Best MSW Programs in Minnesota
Looking to join one of Minnesota’s MSW programs? That’s a smart career choice. Social work jobs will grow 7% across the country from 2023-2033. Minnesota expects its social work positions to expand by 5-6% between 2022-2032.
Minnesota’s social work academic community thrives with excellence. The state hosts 15 accredited Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Five of these schools rank among the nation’s top 175 according to the 2024 US News & World Report. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities leads the pack as Minnesota’s top MSW program, ranked 51st nationwide. This piece will help you find your perfect educational path through Minnesota’s on-campus and online MSW programs.
Bethel University MSW Program
Bethel University’s MSW program in Minnesota takes a unique justice-focused approach to social work education. Students gain clinical licensure preparation while learning about human rights and social justice principles throughout their studies.
Program Overview
The Master of Social Work program at Bethel gives you advanced clinical skills through a justice-informed, rights-based approach. Students learn to blend faith perspectives with modern social work practice. The program encourages them to explore how justice-based theology shapes their academic and professional clinical work.
This research-driven program lets students work with faculty on research projects. They can publish their work and present at local and national conferences. The program shows dedication to tackling complex social issues. These include poverty, systemic violence, human trafficking, child welfare, trauma, mental health, environmental racism, and social systems reform.
The program builds on ecological systems theory. It promotes human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice locally and globally. The curriculum emphasizes understanding complex trauma’s widespread effects. Students learn trauma-informed clinical practice while shaping macro-level policy and systems change.
Program Specializations
Bethel provides two paths in their MSW program. Both paths have a strong clinical focus to prepare students for Minnesota licensure:
- Full Program Option: This option suits students with degrees in fields other than social work. The 56-credit program takes 21 months and needs 900 hours of field placement.
- Advanced Standing Option: Students who earned their BSW from a CSWE-accredited school in the past seven years can choose this path. This 36-credit option takes 12 months and requires 500 hours of field placement.
The program offers a supervision credential through a two-credit course. Graduates can provide professional supervision after completing this course. This meets the Minnesota Board of Social Work’s supervision requirement.
Program Delivery Format
Students can complete the MSW program entirely online. This flexibility helps them balance work, family, and community commitments. The program offers convenient completion times:
- Full Program: 21 months minimum
- Advanced Standing: 12 months minimum
Both options feature a curriculum that builds concepts, techniques, and assignments progressively. Field seminars help students gain practical experience. They learn to combine knowledge, skills, values, critical thinking, and applied ethics in social work practice.
First-year students in the full program learn CSWE’s nine generalist competencies. The second year focuses on justice-informed, clinical, and systemic curriculum based on nine specialized competencies. This structure prepares students for clinical work and macro-level advocacy.
Tuition and Fees
The 2025-2026 academic year tuition costs $780 per credit. Total program costs are:
- Full Program (56 credits): About $43,680
- Advanced Standing (36 credits): About $28,080 (based on credit cost)
Bethel’s Office of Career Development and Calling supports students with career counseling, networking opportunities, and professional connections.
Program Accreditation
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) granted full accreditation to Bethel’s MSW program on March 11, 2024. This achievement came after three and a half years of peer review, planning, research, data collection, approvals, and CSWE standard compliance.
The program submitted over 4,500 pages of documentation to CSWE. This certification confirms the program’s high educational standards, clear mission, and accountability.
The Higher Learning Commission has accredited Bethel University since 1959. The MSW program meets all ASWB clinical licensure exam requirements and Minnesota Board of Social Work’s clinical content standards in six areas.
Career Outcomes
Licensed social workers make up 75% of Minnesota’s mental health care providers, particularly at the licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) level.
