2027 Easiest Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina

The national median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). This is an occupational median across workers with different experience, credentials, employers, and locations - not a starting salary or a North Carolina graduate outcome.

When weighing an offer, distinguish a salaried agency position from contract or private-practice work. Supervision costs, benefits, caseload, and the time required to gain independent licensure can matter as much as advertised pay. Ask programs for recent, clearly defined graduate outcomes rather than applying a national median to your personal return-on-investment estimate.

The programs below present different starting points for comparison. Delivery, clinical-placement arrangements, costs, and requirements can change, so use each school's current program materials to confirm the feature that matters most to you.

• University of North Carolina at Pembroke: Its published graduate catalog gives applicants a formal program-of-study source to review, rather than only a promotional overview (UNC Pembroke graduate catalog). That is especially useful if you need to match specific courses against North Carolina licensure education requirements.
• East Carolina University: ECU presents the degree within counselor education, making the relationship between the degree and its counseling pathways an important point to examine (East Carolina University program page). Applicants comparing career goals should confirm the clinical mental health pathway and its current delivery format, not assume every counselor-education option leads to the same credential.
• Catawba College: Catawba presents clinical mental health counseling as a dedicated program (Catawba College program page). Students who want a focused curriculum should compare its published clinical requirements and schedule with broader counselor-education degrees.
• University of Mount Olive: Mount Olive frames its offering as a Master of Science in Counseling (University of Mount Olive program page). Because degree titles differ across schools, applicants should verify the clinical mental health coursework and licensure alignment rather than judge fit by the diploma title alone.
• Montreat College: Montreat explicitly presents its clinical mental health counseling master's as an online program (Montreat College program page). That makes it worth examining if relocation is impractical, provided its required live sessions and local clinical placements fit your schedule.
• North Carolina State University at Raleigh: NC State lists clinical mental health counseling through its online and distance education offerings (NC State Online and Distance Education program page). Working applicants should ask how its course sequence and supervised placements coordinate, since online instruction does not remove fixed clinical commitments.
• Wake Forest University: Wake Forest offers a mental health counseling pathway through its online counseling program (Wake Forest University online counseling program page). Applicants should compare that pathway's curriculum with any other counseling pathways offered there so they select the one aligned with their intended license.
• North Carolina Central University: NCCU identifies its clinical mental health counseling offering as a Master of Arts (North Carolina Central University graduate program page). For applicants comparing public-university options, the useful next comparison is its current tuition, course schedule, and placement support - not the degree abbreviation.
• Gardner-Webb University: Gardner-Webb publishes a program specifically identified as clinical mental health counseling (Gardner-Webb University program page). Ask for its current attendance requirements and clinical-placement process to determine whether its format is workable from your part of the state.

These distinctions are comparison prompts, not claims that one program is universally easier. For a broader quality comparison, review the best clinical mental health counseling programs alongside each institution's current disclosures.

Many students should budget approximately two to three years for a master's, with the actual timeline determined by course sequencing, enrollment pace, and the timing of practicum and internship. Post-degree supervised experience for licensure is a separate commitment (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors).

An accelerated schedule can reduce time away from higher-earning work, but only if you can complete placements when offered. Compare advertised completion times with the fastest clinical mental health counseling programs, then request a term-by-term plan for your intended full-time or part-time enrollment.

The key difference is where academic instruction occurs, not whether clinical training is required. The comparison below shows which format constraints are most likely to affect a working North Carolina student; individual programs may mix both approaches.

Neither format automatically makes licensure easier. Ask how faculty observe skills, approve supervisors, and help resolve a placement that falls through. These questions are particularly important if you plan to study online from a rural area or outside North Carolina.

There is no single dependable statewide average that captures the total price of these specific online counseling master's programs. Institutional graduate tuition figures do not necessarily include program fees, required visits, clinical-placement expenses, or the number of credits you will actually take (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS). A published per-credit rate is therefore a starting point, not a full-program estimate.

North Carolina public-university applicants should check residency classification because resident and nonresident pricing may differ; private nonprofit programs may use different pricing and aid policies. Compare written total-cost estimates - not just tuition - in the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs. Include travel, background checks, and any reduction in work hours during internship.

Eligible graduate students may use federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and institutional scholarships or assistantships; availability depends on the school, enrollment, and individual eligibility (Federal Student Aid). Submit the FAFSA and ask each program whether online students qualify for the same institutional awards as campus students.

