor score breakdown
- Accreditation longevity (30%) 3.1
- Pathways & laddering (22%) 5.5
- Prestige (Carnegie research tier) (18%) 5.0
- Delivery format (18%) 4.0
- Schedule flexibility (12%) 10.0
Online MSW programs available in Orlando, FL
Florida-based CSWE-accredited programs with an online option, which Orlando, FL residents can complete from home. See the full online MSW ranking for national options.
| Institution | Accredited | Adv. Standing | Natl. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State University | 1950 | Yes | #6 |
| University of South Florida | 1983 | Yes | #49 |
| Barry University | 1968 | Yes | #93 |
| University of Central Florida | 1993 | Yes | #94 |
| Florida Atlantic University | 2002 | Yes | #121 |
| University of West Florida | 2008 | Yes | #196 |
| Ana G. Mendez University | 2021 | Yes | #222 |
| Saint Leo University | 2009 | Yes | #256 |
How much do social workers make in Orlando, FL in 2026?
Orlando, Florida sits within the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area, the labor market that sets pay and demand for its social workers. Across specialties, the area employs roughly 2,610 social workers , and the best-paid specialty here is healthcare social workers at a $64,070 median. Figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program (May 2025).
| Occupation | Employed | Median wage | Typical range (10th–90th) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare social workers | — | $64,070 | $48,610 – $87,930 |
| Mental health & substance abuse social workers | 570 | $49,940 | $38,430 – $72,380 |
| Child, family & school social workers | 1,460 | $56,930 | $40,290 – $73,100 |
| Social workers, all other | 580 | $59,840 | $48,570 – $111,650 |
| Social & community service managers (macro) | 830 | $75,250 | $46,870 – $131,160 |
How local pay compares
Child, family & school social workers around Orlando, FL earn a median of $56,930 versus $56,550 statewide in Florida and $67,310 nationally. That is at or above the Florida median.
Where do social workers work in Orlando, FL in 2026?
Orlando, Florida sits in Orange County. Organizations in and around the city that commonly employ MSW-level social workers include:
- Orlando Health and AdventHealth
- Aspire Health Partners, Central Florida’s community behavioral-health provider
- Orange County Public Schools
- University of Central Florida
- Central Florida Cares Health System
Representative local employers known to operate in the area; illustrative, not an exhaustive or BLS-sourced list.
Nationally, BLS projects social worker employment to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, driven by demand in healthcare and mental-health settings. Macro roles such as social and community service managers are projected to grow alongside them. See pay by role in our career guides.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) for Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL; employment projections from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Wages are annual medians.
What kind of social work license do I need in Orlando, FL?
After an MSW from Orlando, FL or anywhere, these are the Florida social work licenses, per ASWB. A CSWE-accredited degree is required for each.
| License | Education | Supervised hours | Exam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Master Social Worker (CMSW) | Doctorate of Social Work or Master of Social Work | 3000 hours | Advanced Generalist |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Doctorate of Social Work or Master of Social Work | 1500 hours | Clinical |
| Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern (RCSW-I) | Master of Social Work | — | ASWB Exam Not Required |
Source: ASWB social work licensure database. Verify current requirements with the Florida state board before applying.
How the theme park economy shapes social work in Orlando
Orlando is a fast-growing Central Florida metro built heavily on tourism and hospitality, and that economy sets the rhythm of daily life for hundreds of thousands of working families. Shift work, seasonal swings, and irregular schedules make ordinary things harder: arranging childcare at odd hours, keeping housing stable on hourly pay, holding down a routine when the paycheck fluctuates.
Social workers here meet those pressures constantly. Employee assistance programs, hospital care teams, and community nonprofits all serve people whose stress is tied to service-sector work. If you are weighing the field, our careers overview shows how these roles branch into clinical, case-management, and community-organizing paths, many of which fit a household built around evening and weekend shifts.
Why bilingual social workers are in demand in Orlando
Orlando is home to a large Puerto Rican and Latino community, and that shapes what effective practice looks like. Families move here from the island and from across Latin America, and the ones navigating a new school system, a hospital admission, or a benefits application are often better served by someone who can work in Spanish and understand the cultural context, not just translate words.
That demand runs through schools, clinics, and family-service agencies. A candidate who is bilingual and culturally grounded is genuinely sought after here. If your goal is clinical practice, the state credential to aim for is the LCSW, and you can read how the licensing steps work on our credentials page before you pick a program.
Healthcare social work in Orlando
As Orlando grows, its hospitals and clinics grow with it, and healthcare social workers are woven through that system. They coordinate discharges, connect patients to home care and community resources, and sit with families making hard decisions. In a city where many residents work service jobs with thin benefits, that safety-net role matters even more.
The work spans emergency departments, oncology floors, dialysis centers, and outpatient behavioral health. It rewards people who stay calm under pressure and can translate a complicated system into a plan a family can follow. Our overview of healthcare social work lays out the day-to-day, and you can see where it sits among Florida programs on our Florida rankings.
School and family social work in Orlando
Orlando's rapid growth means classrooms filling with new arrivals, many of them children adjusting to a new city, a new language, or a parent working long hospitality shifts. School social workers are often the first professional to notice when a child is struggling and to connect the family with help before a small problem becomes a crisis.
Child and family welfare work here reaches beyond the school walls into foster care, kinship placements, and family reunification. It asks for patience, cultural awareness, and steady judgment. If this is the population that pulls at you, look at our guides to school social work and child and family social work to see how the two roles complement each other.
Does Orlando growth mean more social work jobs?
When a metro grows this fast, the need for social services grows alongside it. New residents mean more school enrollments, more hospital admissions, more benefit applications, and more families who arrived without a local support network. That steady expansion tends to keep demand for trained social workers healthy across Central Florida.
Growth also spreads opportunity across settings, from county agencies to nonprofits to private practice. An MSW is the degree that opens the widest range of these doors, and the clinical license extends your options further. Compare accredited paths on our best MSW programs list, and if you are tied to a job here, the online MSW rankings show flexible options worth weighing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CSWE-accredited MSW programs are in Orlando, FL?
How much do social workers earn in Orlando, FL?
Can I earn an MSW online from Orlando, FL?
What license do MSW graduates need in Florida?
MSW programs in other Florida cities
Sources
- CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs for program accreditation, campuses, and structure.
- U.S. Census Bureau 2023 Gazetteer (city coordinates) and Population Estimates Program (population).
- ASWB social work licensure database for Florida license requirements.
Published 2026-06-12; last updated 2026-06-23. "Near" means a program campus within 60 straight-line miles of the city center.