Awards and Recognitions

Editor’s Choice – Top In-Person & online msw programs in texas

Written by Jack Levinson

If you’re a Texas resident considering pursuing a Master of Social Work degree, you’re in luck: the state is home to numerous exceptional graduate programs in social work, with options for students in cities all over.

In fact, some of the top Texas MSW programs rank among the nation’s very best.

For students who are highly academically motivated and ambitious in their career pursuits, attending one of these top schools can be an excellent launchpad for a thriving and long-lasting career in the social work profession, providing you a comprehensive education that builds skill and equips you with the breadth and depth of knowledge you need to take on a career supporting those in need.

What You’ll Find at the Best MSW Programs

No matter their ranking, most social work schools offer comparable coursework and practicum requirements, in keeping with CSWE requirements. However, many of the top Master of Social Work programs in Texas have particular areas of specialty that may be draws for those who already have a sense of the type of social work they would like to engage in. While you by no means need to know how you’d like to focus your studies at the outset of your education, those who do may benefit from choosing schools with offerings to match their interests.

The other advantages of the best Texas MSW programs include the following:

• Focused mentorship from exceptional professors
• Unique field work opportunities
• A cohort of hardworking and ambitious fellow social work students

This is not to say that you won’t find these things at other MSW programs, but attending one of the top-ranking social work graduate programs in Texas all but ensures that these will be part of your experience.

Taking on the Price Tag of a Top MSW Program

For many students, the one inhibiting factor that can get in the way of pursuing a master’s degree is the high cost of graduate programs. Indeed, this is a serious consideration, and if you’re concerned about being able to afford your degree program, this is an important issue to consider.

Fortunately, there are many scholarship and fellowship opportunities out there for motivated social work students who require outside funding in order to make grad school work for them. Many of the schools featured on this list offer directed funding (in the form of fellowships, scholarships, and prizes) that can help you offset the high cost of schooling. It’s worth your while to take a look at these offerings when you peruse the schools’ websites on the list below. Further, there are numerous outside funding opportunities available specifically for Texas-based social work students.

The Best Master of Social Work Programs in Texas

Below is a guide to the top MSW and MSSW programs offered in the state of Texas, with opportunities to suit students with a wide variety of needs. Take a look at the options below to find the right fit for you.

Abilene Christian University

Location: Abilene, TX
Online option: Partial

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSSW (3-4 year)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSSW (1 year)
• Part-Time Advanced Standing MSSW (2 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $24,174

• Specializations: Advanced Generalist
• GRE Requirement: Not required (with GPA of 3.0 or more)

Abilene Christian University is a private university in Abilene, TX. For Master of Social Work students who would like to include a spiritual component in their studies, this Christian university may be the perfect fit for you. Their program provides the core curriculum students would expect to find in any social work graduate program within a community of religious students and teachers. This coursework includes mandatory field work, in line with the expectations of social work graduate programs throughout the country.

Abilene Christian University offers both regular-track and Advanced Standing graduate programs in social work to accommodate students with a wide variety of scheduling needs. It’s worth noting that degrees from ACU are technically Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) degrees (as opposed to the more standard Master of Social Work [MSW] degrees). The distinction between these two types of degree is negligible; for students’ purposes, you can rest assured that your MSSW degree will leave you eligible for the same professional opportunities as a more traditional MSW.

Baylor University

Location: Waco, TX
Online option: Yes

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSW
• Part-time MSW
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW
• Part-time Advanced Standing MSW
• PhD. in Social Work

Per-year tuition (in-state): $24,750

• Specializations: Community Practice, Clinical Social Work, Dual Degree MSWs
• GRE Requirement: Not required

Students who are hoping to pursue their MSW alongside another graduate degree – such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Divinity (MDiv), or Master of Theological Studies (MTS) – can find excellent options to suit their needs at Baylor University, which also offers an excellent standalone MSW program known for its community practice (mezzo/macro level social work) and clinical social work (micro-level social work) tracks.

For students who require flexible arrangements in order to complete graduate school, the MSW program at Baylor University has a wide variety of options to suit your needs. These include in-person and online options, as well as part-time schedules for both the traditional and Advanced Standing MSW programs, making it an accessible option for students balancing school with outside responsibilities.

