5 Premier MSW Programs in Seattle: Campus & Online Options 2026

Your decision to think over the best MSW programs in Seattle could transform your social work career path. Social workers in Seattle enjoy competitive pay. The average annual wage hits $74,840, while experienced professionals with 10+ years in the field can earn up to $89,023.

MSW programs in Seattle are a great way to get excellent education value through financial support. The University of Washington puts $5.8 million toward student support each year. Seattle University steps up too, with over $1,000,000 in grants and stipends for MSW students in the 2025-2026 academic year. The learning experience goes beyond the classroom. Students can choose from more than 600 field sites for hands-on training to complete their required 1,000 hours of field practicum.

Seattle masters programs have something for everyone. You might love their diverse faculty – 67% come from underrepresented communities – or their specialized tracks that align with your career goals. Good news: all four Washington schools with MSW programs welcome qualified students with bachelor’s degrees from any discipline. Your academic background won’t hold you back. Washington state has nearly 15,000 social workers, and your MSW degree opens doors to this growing professional community.

1. Seattle University MSW Program

Seattle University is well-known among MSW programs in Seattle. The program has a strong focus on social justice and community-based advanced clinical social work practice. Students learn to work with historically marginalized populations, making it a great choice if you want to create meaningful change.

Program Overview

Seattle University’s MSW program aims to educate students in social justice and community-based advanced clinical social work practice. The program helps create equal access to excellent clinical social work for historically marginalized populations. Students become skilled practitioners who restore, maintain, and boost human and community well-being.

The program has two paths:

• Two-Year MSW Program: This path works if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in social work. Students must complete 66 credits and 1,000 hours of field practicum. The hours split between 400 in year one and 600 in year two.
• Advanced Standing MSW Program: A 10-month fast-track option for graduates with BSW/BASW degrees from CSWE-accredited programs. Students complete 39 credits and 600 hours of field practicum.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) fully accredits Seattle University’s MSW program. This ensures the curriculum meets national social work education standards. Small cohort sizes help create a tight-knit learning community. The Two-Year Program takes about 25 students while the Advanced Standing Program accepts 10, which helps build stronger connections with faculty and peers.

Specializations Offered

The MSW program’s clinical practice specialization matches the CSWE’s definition of clinical social work. Students learn professional values, ethics, principles, and practice methods that promote social and economic justice.

Students develop expertise in:

• Advanced clinical social work practice
• Social justice advocacy
• Community-based intervention
• Professional use of self to restore biological, psychological, social, and spiritual functioning

The curriculum draws at least 50% of materials from non-dominant perspectives, which creates a broader, more inclusive understanding. The faculty’s diversity adds value too – 67% come from underrepresented communities, bringing different views and insights.

Fieldwork and Practicum

Field education plays a vital role in the MSW curriculum. Students match with approved social service agencies each year. Trained MSW Practicum Instructors provide supervision while students join integrative seminars with their cohort.

Students can work at more than 65 community sites in a variety of settings:

• Mental health counseling agencies
• Hospitals and medical settings
• Child welfare organizations
• Schools and educational institutions
• Senior services
• State and local justice systems
• Community-based programs focused on homelessness, immigration, domestic violence, and trauma

The practicum hours work like this:

• First Year (Two-Year Program): 400 hours total, usually 6.5-7 hours per day, 2 days per week
• Second Year and Advanced Standing: 600 hours total, usually 4-8 hours per day, 3 days per week

The Field Director arranges all placements after students complete a practicum application and interview. They help find placements that match your educational goals. Most field placements don’t pay, though some sites offer stipends.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Seattle University’s graduate programs charge tuition per credit for the 2025-2026 academic year. A full-time graduate student (9 credits) needs about $50,499 for the total budget. This covers tuition ($23,706), housing ($14,982), food ($6,180), and other expenses.