Graduates can work in various settings:
- Public schools and educational institutions
- Hospice and healthcare organizations
- Domestic violence shelters and advocacy centers
- Adoption agencies and child/adult protection services
- Mental health clinics and trauma centers
- Agencies supporting refugees, homeless individuals, and youth
- Nonprofit and for-profit organizations
Career opportunities include:
- Substance use and recovery treatment counselors
- Mental health counselors and therapists
- Medical social workers
- School social workers
- Child and family therapists
- Social and community service managers
- Policy analysts
- Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Health educators and hospice workers
- Child and adult protection workers
The program earned the CSWE Field Education/Practicum Excellence in Innovation Award in fall 2024. The Department of Social Work will launch the SPARK Journal of Justice-Informed Social Work Practice and Research in Spring 2025. This journal will let graduates explore innovative research and advance justice in the field.
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota MSW Program
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers a clinically-focused MSW program based on Lasallian values and social justice principles. Students learn to diagnose and treat clients through direct practice with individuals, families, and communities.
Program Overview
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s Master of Social Work program teaches you to work together with individuals, families, and communities to address societal and personal challenges. The program builds on Lasallian core principles and responds to disadvantaged populations’ needs. Students gain social work knowledge, values, and skills needed to serve communities and pursue social justice.
The Clinical Social Work program teaches students to act alongside communities to address social injustice. Students learn tools to identify and respond to individual and community needs that stem from poverty and oppression’s effects on mental health and well-being.
Graduates can work independently with clients, diagnose mental health conditions, and treat issues for individuals, couples, families, and communities. The clinical focus prepares students to work together with healthcare professionals, mental health practitioners, and community advocates to help clients get effective treatment.
Program Specializations
The MSW program has two main specialization areas:
- Health and Mental Health Social Work – Students prepare for clinical practice in healthcare settings through courses like:
- Mental Health & Substance Abuse
- Trauma Informed Care
- Integrated Health Care Social Work Practice
- Crisis Intervention-Disaster Response
- Forensic Social Work – Students learn to practice where social work meets legal systems through courses in:
- Mental Health & Substance Abuse
- Introduction to Forensic Social Work
- Forensic Social Work Practice
- Social Work and the Law
Core courses in both specializations help develop professional identity and skills. These courses cover Human Rights and Social Justice, Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Generalist Practice, Social Welfare Policy, and Methods of Research and Assessment.
Students complete up to 900 hours of field practicum experiences, which provide hands-on learning in real-life settings.
Delivery Format
Students can complete their degree fully online while balancing work and personal commitments. The program uses both synchronous and asynchronous courses. This setup lets students interact with professors and peers while completing coursework on their schedule.
Students can choose from multiple tracks based on their educational background:
- Traditional Track (60 credits)
- Full-time students finish in five consecutive semesters (under two years)
- Part-time students finish in ten consecutive semesters (approximately 3-4 years)
- Advanced Standing Track (30 credits) – Available to students with a BSW degree
- Full-time students finish in three consecutive semesters (one year)
- Part-time students finish in five consecutive semesters (under two years)
Both tracks feature community field placements that complement online coursework. Field Education Coordinators find and verify internship placement sites to ensure viable options for students’ internship needs.
Tuition and Fees
The program’s tuition costs $925 per credit as of 2025. Total program costs are estimated at:
- Traditional Track (60 credits): About $55,500
- Advanced Standing Track (30 credits): About $27,750
Extra fees include:
- Application Fee: $25
- Technology Fee: $100 per term
- Tevera Field Software Fee: $205
- MSW690 Capstone Course Fee: $150
The university makes education more affordable through several options. Some organizations get 10% tuition discounts and waived application fees. Military students might qualify for extra tuition discounts. Some employers help cover MSW tuition costs for employees moving into new roles.
The online format helps students save money on commuting and lodging while working full-time and completing coursework at their convenience.
Accreditation
The Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation fully accredits Saint Mary’s Master of Social Work program. CSWE is the only accrediting agency for social work education in the United States, recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The curriculum meets CSWE standards and prepares students for state licensure eligibility after graduation. This accreditation means the program meets high educational standards and employers and licensing boards nationwide will recognize your degree.
Saint Mary’s provides details about state-specific social work licensing requirements. Students should know that social work licensure requires additional steps in every state, including supervised clinical experiences and national licensure examinations.
