Utah has 5 CSWE-accredited MSW programs distributed across the Wasatch Front and supplemented by one of the most extensive rural campus networks of any state. The University of Utah College of Social Work, accredited since 1940, is the state's flagship program and the only Utah MSW with dual-degree options, offering partnerships with Law, Public Administration, and Public Health alongside certifications in Gender Studies and Administration or Management. The program delivers from multiple Salt Lake City area sites and online, with Advanced Standing available. Brigham Young University in Provo, accredited since 1981, is the second-oldest program and offers Utah's only Research concentration, alongside Clinical, with School Social Work and Trauma certifications. BYU operates entirely on-campus in Provo, accepts only full-time students, and does not offer Advanced Standing, distinguishing it from every other Utah program.
Utah State University, accredited since 2008, operates from 8 campus locations across Utah, extending access to the Advanced Generalist MSW into Carbon, Uintah, San Juan, and Grand counties, among the most rural and remote in the state. No online delivery is available from USU, but the breadth of physical locations provides in-person access to communities that are otherwise far from any graduate social work program. Utah Valley University in Orem and Weber State University in Ogden round out the state, with UVU serving the rapidly growing Utah County market and Weber State, the newest program (accredited 2021), serving the Weber-Davis County corridor with a Clinical concentration and multiple cohorts per year.
Utah social work licensing is administered by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). Utah is among the fastest-growing states in the nation, and that population growth, combined with high rates of family formation and ongoing behavioral health challenges, drives sustained demand for MSW-level practitioners across healthcare, child welfare, and community social services. None of Utah's five CSWE-accredited programs is fully online; all maintain at least one physical campus location.
All 5 CSWE-Accredited MSW Programs in Utah
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. BYU has no Advanced Standing and no online delivery per CSWE. USU operates from 8 campus locations per CSWE; no online delivery. Weber State and UVU have no online delivery per CSWE.
- #1
University of Utah College of Social Work
Salt Lake City, UT · On-Campus or Online
9.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1940Why It Ranks Here
The University of Utah College of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1940, the longest continuous accreditation history of any MSW program in Utah. One concentration is offered: Advanced Generalist, supported by certifications in Gender Studies and Administration or Management, the latter being an uncommon certification at the graduate social work level nationally. Three dual-degree programs are available, with Law (JD), Public Administration (MPA), and Public Health (MPH), the broadest dual-degree portfolio of any Utah MSW program. The program operates from the main Salt Lake City campus and satellite sites in St. George, Richfield, Cedar City, and Ogden, with broadcast-delivery options in Orem and Logan, and online delivery added in 2018. Advanced Standing is available. The University of Utah is Utah's flagship public R1 research university. The program's Salt Lake City location provides access to Intermountain Health (one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the western United States), University of Utah Health, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services, and the state's full administrative and legislative social services infrastructure.
Public (University of Utah, R1 research university). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #2
Brigham Young University School of Social Work
Provo, UT · On-Campus
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours No Advanced Standing Accred. since 1981Why It Ranks Here
Brigham Young University's School of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1981, the second-longest continuous accreditation history in Utah. Two concentrations are offered: Clinical or Direct Practice and Research, with the Research concentration being the only one of its kind in Utah and one of the few at the master's level nationally, preparing graduates for clinical research, program evaluation, and academic careers. Certifications are available in School Social Work and Trauma. No dual-degree programs, no online delivery, and no Advanced Standing are offered per the CSWE directory, making BYU the only Utah program without Advanced Standing. The program operates solely from the Provo campus and accepts only full-time students. BYU is a private university in Provo sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The MSW program is fully CSWE-accredited and graduates are prepared for secular state licensure and employment in all social work settings. The institution's religious affiliation and honor code requirements should be reviewed directly with the program for applicants from non-LDS backgrounds.
Private (Brigham Young University, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Contact the program for current tuition rates. Admission generally requires adherence to the BYU Honor Code.
