Wyoming has one CSWE-accredited MSW program: the University of Wyoming Department of Social Work, which has held continuous accreditation since 1999. UW is the only four-year public university in Wyoming and the state's sole provider of CSWE-accredited MSW education. The program offers an Advanced Generalist concentration, a School Social Work certificate, Advanced Standing, multiple cohort entry options, and weekend or evening delivery per the CSWE directory. The primary campus is in Laramie, with a Casper instructional site added in 2022. No online delivery is listed in the CSWE directory as of 2026.
The addition of the Casper site is a significant geographic expansion. Casper is Wyoming's largest city with approximately 57,000 residents, and Natrona County is the center of a social work labor market that includes Wyoming Medical Center, the largest hospital in the state, the Department of Family Services Natrona County office, and a growing behavioral health provider network. The Laramie campus, in Albany County in southeast Wyoming, is closer to Cheyenne, the state capital, and its state government social services employment base. The School Social Work certificate addresses one of Wyoming's most acute workforce gaps: many rural Wyoming school districts have no licensed social worker, relying instead on counselors or administrators for school-based mental health and welfare functions.
Wyoming social work licensing is administered by the Wyoming Board of Social Work Examiners. The LMSW and LCSW follow the standard national exam-based pathway. Wyoming's vast geography and sparse population distribution, with a statewide population of approximately 578,000 spread across 97,914 square miles, create persistent social work workforce shortages in many rural and frontier communities, including Sheridan, Gillette, Rock Springs, Green River, and the communities of the Wind River Reservation.
The 1 CSWE-Accredited MSW Program in Wyoming
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. UW operates from Laramie and Casper (added 2022) per CSWE; no online delivery listed.
- #1
University of Wyoming Department of Social Work
Laramie, WY · On-Campus
8.0
60 credits 900 field hours ? Advanced Standing Accred. since 1999Why It Ranks Here
The University of Wyoming Department of Social Work has held CSWE accreditation since 1999 and is the only CSWE-accredited MSW program in Wyoming. One concentration is listed: Advanced Generalist. A School Social Work certificate is available. Advanced Standing is available. Multiple cohorts per year and weekend or evening delivery options are offered per the CSWE directory. The program operates from the Laramie campus (UW's main campus) and a Casper site added in 2022 per the CSWE directory; no online delivery is listed. UW is the only four-year public university in Wyoming and the sole provider of CSWE-accredited social work education at the master's level in the state. The Casper site, added in 2022, extends the program's reach to Wyoming's largest city and provides direct access to the Casper-area social work labor market, including Wyoming Medical Center (the state's largest hospital) and the Casper human services sector. The School Social Work certificate addresses a documented shortage of school-based social workers in Wyoming, where schools in many rural counties have no dedicated licensed social worker.
Public (University of Wyoming). Contact the program for current in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.
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Job Market for MSW Graduates in Wyoming
Casper and Cheyenne are Wyoming's two largest social work labor markets. In Casper, Wyoming Medical Center and Banner Wyoming Medical Center (Banner Health system) are the primary healthcare social work employers. The Wyoming Department of Family Services Natrona County office, Central Wyoming Counseling Center, and the network of behavioral health providers serving central Wyoming are additional employers. The Wind River Indian Reservation, approximately 90 miles west of Casper, is home to two federally recognized tribes, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and employs social workers through tribal social services and the Wind River Indian Health Service. UW's Casper site places graduates close to these employment opportunities.
Cheyenne, the state capital and Wyoming's second-largest city, is the center of state government social services employment. The Wyoming Department of Health, Department of Family Services, Department of Workforce Services, and their contracted behavioral health providers are the primary employers. Cheyenne Regional Medical Center is the primary healthcare employer. The Laramie campus is approximately 50 miles from Cheyenne, and many UW graduates pursue employment in the capital region. Cheyenne's proximity to the Denver metro also means that some Wyoming-educated social workers find employment across the Colorado border, where wages are generally higher.
Rural Wyoming presents some of the most significant social work workforce challenges in the Mountain West. Communities in Campbell County (Gillette), Park County (Cody), Sweetwater County (Rock Springs and Green River), and Fremont County outside the reservation face persistent shortages of licensed social workers. The School Social Work certificate addresses one of the most acute manifestations of this shortage, as many rural Wyoming school districts operate without any dedicated licensed social work professional on staff.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Wyoming; Wyoming Board of Social Work Examiners.
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 Wyoming-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.