Vermont has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: the University of Vermont Department of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1992. UVM is the flagship public research university of Vermont, located in Burlington, the state's largest city and primary social work labor market. The program operates on-campus in Burlington with Advanced Standing available for qualified BSW holders. No online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026. The concentration is listed as Other in the CSWE directory, indicating an integrated curriculum that the program structures differently from standard national concentration categories.
Vermont's small population of approximately 650,000 and its largely rural character mean that UVM's MSW program functions as the essential social work workforce pipeline for the entire state. Burlington's concentration of healthcare and social services employers relative to Vermont's overall size gives UVM graduates concentrated access to the state's primary employers. The University of Vermont Medical Center, a 562-bed academic medical center affiliated with UVM's Larner College of Medicine and the only Level I trauma center in Vermont, is the dominant healthcare employer and a primary field placement site. Vermont's integrated healthcare and social services landscape, which has been shaped by decades of policy innovation including Act 48 and ongoing efforts toward payment reform, creates a distinctive social work employment environment with relatively strong integration between behavioral health, primary care, and social services.
Vermont social work licensing is administered by the Office of Professional Regulation within the Vermont Secretary of State's office. The LMSW and LCSW credentials follow the standard national exam-based pathway. Vermont's rural geography and relatively high poverty rates in rural and small-town communities, particularly in the Northeast Kingdom, the Champlain Valley's agricultural communities, and former mill towns including Barre, Rutland, and Springfield, create persistent social work workforce shortages outside Burlington.
The 1 CSWE-Accredited MSW Program in Vermont
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 year is the Initial Accreditation Date from the CSWE directory. UVM operates from Burlington; no online delivery per CSWE directory.
- #1
University of Vermont Department of Social Work
Burlington, VT · On-Campus
7.5
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1992Why It Ranks Here
The University of Vermont Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1992 and is the only CSWE-accredited MSW program in Vermont. The concentration is listed as Other in the CSWE directory, reflecting an integrated or institution-specific curriculum structure rather than a standard national concentration label. Advanced Standing is available. The program operates on-campus in Burlington; no online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026. UVM is the flagship public research university of Vermont, located in Burlington, the state's largest city. Burlington's relatively small scale is offset by its dense concentration of social work employers: the University of Vermont Medical Center, the largest hospital in Vermont and a Level I trauma center, is the dominant healthcare employer. Vermont's single-payer-inspired healthcare system and the centralized structure of its human services infrastructure in and around Burlington give UVM graduates concentrated access to the state's primary employers. Vermont's rural character and small population make UVM the essential social work workforce pipeline for the entire state.
Public (University of Vermont). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Vermont
Burlington and the Chittenden County area constitute Vermont's primary social work labor market. The University of Vermont Medical Center is the largest employer of healthcare social workers in the state, with social work embedded across inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and specialty care services. Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Fanny Allen campus of UVM Medical Center in Colchester, and the Community Health Centers of Burlington are additional healthcare employers in the Burlington area. The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the Department of Health's substance use disorder and public health programs employ the largest concentration of public-sector social workers in the state, with headquarters in Waterbury (the hub of Vermont state government services).
Vermont's designated mental health agencies, including Howard Center in Burlington, Washington County Mental Health Services in Barre, and Northeast Kingdom Human Services in Newport, are major employers of licensed clinical social workers. These agencies serve as both field placement sites and post-graduation employers for UVM MSW graduates. The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery and its member organizations, along with the Vermont Agency of Human Services' integrated social services infrastructure, employ social workers across the state's 14 counties.
Rural Vermont presents significant workforce challenges: communities in Orange, Essex, Caledonia, and Orleans counties (the Northeast Kingdom) have documented shortages of licensed social workers relative to service need. The relative concentration of the UVM program in Burlington means that rural community placement and recruitment require active effort. Vermont's small size and the integration of its human services system mean that Burlington-based graduates have statewide professional networks that often facilitate eventual rural or small-town placements.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Vermont; Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Social Work.
How We Ranked This Program
Each program is scored on the same seven-factor model used in the national ranking. The state ranking uses identical criteria and weights. No Vermont-specific adjustments are made. 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.