Career Outcomes
Saint Mary’s MSW graduates can pursue various clinical social work careers. Social work jobs should grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than average. Mental health and substance abuse social worker positions should grow even more at 11%.
The National Association of Social Workers reports high graduate satisfaction:
- 9% would tell peers to get a social work degree
- 4% like their new positions
- 82% help individuals, families, or groups directly
- 80% plan to get clinical social work licenses within five years
Graduates can work as:
- Clinical social workers
- Mental health counselors
- Substance abuse counselors
- Medical social workers
- Child welfare specialists
- Family therapists
- Social and community service managers
Social workers in general medical and surgical hospitals earn an average of $72,980 yearly according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
University of St. Thomas MSW Program
The University of St. Thomas MSW program in Minnesota stands out with its clinical focus. Students get specialized training in advanced clinical social work practice. This program ranks among the best MSW programs in Minnesota.
Program Overview
St. Thomas’s Master of Social Work program prepares students for clinical social work practice. The program is unique because it concentrates on clinical social work—students learn to use advanced theory and methods. These skills help restore, maintain, and improve bio-psycho-social-spiritual functioning in individuals, groups, families, and communities.
Students learn core social work values like respecting diversity and strengthening client systems. The program advocates for social and economic justice for vulnerable populations. You’ll develop skills in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for emotional, mental, and behavioral disorders. The program takes a strengths-based approach that considers each person’s environment.
St. Thomas MSW students receive 30 hours of supervision training—a requirement to become social work supervisors in Minnesota. This gives graduates a head start in their careers. The program helps grow Minnesota’s mental health workforce through flexible completion options that work for both full-time students and professionals.
Specializations
Students can customize their education through specialized training paths:
Areas of Emphasis Programs:Students can become Area of Emphasis Scholars in emerging clinical practice areas. These programs include:
- Area of Emphasis in Aging (AEA) – Students focus on gerontological social work with older adults. The goal is to help improve quality of life for older adults, their families, and communities.
- Area of Emphasis in Practice with People of Immigrant and Refugee Backgrounds (AEIR) – Students gain specialized experience working with immigrant and refugee populations.
Area of Emphasis Scholars take specialized courses and get leadership opportunities. They complete field work in relevant settings and receive $1,000 in tuition remission. This two-year experience builds valuable networks and strengthens clinical preparation.
The School of Social Work received a $900,000 grant from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services. This grant will help launch a co-occurring disorders track (2024-2026).
Program Delivery Format
St. Thomas offers two flexible ways to complete your degree:
- In-person, on-campus format – Traditional classroom experience
- Hybrid format – Mix of face-to-face and online learning that works well for working professionals
Program options based on your background:
- Advanced Standing – Students with a CSWE-accredited bachelor’s in social work
- 38 credits and 600 hours of field practicum
- One-year, two-year, or three-year tracks available
- Regular Standing – Students with bachelor’s degrees in other fields
- 56 credits and 1,000 hours of field practicum
- Two-year, three-year, or four-year tracks available
Field education placements run part-time during the academic year from September through April-June. Some students might qualify for full-time summer placements. Field seminars meet every other week on campus while you complete your placement.
Tuition and Fees
The 2024-2025 program cost $875 per credit. Total tuition costs:
| Program Type | Total Credits | Approximate Total Tuition |
| Advanced Standing | 38 credits | $33,250 |
| Regular Standing | 56 credits | $49,000 |
Additional fees include:
- Technology Fee: $1 per term (six or more credits)
- Health Fee: $66 per term (six or more credits)
- Field Placement Fee: $150 for field seminar courses
- Writing Fee: $15 per semester
The School of Social Work gives over $500,000 in scholarships and grants to new graduate students each year. Financial aid options include:
- MSW Diversity Scholarship: 20% tuition discount ($6,460 for Advanced Standing; $9,520 for Regular Standing)
- MSW Mission Scholarship: 20% tuition discount
- MSW Pathways Scholarship: 10% tuition discount
- Tommie Alumni Scholarship: 15% tuition discount
- MSW Service Grant: 10% tuition discount
Program Accreditation
The program has full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). St. Thomas ran a joint program with St. Catherine University from 1990-2018. The program earned its own accreditation in 2019. CSWE reaffirmed this accreditation in 2024, with the next review set for 2032.