Our Lady of the Lake University

Location: San Antonio, TX and Rio Grande Valley, TX
Online option: Yes

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSW
• Part-time MSW
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW
• Part-time MSW

Per-year tuition (in-state): $17,658

• Specializations: Social Work Practice in Hispanic Communities
• GRE Requirement: Not required

Students living in San Antonio or Rio Grande Valley can take advantage of the excellent program offerings at Our Lady of the Lake University, which also offers online and hybrid program models for students who require more flexibility from their graduate courses. A private Catholic university, the school’s Worden School of Social Services boasts the first social work degree program offered in the state of Texas. Located on two campuses, the school’s comprehensive social work programs are available in-person to a large number of motivated students in the state of Texas.

With a large Hispanic student population (reflecting the demographics of San Antonio more broadly), Our Lady of the Lake’s MSW program features in-depth coursework on the particular needs of Hispanic and LatinX communities, as well as multilingual approaches to social services. For students from Hispanic backgrounds, this can offer a focused education providing resources tailored to supporting others who share your heritage.

Texas Christian University

Location: Fort Worth, TX
Online option: Partial

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSSW (3 year)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW (1-year)
• Part-time Advanced Standing MSW (2-year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $35,730

• Specializations: Health and mental health, children and families
• GRE Requirement: No

The Harris College Department of Social Work at Texas Christian University offers a comprehensive education in social work practice, allowing students to put their knowledge into practice in internship opportunities across the city of Fort Worth. Students can pursue unique course offerings, including trauma-informed care, animal-assisted therapy and social work, and social policy. The school promotes interdisciplinary learning, encouraging students to draw outside interests into their social work education.

While Texas Christian University does not offer a fully remote MSW option, students have the opportunity to complete their education using the school’s hybrid learning model, offering greater scheduling flexibility and reduced commuting time for students who live far from school. This can be an excellent way for students balancing various responsibilities to fit graduate school into their lives.

Texas State University

Location: San Marcos, TX
Online option: Yes

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSW (3 year, online only)
• Full-time Advanced Practice MSW (1 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $7,147

• Specializations: Social Work Administration Leadership
• GRE Requirement: No

Texas State University’s School of Social Work offers a high-ranking Master of Social Work program for students with a variety of interests and goals. In this program, students will get an education in both the clinical (one-on-one) and administrative roles of social workers, developing skills that will enable them to become direct service practitioners or program directors at social work organizations. Leadership is a paramount skill built in the Texas State MSW program, giving ambitious students the tools they need to hold high-ranking roles in social services.

For students with work conflicts or other outside obligations, Texas State University offers its MSW program online (excluding field work, which you will still be expected to complete in person, though you can choose a volunteer location that is convenient to where you live). The school offers both full-time and part-time tracks, though students can only take courses part-time in the online format – in other words, those who attend their program on-campus must complete their studies on a full-time schedule.

Texas Tech University

Location: Lubbock, TX
Online option: Yes

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSW (3-year)
• Full-time Advanced Practice MSW (1-year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $6,956

• Specializations: Advanced Generalist
• GRE Requirement: No

Prospective MSW students in the Lubbock area have a stellar program option local to them in Texas Tech University’s Master of Social Work program. Taking an Advanced Generalist approach, this MSW program aims to build students’ holistic understanding of the social work field through well-rounded courses and field work opportunities that build an array of skills and areas of expertise, allowing students a range of social work career paths once they have graduated.

As of 2024, Texas Tech now offers a fully online MSW program option (with field internships still expected to be completed in person at the organization of students’ choosing). This is an excellent opportunity for students who may not be able to take on the commuting time or rigid scheduling of in-person courses.

University of Houston

Location: Houston, TX
Online option: Hybrid and Fully Remote

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSSW (2 years)
• Part-time MSSW (3 years)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW (1 year)
• Part-time Advanced Standing MSW (2 years)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $24,174

• Specializations: Trauma Education, Global Leaders of Behavioral Health Education, Political Social Work, Abolitionist Social Work, Mental Health Advanced Practice, and Nonprofit Leadership
• GRE Requirement: Not required

Aspiring social workers based in the Houston area have an excellent graduate degree option right in their own city thanks to the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW). A large program with an uncommonly wide breadth of concentration offerings (see above), this is a fantastic place for motivated social workers to develop focused career trajectories while in school. It also offers students who wish to learn about social work in other places the opportunity to take travel courses, expanding your scope of understanding as a social worker.

