April 9, 2024 | Ziba Kashef

UConn School of Social Work Rises in 2024 U.S. News & World Report Rankings

The UConn School of Social Work (SSW) is ranked at No. 28, which puts the SSW among the top 9% of graduate social work programs in the nation.

Exterior views of the School of Social Work (SSW) with students walking out of the building.

Exterior views of the School of Social Work (SSW) with students walking out of the building. Sept. 15, 2022. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

On April 9, U.S. News & World Report released its national rankings of graduate schools of social work, with the UConn School of Social Work (SSW) ranked at No. 28. That ranking, which is up from No. 36, puts the UConn SSW among the top 9% of graduate social work programs nationally.

With this ranking, the UConn SSW continues to lead graduate social work programs in Connecticut and be a top choice for students across the country.

“The UConn School of Social Work stands strong among graduate social work programs nationwide,” says Dean and Professor Laura Curran. “Building upon more than 75 years of history, we have a growing research portfolio, innovative academic programming, and long-standing partnerships that impact communities locally and globally.”

The U.S. News social work rankings were calculated and published in 2024, based on surveys in fall 2023 and early 2024. Those surveyed included 318 social work programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education Board of Accreditation.

The UConn SSW is the first public university in Connecticut to offer bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees in social work, and its research doctorate is the only public social work Ph.D. program in the region. Areas of distinction include child and adolescent well-being, health and behavioral health, LGBTQ youth and families, aging, policy practice and community organizing, and global social work.

In 2023, the UConn SSW expanded its national footprint by welcoming Innovations Institute, an interdisciplinary, translational research center. The SSW is actively involved in a growing number of interdisciplinary collaborations within the University – including with UConn Health and the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute – and has extensive collaborations with public and private human service agencies.

Earlier this year, the SSW launched a new fully Online MSW program to provide greater access to aspiring social workers across the state and region.

SSW graduates – more than 8,800 strong – play major roles in planning, administering, and providing social and mental health services in Connecticut, the region, and beyond.