2027 Best Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Chicago

The national median annual wage for the Bureau of Labor Statistics category covering substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025. This is an occupational median across career stages and employers - not a wage promised to Chicago graduates or a figure specific to licensed clinical professional counselors (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook).

When assessing a program's payoff, compare likely roles at your intended credential stage. Supervised positions, licensed clinical roles, and private practice have different compensation structures; benefits, caseload expectations, and unpaid placement time also matter. Use current local job postings to test whether the salary and credentials associated with your target role justify a program's full cost.

The programs below differ most usefully in how they organize counseling study and the settings or perspectives they emphasize. These are starting points for comparison, not claims that one feature produces better licensure or employment outcomes. Confirm current credits, clinical hours, delivery format, and placement policies with each program before applying.

• Northeastern Illinois University: Its clinical mental health counseling master's sits within a counselor education department that also addresses other counseling pathways. That structure may appeal to students who want to compare professional counseling identities while staying on a clearly identified clinical track (Northeastern Illinois University program catalog).
• The Chicago School at Chicago: The school offers a Chicago-based MA specifically titled Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Its focused professional-school setting may suit students who want counseling study alongside a broader behavioral-health environment; ask which training resources and placement services are available to this particular campus program (The Chicago School program page).
• Adler University: Its MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling foregrounds Adlerian and social-justice perspectives. Students interested in how community conditions shape mental health may find that curricular lens relevant, provided the available clinical sites also fit their intended practice (Adler University program page).
• Roosevelt University: Its MA is housed in the university's graduate health-science offerings. That academic placement is worth investigating for applicants interested in healthcare-adjacent counseling; verify the specific clinical experiences rather than assuming access to every university health partnership (Roosevelt University graduate catalog).
• DePaul University: Its clinical mental health counseling MA is part of the university's counseling offerings. Applicants considering counseling in different populations or settings can use that structure to compare coursework across pathways, while checking that their chosen sequence meets clinical licensure goals (DePaul University program page).
• National Louis University: Its Illinois MS in Counseling is presented as a counseling program rather than a degree titled solely clinical mental health counseling. This makes the exact track and course sequence the critical distinction: request a written explanation of how the intended pathway aligns with Illinois clinical counseling requirements (National Louis University program page).
• Illinois Institute of Technology: Its master's is specifically titled Clinical Counseling and sits within the institution's psychology offerings. Students drawn to a psychology-based academic setting should compare its required counseling coursework and supervised training with programs housed in counselor education departments (Illinois Institute of Technology program page).
• Chicago State University: Its clinical mental health counseling information is presented through the university's psychology department. For applicants prioritizing this South Side institution, the useful next check is the program's current degree plan and placement support - not an assumption that department location alone determines licensure eligibility (Chicago State University program page).

A full-time clinical counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on required credits, course rotation, when practicums and internships begin, and whether students can complete placements while working. Program catalogs and advisers - not a university-wide "time to degree" - are the right sources for a realistic schedule.

An accelerated plan can reduce time away from full-time work but may compress clinically demanding semesters. Ask for a term-by-term plan showing coursework, placement hours, and any summer requirements. If you need a predictable evening schedule, verify that it remains workable during internship, not just during classroom semesters.

Online study changes where you attend class; it does not remove supervised clinical training. An on-campus Chicago program may simplify access to faculty and local placement coordination. An online or hybrid program may help a working student keep a job or reduce commuting, but arranging approved in-person sites can become a substantial scheduling obligation.

Before choosing a remote option, get written answers about where you may complete fieldwork, who secures and approves sites, whether campus visits are required, and which state's licensing requirements the curriculum addresses. This matters especially if you live in Illinois now but may seek licensure elsewhere: state rules are not interchangeable (IDFPR; Federal Student Aid guidance on professional-licensure disclosures).

There is no single reliable Chicago-wide average that captures the price of these specific programs. Published graduate tuition can be stated per semester, credit, or academic year, and may exclude fees and clinical expenses. A national graduate-tuition figure would not settle what an individual Chicago counseling degree costs.

Request a whole-program estimate: required credits multiplied by the applicable tuition rate, plus mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, background checks where required, and expected living costs. Then subtract confirmed grants or scholarships. Compare the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs, but check whether their schedules permit the income you expect to keep earning. Price per credit alone cannot show that trade-off (individual institutional tuition and program pages).

Eligible graduate students may pursue institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans after completing the FAFSA. Awards and borrowing eligibility depend on the student and institution; ask financial aid offices whether scholarships continue during internship terms and whether an assistantship's workload is compatible with fieldwork (Federal Student Aid; individual institutions).

Do not build a financing plan around Graduate PLUS without checking eligibility. Under rules effective for new borrowing beginning July 2026, new graduate students generally cannot take out new Graduate PLUS loans; a limited transition applies to qualifying students who had already borrowed for the same program. Ask your school's aid office to verify your status and your remaining financing options (Federal Student Aid). Compare aid-adjusted cost - not advertised tuition - when reviewing the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, but accepted majors and prerequisite courses vary. Schools may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or evidence of relevant experience. Review the current admissions page for each degree rather than assuming that psychology coursework - or a prior counseling job - is universally required (individual institutional admissions pages).

