In a typical masters in social work program, you’ll take classes that focus on topics such as political advocacy, management, mental health, psychology, ethics, and more. One of the best ways to ensure that you qualify for the top positions in this field is to go to a high-ranked social work school to get your master’s degree. Here are some of the top schools you should consider for your masters in social work:

Washington University in St. Louis

The George Warren Brown School of Social Work is ranked as the top social work program in the United States according to U.S. News and World Report. At this school, you’ll have the ability to customize your education to perfectly fit your interests and career goals. The program allows a lot of flexibility in terms of scheduling, and your classes will combine teaching, research, and service so you get a comprehensive social work education.

University of Michigan

Located in Ann Arbor, the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan offers a 60-credit-hour degree program that allows students to choose the specialties that best fit your needs. You’ll choose a practice method (Community Organization, Interpersonal Practice, Management of Human Services, or Social Policy and Evaluation) as well as a practice area (Aging in Families and Society, Children and Youth in Families and Society, Community or Social Systems, Health, and Mental Health), so you can mix and match to make the perfect program for you.

Other Top Schools

While the George Warren Brown School of Social Work and the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan are ranked as the top two programs for masters in social work students in the United States, a number of other schools also rank high in this field. These schools include the University of Chicago, Columbia University, the University of Washington (in Seattle, WA), the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina, the University of Southern California, Case Western Reserve University the University of California, University at Albany (SUNY), and the University of Wisconsin. In addition, it is important to realize that it doesn’t matter how great a school looks on paper if it doesn’t meet your personal educational needs. Make a list of the characteristics you want in a graduate school and visit as many colleges as possible to find the one that is best for you.