Nebraska has 5 CSWE-accredited Bachelor of Social Work programs, the authoritative count from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. The longest-accredited is University of Nebraska at Omaha, which has held CSWE accreditation since 1975. 2 of the 5 record an online option; the rest are campus-based. 1 at a Carnegie R2 (high research) university.
Each program below is scored on the same five-factor model used in our national ranking, so the order reflects accreditation longevity, delivery and schedule flexibility, program breadth, and the institution's Carnegie research tier, all applied identically nationwide.
Nebraska BSW programs at a glance
5
CSWE-accredited BSW programs
1975
Oldest, University of Nebraska at Omaha, accredited since
2
Offer an online option
1
At an R1 or R2 research university
Nebraska's 5 programs span CSWE accreditation from 1975 to 1992, and the highest-scoring on our five-factor model is University of Nebraska at Omaha at 8.2 out of 10, a Carnegie R2 research university. The newest, Chadron State College, earned accreditation in 1992. A child, family, and school social worker in Nebraska earns a median of $47,770 a year, 20% below the national median of $59,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
All 5 CSWE-Accredited BSW Programs in Nebraska
Accreditation status, dates, locations, online option, and program details are sourced directly from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs. Tuition is shown for reference only and is not factored into the score.
- #1
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE · CSWE-Accredited since 1975 · Online or On-Campus
8.2
Online or On-Campus Carnegie R2 Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1975Why it ranks here
University of Nebraska at Omaha has held CSWE accreditation since 1975, 51 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Science in Social Work (1975-Present) is offered both online and on campus (Omaha, NE). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. Its home institution holds a Carnegie R2 classification for high research activity.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Omaha, NE (1975-present); Online (2025-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 10.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 7.5
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #2
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · Online or On-Campus
7.4
Online or On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus + online Accred. since 1982Why it ranks here
University of Nebraska at Kearney has held CSWE accreditation since 1982, 44 years of standing as of 2026. The Bachelor of Science in Social Work is offered both online and on campus (Kearney, NE). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Kearney, NE (1982-present); Online (2018-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 7.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #3
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln, NE · CSWE-Accredited since 1982 · On-Campus
6.8
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1982Why it ranks here
Nebraska Wesleyan University has held CSWE accreditation since 1982, 44 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Lincoln, NE). Students can enroll full-time or part-time.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Lincoln, NE (1982-present); Omaha, NE (1982-2022)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 9.0
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
- #4
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE · CSWE-Accredited since 1992 · On-Campus
6.6
On-Campus Full & part-time 1 campus Accred. since 1992Why it ranks here
Chadron State College has held CSWE accreditation since 1992, 34 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Chadron, NE). Students can enroll full-time or part-time. It records 3 dual-degree options.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Chadron, NE (1992-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.4
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 10.0
- Breadth (11%) 7.5
- #5
Creighton University
Omaha, NE · CSWE-Accredited since 1990 · On-Campus
5.8
On-Campus Full-time 1 campus Accred. since 1990Why it ranks here
Creighton University has held CSWE accreditation since 1990, 36 years of standing as of 2026. The program is delivered on campus (Omaha, NE). The program runs on a full-time plan of study.
Annual tuition (not factored)
Not available. See the program website for current tuition.
Locations
Omaha, NE (1990-present)
Program data sourced from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs
Five-factor score breakdown
- Longevity (40%) 7.8
- Delivery (22%) 4.0
- Prestige (15%) 5.0
- Schedule (12%) 6.0
- Breadth (11%) 3.0
The Social Work Industry in Nebraska
A Bachelor of Social Work is the entry credential for Nebraska's front-line social-service workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET, social workers are employed across public human-services and child-welfare agencies, hospitals and health systems, K-12 schools, community mental-health and substance-use programs, aging and disability services, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations. BSW-level roles are generalist and direct-practice: case manager, child and family caseworker, community and behavioral-health worker, and social and human-service assistant. Supervisory, therapeutic, and independent clinical positions generally require a master's. If you plan to pursue graduate education, BestMSWPrograms.org covers the best MSW programs to help you take that next step.
Per the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs, Nebraska's 5 accredited programs are based across 4 cities, including Omaha, Kearney, Lincoln, Chadron, 2 offering an online option. 1 is hosted at a Carnegie research university (R1 or R2), which adds research and teaching-hospital placements to the local training pipeline. CSWE standards require supervised field education, so programs build placement partnerships with local agencies, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits, which makes the state's campuses a training and hiring pipeline into the surrounding Nebraska social-service economy. Online-capable programs extend that access to students in rural and remote parts of the state, areas the federal government (HRSA) frequently designates as mental-health workforce shortage areas.
Nationally, the BLS projects social-worker employment will grow 7% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 67,300 openings projected each year, many from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation. The BLS projects faster-than-average growth for healthcare social workers and for mental health and substance abuse social workers, specialties that hire at both the bachelor's and master's levels.
In Nebraska, social workers held about 6,930 jobs across the four social work occupations as of May 2025, per the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. State median annual wages by specialty:
| Occupation | Employed in NE | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Child, family, and school social workers | 4,830 | $47,770 |
| Healthcare social workers | 980 | $62,420 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 900 | $43,240 |
| Social workers, all other | 220 | $76,520 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Wages cover all workers in each occupation; BLS does not break wages out by degree, and BSW-level roles typically fall toward the lower end of each range. O*NET reports tasks, skills, and local outlook by occupation.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers; BLS state wage data for Nebraska; O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers; CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; HRSA health workforce shortage areas.
Social Work Licensure in Nebraska
Licensing data from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), the body that develops the social work licensing exams, captured 2026.
Nebraska licenses social workers at the bachelor level, so a CSWE-accredited BSW is the degree requirement for an entry-level license here. That makes program accreditation, the basis of our ranking, a direct licensing prerequisite.
| License | Name | Exam | CSWE BSW required |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSW | Certified Social Worker | No ASWB exam required | Yes |
The license ladder continues to the master's level (CMSW, PCMSW), and the clinical, independent-practice level (LIMHP, LMHP, PMHP). A CSWE-accredited BSW also qualifies graduates for Advanced Standing admission to a master's program.
How We Ranked These Programs
Every program is scored on the same five-factor model used in the national ranking, with no state-specific adjustments. Four factors are drawn from the CSWE Directory of Accredited Programs; prestige uses the institution's 2025 Carnegie research classification.
- Accreditation longevity (40%): years of continuous CSWE accreditation.
- Delivery flexibility (22%): online option and number of approved campus locations.
- Prestige (15%): 2025 Carnegie research tier (R1, R2, or baseline).
- Schedule flexibility (12%): full-time and part-time plans of study.
- Program breadth (11%): embedded certificates and dual-degree options.
For the full model, see our ranking methodology.