Students can access several financial aid options:

• Equity Scholarships: Seattle University reviews all admitted applicants for these scholarships
• Workforce Training Initiative: Students can get up to $51,500 (Two-Year) or $25,750 (Advanced Standing) in tuition support if they commit to working in WA state behavioral health agencies after graduation
• HRSA A-OCAY Grant: Students interested in working with children, youth, and young adults in community behavioral health settings can get $25,000 stipends

95.8% of Seattle University students receive financial aid. The university gives out $145 million in scholarships, grants, loans, and employment assistance each year. Your institutional gift aid stays the same for all four years if you maintain continuous enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Admission Requirements

The Two-Year MSW program reviews applications on a rolling basis. The early admission deadline falls on January 20. Recent data shows an acceptance rate of 61%, with 44 students accepted from 72 applicants.

You’ll need:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Minimum 3.0 GPA (lower GPAs might qualify for probationary admission)
• Two admission essays (personal statement and social problem analysis)
• Résumé showing education, work, and volunteer experiences
• Two recommendation forms (one must come from a field director, supervisor, advisor, practicum instructor, or faculty member)
• Signed acknowledgment form for non-academic technical standards

The program looks at academic preparation, relevant experience, social justice values, critical thinking, and interest in clinical social work.

Best For

This program works great if you want:

• A social justice-focused clinical program in a smaller setting
• Close connections with faculty and peers
• Diverse perspectives from faculty mostly from underrepresented communities
• Hands-on community-based experience

Graduates work at organizations like Asian Counseling and Referral Services, Catholic Community Services, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and many community behavioral health agencies. Many students land jobs before graduation or within three months after finishing.

The smaller cohort size makes this program ideal for future clinicians. Students get more individual attention and build stronger community ties compared to larger programs.

2. University of Washington MSW Program (Seattle Campus)

The University of Washington’s MSW program stands among the nation’s leading social work schools. Students can choose from several flexible paths that fit their needs. The Seattle campus program blends challenging academics with hands-on experience to create tomorrow’s social work leaders.

Program Overview

The School of Social Work gives students three program choices that work with different backgrounds and schedules:

• Full-Time Two-Year Program: Students complete this option in two years. It mixes classroom learning with practical fieldwork. You’ll need 75 credits with at least a 2.7 GPA in each course.
• Part-Time Program: This option, formerly called the Extended Degree Program, lets you earn your MSW while managing other life commitments.
• Advanced Standing Program: This full-time option runs mostly in person. It works best for students who already have their bachelor’s in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.

The curriculum has two connected parts. Students start with simple knowledge and skills needed for effective social work practice. They then move to advanced studies for specialized practice. Your first year covers social work history, professional identity, policy, social justice, and core practice skills with different groups.

Specializations Offered

Students pick one of three specializations in their second year:

1. Administration and Policy Practice (APP) APP readies you for leadership in human services organizations and policy work. You’ll learn how to spot social problems, study policies, develop programs, and guide diverse organizations. Students can focus on areas like getting resources, managing money, working with legislators, and checking how well community programs work.
2. Community-Centered Integrative Practice (CCIP) CCIP creates leaders who work closely with communities at all levels. The program sees communities as healing centers. Students look at histories, theories, and methods that tackle issues like white supremacy, environmental injustice, and economic inequality.
3. Clinical Social Work This path prepares you for direct work with individuals, families, and small groups. You’ll learn how to connect, assess, help, and check client progress throughout their lives. This training helps you work in many places, from mental health centers to schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, addiction treatment facilities, and community groups.

Fieldwork and Practicum

Field education is fundamental to social work practice at UW. Students get supervised chances to combine knowledge, values, and skills. UW teams up with community agencies to match experience with classroom theory and research.

Full-Time Two-Year Program students complete two practicum experiences:

• First Year: Social Work 524 practicum (10 credits)
• Second Year: Social Work 525 practicum (17 credits)

More than 600 practicum sites await students. These include behavioral health agencies, hospitals, schools, community nonprofits, courts, legislatures, and research institutes. Each placement matches your specialization and helps build complex skills. Students should expect to work weekday hours during their practicum.

The Office of Field Education helps students find funding and get social work credentials. This support continues from their first field experience through graduation and into professional practice.

Tuition and Financial Aid

These are the 2025-2026 academic year graduate student rates at UW:

Note: These figures cover the 9-month academic year (October-June)

Your tuition stays the same throughout the program thanks to UW’s cohort-based rate system.