Before paying an application fee, ask whether missing prerequisites can be completed after admission and whether prior graduate credits can transfer. Transfer approval may depend on course content, recency, grades, and limits on clinical coursework. A generous transfer policy is useful only if it shortens your actual path to the required degree and approved clinical training.

Expect study in counseling skills, human development, diagnosis and assessment, ethics, research, group counseling, and approaches to treatment, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Specific course titles and sequences vary. For Illinois-bound students, the question is whether the entire transcript and clinical plan satisfy applicable educational requirements - not whether a catalog contains a few familiar course names (IDFPR; individual program catalogs).

Compare syllabi or degree maps if two programs use different credit systems or describe similar subjects differently. Ask how students learn documentation, crisis response, and culturally responsive practice in supervised settings; those capabilities affect readiness for clinical work more directly than an elective title alone.

Students may be able to shape training through electives and placements involving substance-use treatment, trauma, children and families, or community mental health. Availability depends on the school and the sites willing to supervise interns; an advertised interest area is not necessarily a formal concentration.

Choose based on the clients and settings you hope to serve, then ask how many relevant courses are offered regularly and whether the program helps students obtain matching placements. If your goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy specifically, compare the corresponding degree and credential requirements before assuming a clinical mental health track is the shortest route (IDFPR; individual program catalogs).

Start with the credential you want, then test each program against it. A degree can be worthwhile for someone committed to supervised clinical work and able to finance the path to licensure; it is a weaker fit if the desired job requires a different license or if required placement hours make completion financially impractical.

Use these checks when speaking with admissions, clinical-training, and financial-aid staff:

1. Confirm licensure alignment: Ask which Illinois requirements the program is designed to meet, whether it has current CACREP programmatic accreditation, and what graduates must still complete after the degree. Check the accreditor and IDFPR directly.
2. Request a placement plan: Ask who finds sites, when internships occur, and whether placements compatible with your work schedule are realistically available.
3. Price the full path: Compare net program cost, expected borrowing, income lost during study and fieldwork, and the time until you could pursue your intended role.
4. Check evidence of completion: Request clearly dated, program-specific completion and licensure-exam results where available; ask how the school defines each measure.

Common mistakes are treating institutional accreditation as identical to CACREP program accreditation, assuming online coursework means remote internship, and choosing the lowest tuition without accounting for delayed completion. Rankings can help form a shortlist; compare the most popular clinical mental health counseling programs only as one view of student interest, not evidence that a program fits your circumstances.

A graduate might pursue supervised counseling work and, after satisfying applicable requirements, seek Illinois professional or clinical professional counselor licensure. Possible longer-term directions include community mental health counseling, substance-use counseling, clinical work within healthcare organizations, and private practice. Titles and permitted responsibilities depend on the license, employer, and work setting (IDFPR).

Plan backward from a real job description. If it calls for independent clinical licensure, budget time for post-degree requirements rather than treating graduation as the finish line. If it emphasizes a different credential - such as school counselor licensure - compare a purpose-built preparation route before committing to this degree.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% U.S. employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That national occupational projection signals demand for the broader field, but it does not measure Chicago vacancies or guarantee an offer to any graduate (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

Chicago applicants should examine current openings by setting and credential level: an agency role open to a supervised counselor is a different opportunity from a hospital or practice position requiring an Illinois clinical license. Demand alone cannot establish whether a degree is a good investment. Compare those openings with the program's placement support, the time needed for licensure, and the debt you would take on.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com designed this ranking to help readers compare programs using evidence about student outcomes, licensure preparation, accreditation, eligibility for federal aid, and cost - not reputation alone. The team checks and combines multiple sources to improve the ranking's quality, credibility, and accuracy.

The Best ranking begins with a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score: program completion accounts for 40%; employment or doctoral admission, 20%; licensure exam pass rate where applicable, 20%; CACREP programmatic accreditation, 16%; and institutional Title IV eligibility, 4%. Weights are redistributed when a criterion does not apply. Program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The method is the same for online and on-campus programs; other Research.com rankings order programs by the particular dimension named in their titles.

These sources were used to create the ranking and provide different checks on institutions, programs, and outcomes:

• IPEDS database: institutional reporting on enrollment, completions, and costs.
• Peterson's database: supplementary program and institutional information.
• College Scorecard database: federal institutional and student-outcome information.
• National Center for Education Statistics: federal education data and definitions.

A ranking narrows the search; it cannot verify that a particular course plan meets your licensing needs or predict your personal return on investment. Check current requirements and prices directly with each school. Read more about Research.com's ranking methodology.

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• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Counselors
  Used to verify salary, employment outlook, and typical education requirements.
  https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/
• CACREP - Directory of Accredited Programs
  Used to verify CACREP accreditation status of specific programs.
  https://www.cacrep.org/directory/
• Counseling Compact - Participating States
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://counselingcompact.org/
• Northeastern Illinois University - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.neiu.edu/education/counselor-education/master-arts-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• The Chicago School at Chicago - M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Chicago Campus
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/programs/counseling/clinical-mental-health-counseling/ma-chicago/
• Adler University - Master of Arts in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.adler.edu/programs/masters-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• Adler University - Master of Arts in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.adler.edu/programs/masters-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• Roosevelt University - M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.roosevelt.edu/graduate/health-science/clinical-mental-health-counseling-ma/