This accreditation means the program meets high educational standards. Employers and licensing boards will recognize your degree. The program prepares you for licensure, but requirements vary by state. You’ll need supervised clinical experience and must pass national licensure exams.
Career Outcomes
St. Thomas MSW graduates join a strong professional network. The School of Social Work has over 3,500 graduates, with more than 2,500 clinically prepared MSW alumni. This network creates valuable connections for internships and jobs.
The university reports excellent outcomes—97% of graduates find jobs, continue their education, or pursue other goals within six months. The clinical focus readies you for licensure as a clinical social worker in Minnesota, where the Minnesota Board of Social Work oversees licensing.
Graduates work in:
- Mental health clinics and trauma centers
- Healthcare organizations and integrated care settings
- Educational institutions
- Child and family services
- Substance use treatment facilities
- Community service organizations
- Private practice
The program’s strength lies in its faculty—90% are clinically licensed and practice clinically. They mentor students and help shape their professional identity with real-world insights.
Minnesota State University Moorhead MSW Program
Minnesota State University Moorhead started its Master of Social Work program in 2022. The program joined other MSW programs in Minnesota with a special focus on what the region needs. The first group of 16 students started their experience with a mix of new graduates and professionals who came back to school after working for more than a decade.
Program Overview
The MSW program at Minnesota State University Moorhead goes beyond regular social work education. Students develop advanced practice skills that match what the region just needs. Among MSW programs in Minnesota, MSUM’s program stands out. It prepares skilled advanced social work professionals who can use ethical, evidence-based specialized practice in different communities.
Students get the benefit of MSUM’s strong foundation in social work education, built on almost 50 years of experience teaching undergraduates. MSUM’s Bachelor of Social Work program has an impressive 96% employment rate. This success helps support the newer Master of Social Work program.
The first group of students comes from various backgrounds. Many already work as school social workers, domestic violence supporters, and adoption social workers. Many are also the first in their families to go to graduate school, looking to move up in their careers through more education.
Specializations
MSUM offers two unique specialization tracks you won’t find anywhere else in Minnesota’s university system:
- Multicultural Clinical – This track gets you ready for advanced mental health practice with diverse groups. The courses line up with Minnesota Board of Social Work’s requirements for clinical licensure.
- Social Change & Leadership – Created after talking with regional partners, this track helps develop leadership skills, high-level agency management abilities, and advanced macro practice expertise.
Students with an undergraduate social work degree might qualify for advanced standing, which helps them finish faster.
Delivery Format
The MSW program uses an “online plus” format. Classes happen in late afternoon and evening through distance technology that works wherever you are. This flexibility lets you keep your job while getting your degree.
Students with advanced standing who study full-time can finish in just 12 months. Traditional students take more courses to build basic skills before moving to specialized classes.
Tuition and Fees
The MSW program costs $676 per credit. Here’s what you can expect to pay:
| Student Status | Annual Cost | Program Details |
| All Students | $16,224/year | Based on $676 per credit |
The program costs less than others in the region. MSUM helps students pay for their education through:
- Graduate assistantships that give ground experience working with faculty
- Graduate student scholarships through the online application
- Different financial aid packages through the Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid
Program Accreditation
Minnesota State University Moorhead’s MSW program has asked for accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and it is in Candidacy status since 2022. MSUM has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1916.
The undergraduate social work program has managed to keep its CSWE accreditation since 1973, when CSWE first started accrediting undergraduate programs. This long relationship shows MSUM’s dedication to high-quality social work education.