Students can get help paying for school through:

• Federal and State Financial Aid: Mostly federal loans, plus some grants for Washington residents in full-time programs
• Traineeships: Programs like CWTAP and Behavioral Health Conditional Scholarship offer up to $41,000 for two/three-year programs
• Fellowships: Merit and need-based awards of $7,500 for one academic year
• Graduate Assistantships: Jobs like Student Information Specialist come with tuition waivers, stipends, and benefits

Submit your FAFSA or WASFA by January 15th for the best shot at aid.

Admission Requirements

UW’s MSW program looks at your whole picture when making admission decisions. They check your academic background, readiness for graduate work, experience, fit with the program’s goals, and what you might bring to social work.

You’ll need:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited school (any major works for Full-Time and Part-Time programs)
• At least a 3.0 GPA overall or in your last 90 quarter/60 semester credits
• English language proof for non-native speakers
• Human biology course taken within 10 years of starting
• Introductory statistics course before taking SOC W 505/506

Advanced Standing students also need:

• A social work degree from a CSWE-accredited program or Canadian program accredited by CASSW/CASWE
• Recent social work experience if they graduated more than five years ago

You won’t need GRE scores. Applications start in September. Full-Time programs have January deadlines. Part-Time programs offer January priority and February final deadlines.

Best For

UW’s MSW program works great for students who want:

• Program Flexibility: Choose full-time, part-time, or advanced standing based on your life situation
• Specialized Career Paths: Three distinct specializations help you target specific career goals
• Extensive Field Experience: Pick from over 600 practicum sites for real-life learning
• Research Opportunities: Strong research focus with $1,275,000 in outside funding helps students learn evidence-based practice
• Diverse Perspectives: Learn alongside 356 graduate students from many backgrounds

Graduates can work in social work or study more in fields like law, medicine, public policy, or international development. This mix of theory and practice makes UW one of Seattle’s best MSW programs for complete professional training.

3. University of Washington Tacoma MSW Program

The University of Washington Tacoma sits just south of Seattle and offers a flexible MSW program that works great if you need to balance work and education. Working professionals will find this campus particularly appealing with its evening classes and multiple program paths, making it one of the best MSW options in Seattle.

Program Overview

UW Tacoma’s MSW program gives you several ways to earn your degree based on your needs and background:

• Part-Time Program: This path, which we used to call the Extended Degree Program, lets you earn your master’s degree in social work at your own pace.
• Full-Time Two-Year Program: You’ll spend two years combining classroom learning with hands-on fieldwork experience.
• Advanced Standing Program: This 18-month, part-time program works best if you already have an undergraduate degree in social work or social welfare. Classes run from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, which fits well with most work schedules.

The program has two main parts: Professional Generalist curriculum teaches you core knowledge and skills needed to start your social work practice. The advanced curriculum then builds on this foundation with specialized training in Integrative Practice.

Specializations Offered

Advanced Standing students can choose from these specializations:

Administration and Policy Practice: This path prepares you to lead human service organizations and shape policy. You’ll learn how to tackle social problems, analyze policies, develop programs, and guide diverse organizations.

Community-Centered Integrative Practice (CCIP): You’ll become a leader in community-engaged work at all levels. This program sees community as essential to healing and tackles issues like white supremacy, environmental justice, and economic fairness.

Clinical Social Work: You’ll develop skills to work directly with individuals, families, and groups. This path opens doors to work in mental health facilities, schools, hospitals, child welfare agencies, and addiction treatment centers.

Fieldwork and Practicum

Field education is the substance of social work education at UW Tacoma. It connects what you learn in class to real-world practice:

• Foundation Practicum: You start with a 40-hour intro class in Spring quarter of your first year. Then you’ll complete 360 field hours over Summer, Fall, and Winter quarters—adding up to 400 hours (10 credits).
• Advanced Practicum: This requires 680 hours spread across Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters in your final year (17 credits).

The School of Social Work and Criminal Justice partners with social service organizations for field placements. You’ll work with both an agency Field Instructor and a school Field Faculty member. Students create a Learning Contract that maps out their activities for the year and meet with Field Instructors weekly to discuss their social work experience.