For students with scheduling needs, U of H’s part-time hybrid and online program models may help you fit graduate coursework into the rest of your day to day life. (It is worth noting that it is not possible to attend a part-time, fully in-person graduate program at University of Houston.) These courses break up work into more manageable sizes, offering many classes on weekends and in the evenings to help students with outside obligations.

University of North Texas

Location: Denton, TX
Online option: No

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSW (2 year)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW (1 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $7,160

• Specializations: Policy Analysis, Bereavement, Foster Care
• GRE Requirement: No

University of North Texas’ Master of Social Work program is designed to give students of all backgrounds a comprehensive grounding in social work practice, building the skills and experience needed to launch a thriving and long-lasting social work career. With numerous elective options catered to students’ diverse goals and interests, it is sure to equip students with the generalized and specific knowledge they need to take the first steps on their chosen career path.

UNT’s MSW program is only available on a full-time, in-person basis. Students who already hold Bachelor of Social Work degrees will qualify for the school’s Advanced Standing MSW, allowing them to bypass their first year of foundational coursework and complete their graduate degree program in only one year.

The University of Texas at Austin

Location: Austin, TX
Online option: No

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSSW (3- and 3-and-a-half year)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSSW (1 year)
• Part-Time Advanced Standing MSSW (2 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $12,012

• Specializations: Clinical Social Work, Administration and Policy Practice
• GRE Requirement: Optional

Austin-based social work master’s applicants have access to one of the top ten social work programs in the country right in their own city. The University of Texas at Austin’s famed Steve Hicks School of Social Work is known for its exceptional educational program, which prepares incoming social workers with the deep knowledge and extensive skill needed to thrive in the social work profession. Upon completing this program, students will be awarded an MSSW (a slightly more uncommon but equally useful alternative to an MSW), which will qualify you for the full responsibilities of a social worker.

The Steve Hicks School of Social Work provides unique opportunities for students to pursue unusual opportunities in the social work field, including international field work opportunities for those who wish to travel. Students who wish to pursue their MSSW alongside another graduate degree have the option to enroll in dual degree programs at UT Austin, including the MSSW/MBA, MSSW/JD, MSSW/MDiv, MSSW/MPH, MSSW/Public Affairs, and MSSW/MA in Latin American Studies. Those who wish to take outside classes without pursuing a second degree can take advantage of the school’s portfolio program, which offers cross-disciplinary courses related to the social work topics of aging and health, disability studies, nonprofit studies, and women’s and gender studies.

The University of Texas at Arlington

Location: Arlington, Fort Worth
Online option: Yes

Website

Formats:

• Full time MSW (2-year)
• Part time MSW (3-year)
• Full time Advanced Standing MSW (1 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $9,015

• Specializations: Aging, Children and Families, Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse, Community and Administrative Practice
• GRE Requirement: Not required

Prospective social work students in both Arlington and Fort Worth can take advantage of the University of Texas at Arlington’s Master of Social Work program, which also offers a fully online option for students who don’t live in those cities or prefer to take their classes remotely. It has been ranked by HumanServicesEDU as the best affordable CSWE-accredited MSW program in the country, and is among the largest nationwide.

Motivated social work students can find concentrations that cover the full range of specializations. It’s worth noting that the Fort Worth branch of UTA is especially known for its Mental Health & Substance Abuse program. Further, students who wish to pursue dual degrees have a uniquely large range of options at UTA, with unusual program offerings including an MSW/MA in Criminology, MSW/MA in Sociology, and MSW/MA in Urban Affairs (in addition to the more standard dual degree options).

The University of Texas at San Antonio

Location: San Antonio, TX
Online option: No

Website

Formats:

• Full-time MSW (2 year)
• Part-time MSW (3 year)
• Full-time Advanced Standing MSW (1 year)

Per-year tuition (in-state): $7,403

• Specializations: Advanced Generalist
• GRE Requirement: No

Ranked among the top hundred best social work programs in the country, University of Texas at San Antonio’s MSW program makes use of the surrounding city to offer students a hands-on education in social work practice. The school places an emphasis on cultural competence, ensuring that students are equipped to provide thoughtful, holistically beneficial services to any number of clients in need.

University of Texas at San Antonio’s program offerings are available on a full-time or part-time basis, allowing San Antonio-based students more flexibility to fit an MSW program into their schedules. The school offers numerous field work opportunities that will allow students to gain an in-depth knowledge of local causes that they will continue to work on after graduating.