Career Outcomes
An MSW from MSUM opens doors for career growth. The social work field expects 12% job growth through this decade. This is a big deal as it means that growth will be faster than average for all jobs. Graduates earn around $67,000 on average.
MSW graduates can become:
- Clinical social workers
- Community outreach coordinators
- School social workers
- Domestic violence and sexual assault supporters
- Adoption and pregnancy social workers
The program’s focus on specialized skills and MSUM’s 50-year old reputation in social work education create great job prospects. Right now, most students already work in helping professions. They want their MSW degree to advance their license, earn more, learn new skills, and maybe even teach future social workers.
University of Minnesota Twin Cities MSW Program
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities offers one of the best Master of Social Work programs in Minnesota. Their MSW program equips students with advanced social work practice and leadership skills in several specialized areas.
Overview
UMN’s MSW program aims to develop social work professionals—case managers, policy analysts, clinicians, and community organizers. Students learn how power and privilege shape societal roles. The program creates a learning environment where students develop skills to work effectively in diverse communities. This approach combines social justice principles with clinical excellence.
Program Specializations
Students can choose from four concentration areas:
- Clinical Mental Health – Contextually based approaches to mental health diagnostic assessment and treatment
- Community Practice – Mobilizing groups for social change and eco-friendly development
- Families and Children – Working with families in various settings and influencing organizational policies
- Health, Disability, and Aging – Addressing interconnected issues related to health, disability and aging
Students can complete a 53-credit full program or a 34-credit advanced standing option with a BSW degree.
Delivery Format
Classes run Thursday through Saturday with evening options Monday through Wednesday. Students must mix daytime and evening/weekend courses. Practicum placements need 600-960 hours based on your program choice. Most placements happen during regular business hours.
Tuition and Fees
| Enrollment Type | Resident Tuition | Non-Resident Tuition |
| Per credit | $1,665 | $2,601 |
| Full-time (6-14 credits) | $9,990 | $15,606 |
| Each credit over 14 | $1,665 | $2,601 |
These rates show 2024-25 graduate tuition costs. The priority application deadline is January 15. After this date, the program reviews applications until April 30 if spaces remain.
Program Accreditation
The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) fully accredits the program. This accreditation helps graduates meet Minnesota’s educational requirements to become Licensed Graduate Social Workers (LGSW).
Career Outcomes
The program offers dual degrees: MSW/MPP (Public Policy), MSW/MURP (Urban Planning), and MSW/MPH (Public Health). These options expand career opportunities. Graduates work as clinical social workers, community organizers, policy analysts, and case managers. The program prepares students for LISW or LICSW licensure with additional experience and supervision.
Choosing Your MSW Path in Minnesota
Minnesota is a great place to get your Master of Social Work degree. The state offers strong job growth potential and plenty of program choices. Each program has something special to offer. Bethel University puts justice-focused clinical practice first. Saint Mary’s University lets you specialize in health and forensic social work. The University of St. Thomas focuses only on clinical training with strong alumni connections. Minnesota State University Moorhead helps meet local workforce needs. The University of Minnesota Twin Cities ranks highest among all state programs.
Whatever program you pick, CSWE accreditation is vital to get your license and professional recognition. Tuition costs vary a lot between schools, but most programs have scholarships, assistantships, and flexible payment plans to make education more available. Field placements are a vital part of hands-on experience. You’ll need between 500 and 960 hours based on your program choice.
Your career options look bright after graduation. You could work as a clinical social worker, community organizer, policy analyst, healthcare professional, or school social worker – and that’s just the beginning. MSW graduates say they love their jobs and find their work meaningful.
Looking at MSW programs in Minnesota? Think about more than just rankings. The program focus, how it’s taught, cost, location, and specialty options should match what you want professionally and personally. Talk to admissions staff, reach out to current students or graduates, and get the full picture of each program’s strengths.
Social work education gives you the tools to change people’s lives and improve communities. Minnesota’s dedication to quality social work education and growing job opportunities make it perfect to start or advance your career in this rewarding field.