Most field placements happen during regular business hours, though some evening and weekend spots might be available. If you work full-time, you might need to rearrange your work schedule for these requirements.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Here are the graduate-level tuition rates at UW Tacoma for 2025-2026:

Note: Figures include annual U-Pass expense

You can get financial help through several programs:

• CWTAP: Get federal Title IV-E stipends and special training if you commit to public child welfare work.
• Behavioral Health Workforce Development Initiative (BHWDI): This helps students who want to work with mental health and substance use challenges.
• Simon Family Endowment: Provides MSW Fellowships and fieldwork chances in agencies helping adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disabilities.
• School-Based Scholarships: Merit scholarships between $200-$500 reward academic excellence.

Admission Requirements

The MSW program at UW Tacoma looks for these qualifications:

• A four-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or equivalent).
• A minimum 3.0 GPA in your most recent 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits.
• Three recommendations from academic or professional references (not from family, partners, clients, or friends).
• A current two-page professional resume showing your education, work experience, volunteer service, and achievements.
• Unofficial transcripts from all your undergraduate and graduate schools.

Advanced Standing applicants need a CSWE-accredited bachelor’s in social work. If you graduated over five years ago, you should show ongoing professional growth through social work experience.

Best For

UW Tacoma’s MSW program fits perfectly if you:

• Work full-time and need evening classes and part-time options
• Want to connect theory with community-based practice
• Plan to work in Washington state and can use special funding programs
• Feel passionate about social justice and want to make real change

The program builds on core values that support social justice, along with commitments to multiculturalism, social change, and community strengthening.

4. Eastern Washington University MSW Program (Spokane & Everett)

Eastern Washington University runs a 49-year-old Master of Social Work program. The program started in 1974 to meet growing professional education needs in the Inland Northwest. Students can choose between campuses in Spokane and Everett, which is just north of Seattle. This CSWE-accredited program delivers consistent educational quality at both locations.

Program Overview

The EWU School of Social Work gives you several ways to earn your MSW degree:

• Standard MSW Program: Students need 90 credits through coursework and practicum experience. You can choose full-time or part-time formats
• Advanced Standing MSW Program: This 51-credit program suits graduates who earned their bachelor’s degrees in social work from CSWE-accredited programs in the last seven years

First-year full-time students attend weekly classes on the Cheney campus. They move to the Catalyst building in Spokane for their second year. The part-time options blend online and in-person instruction. This format works well if you need to keep your full-time job while studying.

Specializations Offered

EWU’s program lets you explore your interests through elective courses instead of formal concentrations. You can focus on:

• Aging and palliative care
• Disabilities
• Public health
• Mental health
• Addiction
• School social work
• Child welfare

This advanced generalist approach helps you become an effective leader in socially just practice. You’ll learn to blend skills, ethics, research, and theory. The program gives you nine essential competencies outlined by CSWE standards. These range from ethical professional behavior to practice evaluation.

Fieldwork and Practicum

Field education is the core of your social work education at EWU. It serves as the “signature pedagogy” where classroom theories meet ground application. Students gain experience in government agencies, non-profit organizations, and community settings.

Generalist field practicum requirements:

• Full-time students: 320 hours (about 16 hours weekly) plus 10 seminar hours per quarter over two quarters
• Part-time students: 320 hours (about 8-10 hours weekly) plus 27 seminar hours over three quarters

Specialized field practicum requirements:

• Full-time students: 600 hours (about 20 hours weekly) plus 30 seminar hours over three quarters
• Part-time students: 580 hours (about 10 hours weekly) plus 45 seminar hours over five quarters

Tuition and Financial Aid

EWU graduate students can access several financial aid options.

The university takes part in the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). This program lets eligible out-of-state students pay in-state tuition rates. Students can also get Federal Direct loans. Graduate students qualify for up to $20,500 annually in unsubsidized loans at an 8.08% interest rate for loans disbursed after July 1, 2025.

EWU’s graduate student loan default rate is 5.1%. This rate sits nowhere near the national average of 10.1% for higher education institutions. Part-time MSW programs charge higher per-credit fees than the full-time program. However, part-time students save money on university fees.