View program page → - #3
Utah State University Department of Social Work
Logan, UT · On-Campus
6.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2008Why It Ranks Here
Utah State University's Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 2008 and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration. Advanced Standing is available. No online delivery is currently listed in the CSWE directory; the program delivers via on-campus and weekend or evening cohorts. USU operates from 8 campus locations across Utah: Logan (main campus), Brigham City, Kaysville, Tooele, Price, Vernal, Blanding, and Moab. This geographic distribution is the most extensive of any Utah MSW program and is particularly significant for rural and remote Utah communities. The Price site serves Carbon and Emery counties in the central coalfield region. The Vernal site serves Uintah and Daggett counties in the Uinta Basin. The Blanding site serves San Juan County in southeastern Utah, providing the only on-the-ground MSW option in proximity to the Navajo Nation communities of southeast Utah. The Moab site serves Grand County. USU is a public land-grant research university in Logan.
Public (Utah State University). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
View program page → - #4
Utah Valley University Department of Social Work
Orem, UT · On-Campus
5.8
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2017Why It Ranks Here
Utah Valley University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2017 and offers an Advanced Generalist concentration. Advanced Standing is available. No online delivery is currently listed in the CSWE directory; the program operates on-campus in Orem. UVU is a public university in Orem serving Utah County, which is the second most populated county in Utah and one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. The Provo-Orem metro area has a substantial and growing demand for social work services across behavioral health, family services, and healthcare settings, and UVU's accessible public tuition makes it a significant workforce pipeline for the region. The 2017 accreditation date is the primary factor placing UVU fourth in this ranking.
Public (Utah Valley University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page → - #5
Weber State University Department of Social Work
Ogden, UT · On-Campus
5.2
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 2021Why It Ranks Here
Weber State University's Department of Social Work received CSWE accreditation in 2021, the most recent among Utah's five programs. One concentration is offered: Clinical or Direct Practice. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year are offered per the CSWE directory, providing more flexible entry than most Utah programs. No online delivery is currently listed. The program operates on-campus in Ogden, serving the Weber-Davis County corridor in northern Utah. Ogden is home to McKay-Dee Hospital (Intermountain Health) and a range of behavioral health and social services agencies in a population that is more economically diverse than the Wasatch Front's southern counties. The 2021 accreditation date accounts for the lower state ranking.
Public (Weber State University). Contact the program for current tuition rates.
View program page →
Job Market for MSW Graduates in Utah
Salt Lake City is Utah's dominant social work labor market. Intermountain Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the western United States with 33 hospitals and hundreds of clinics across the Intermountain West, is the primary healthcare employer for clinical and medical social workers in the Salt Lake metro and beyond. University of Utah Health, CommonSpirit Health, and Steward Health Care operate additional acute care and specialty facilities in the metro. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) headquarters and regional offices, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), and the Utah Department of Corrections all maintain their central operations in the Salt Lake City area, generating substantial public-sector MSW employment across child welfare, behavioral health, and corrections.
The Provo-Orem metro in Utah County is the state's second social work market, and among the fastest-growing in the country. Intermountain Utah Valley Hospital, BYU Health Sciences, and a growing network of behavioral health providers, community mental health centers, and family services agencies constitute the primary employers in the county. Utah County has historically had lower rates of substance use and certain behavioral health conditions than the state average, but population growth and changing demographics are increasing demand across clinical and community social work specializations. UVU and BYU both serve this market directly.
Rural Utah faces acute social work workforce shortages that are among the most severe in any western state. San Juan County in the southeast, home to the Navajo Nation communities around Blanding and Monument Valley, has historically had almost no licensed social work practitioners in private practice and relies on tribal and federal services supplemented by itinerant county human services staff. Carbon, Emery, Uintah, and Daggett counties in the eastern part of the state face similar shortages in behavioral health, child welfare, and aging services. USU's network of rural campus sites directly serves these communities with an accessible, in-person MSW option.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Utah; Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
How We Ranked These Programs
Each program is scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Utah-specific adjustments are made. Programs are ordered by composite score. For the full methodology, see our ranking methodology page.
- CSWE Accreditation (25%): Active accreditation status and continuous accreditation history.
- Program Leadership (15%): Faculty credentials, research output, and peer-assessment scores.
- Pathways (15%): Concentration variety, Advanced Standing availability, and dual-degree options.
- Delivery Format (15%): Online, hybrid, and in-person availability; start-term flexibility.
- Employer Signal (15%): Field placement hours required, practicum site depth, and documented placement infrastructure.
- Cost & Affordability (10%): Published tuition per credit or per year, in-state vs. out-of-state differential.
- Reputation (5%): U.S. News peer-assessment scores and institutional recognition.