Admission Requirements

Standard MSW program requirements include:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in your most recent undergraduate degree
• A completed EWU Graduate Application with required Social Work materials

Advanced standing program needs:

• An undergraduate degree in social work (BASW or BSW) from a CSWE-accredited program
• A minimum 3.0 GPA
• A degree earned in the last seven years

You don’t need GRE scores to apply for the MSW programs. Recent data shows the program accepts about 82% of applicants.

Best For

EWU’s MSW program fits well if you:

• Need flexible, hybrid learning options while working
• Live in Eastern Washington, the Idaho panhandle, or Northwestern Washington
• Want advanced generalist practice instead of specialized tracks
• Look for affordable tuition, especially with WRGP eligibility
• Have a BSW and want to finish your MSW faster

The part-time program helps you balance work and study. This makes EWU a smart choice if you need to juggle full-time work with graduate education.

5. Walla Walla University MSW Program

Walla Walla University stands out with its clinically-focused MSW program. Students throughout the Pacific Northwest region can choose from multiple delivery options as an alternative to Seattle-based programs.

Program Overview

The Master of Social Work program at Walla Walla University prepares students through two flexible paths. Students with non-social work bachelor’s degrees can take the Regular Standing program (73 credits in 6 quarters/21 months). Recent BSW graduates can opt for the Advanced Standing program and complete 45 credits in 4 quarters/12 months. Students can attend classes at College Place (Washington) or Billings (Montana) campuses on Mondays, or join evening classes online.

Specializations Offered

Clinical social work practice with individuals, families, and groups sits at the heart of the curriculum. The program provides specialized electives instead of formal concentrations:

• Substance use disorders
• Death and dying
• Trauma treatment
• Play therapy
• School social work
• Medical social work

Fieldwork and Practicum

The program’s foundation rests on field education. Advanced Standing students need 600 supervised hours. Regular Standing students complete 900 hours – 280 hours in generalist settings and 630 hours in clinical settings. The Field Education Office coordinates local community placements where experienced MSW practitioners provide weekly supervision.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Each quarter credit hour costs $748. The total comes to about $33,525 for Advanced Standing and $54,385 for Regular Standing programs. Students can access various financial aid options:

• WWU MSW Need Grant ($2,600)
• WWU MSW Departmental Scholarship ($1,360 for WWU graduates)
• Merit scholarships based on GPA ($500-$1,000)
• Federal loans and work-study opportunities

Admission Requirements

Students need to meet these requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university
• Regular Standing needs 2.75 GPA (3.0 for online program)
• Advanced Standing needs BSW from CSWE-accredited program within last five years with 3.0 GPA (3.25 for online)
• Personal statement, social issue analysis, and three professional references
• Background check

Best For

This program suits students who want clinical preparation in a values-driven environment. The one-day-per-week format and online options make it perfect for working professionals across Washington state. Students can earn a clinically-focused MSW without relocating.

Pick Your Seattle MSW Today

Picking the right MSW program is a vital step to build a successful social work career in Seattle. This piece explores five exceptional options that match your professional goals and personal needs. These schools give substantial financial backing – University of Washington puts up $5.8 million each year while Seattle University offers over $1 million in grants and stipends for next year’s students.

Your choice of program will connect you to Seattle’s thriving social work community. Local professionals earn competitive salaries of $74,840 yearly. If you stick with it for more than a decade, you could earn up to $89,023 – making your education worth every penny.

These programs put field education front and center. You’ll have access to more than 600 placement sites in the region. This hands-on training will give you the 1,000 practicum hours you need while building ground skills you’ll use every day. The faculty diversity adds even more value – Seattle University’s team is 67% from underrepresented communities, bringing different points of view to enrich your learning.

Good news for career-changers – all but one of these Washington schools welcome qualified students from any discipline. This makes social work accessible to both fresh graduates and those switching careers.

The best choice comes down to what you need. Seattle University works great for small groups focused on social justice. University of Washington brings prestigious education with tons of research options. UW Tacoma fits working professionals perfectly. Eastern Washington University provides affordable advanced generalist training. Walla Walla University excels with its clinical focus, available both in-person and online.

Your MSW opens doors to join nearly 15,000 social work professionals across Washington state. Now that you know about program structures, specializations, field experiences, costs, and admission requirements, you’re ready to move toward a career that makes lives better throughout Seattle and beyond.