Do not assume Graduate PLUS will cover a new master's program. Under federal changes taking effect in 2026, access is limited to students who satisfy transition rules tied to prior borrowing and enrollment; new graduate borrowers generally cannot rely on new Graduate PLUS loans (Federal Student Aid). Confirm your own eligibility with the financial aid office before accepting an offer, and ask for a financing plan that covers the internship period.

Programs generally require a bachelor's degree and may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework; exact requirements are set by each institution (institution admissions offices). An undergraduate psychology major is not necessarily required.

Admission and licensure are separate checks. Before applying, confirm the institution's accreditation, the program's current CACREP status if that matters to your plans, and how its curriculum addresses the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors' education rules (CACREP; North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors). Ask the school to identify any gaps in writing, especially if you expect to seek licensure in another state. A low application barrier is not a good bargain if the degree misses your licensing goal.

Typical subjects include counseling theories, helping relationships, group counseling, assessment, diagnosis, ethics, multicultural counseling, research, and career development, followed by supervised clinical experiences (CACREP). Course names vary, so compare syllabi and the complete degree plan rather than treating similar-sounding titles as equivalent.

For a North Carolina licensure goal, pay particular attention to how the program documents clinical coursework and supervision. Ask whether a course you hope to transfer will satisfy a specific requirement; graduate transfer credit is subject to the receiving school's policy and may not replace its practicum or internship.

Depending on the school, students may find electives or focused training in substance-use counseling, trauma, children and adolescents, or couples and families. A focus area is not a separate state license, and the availability of an elective does not establish that a program meets another profession's credential rules (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors).

Choose a clinical mental health pathway when your goal is mental health counselor licensure. If you specifically want school counselor or marriage and family therapist credentials, compare those distinct education requirements before choosing electives around them.

Start with licensure fit and the feasibility of clinical training, then compare price and convenience. The most useful questions to put to each admissions and program office are:

1. Does the current degree plan meet North Carolina's education requirements for the license I intend to seek, and how is that documented?
2. What is the program's current CACREP status, and are there any required campus visits or live online meetings?
3. Who finds, approves, and replaces practicum and internship sites near my home?
4. What will I pay through graduation after tuition, fees, travel, and expected aid - and can I keep working during internship?
5. Which graduate completion, exam, and employment outcomes are published, for what period, and for which student group?

Then estimate return on investment using your likely debt, aid, completion probability, lost earnings during placements, current pay, plausible post-degree pay, and the time needed to recover costs. A lower sticker price does not automatically produce better value; the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs offer another comparison, not a replacement for your own numbers.

The degree can support a path toward supervised clinical counseling and, after meeting board requirements, independent licensed practice. Graduates may pursue roles involving mental health assessment and counseling, substance-use services, or integrated behavioral health, depending on their training and employer requirements (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors).

A sensible progression is to choose a licensure-aligned degree, complete its supervised clinical training, apply for the appropriate initial credential, and meet examination and post-degree supervision requirements before seeking independent practice. Check the board's current rules at each stage; graduation alone does not confer a license.

National employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That signals broad demand for the occupation, but it is not a North Carolina hiring forecast or a guarantee that a particular employer will have openings when you graduate.

Your local opportunity set will depend on license status, specialty, and where you can work. Compare vacancies in the communities where you intend to live, noting whether employers offer supervision to associate-level counselors. Online study can widen your school choices, but a locally workable placement and a credible path to supervised employment remain central to the investment.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its rankings to help readers compare programs using consistent evidence rather than convenience claims alone, and its team reviews source data and program characteristics for quality, credibility, and accuracy.

Research.com's counseling rankings consider graduate completion, employment or doctoral admission, licensure-exam performance where applicable, CACREP programmatic accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and program cost. The Best ranking first combines completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable exam performance (20%), CACREP accreditation (16%), and Title IV eligibility (4%); inapplicable criteria are renormalized. Cost then accounts for about 7% of the final score. The method applies to online and on-campus programs, while rankings named for another dimension order programs by that dimension. An "easiest" ranking should therefore be read alongside the published methodology, not as a promise of admission or graduation.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

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

These measures offer a starting point, not a substitute for checking a program's current admissions rules and North Carolina licensure fit. See Research.com's methodology for more on how the rankings are created.

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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/
• O*NET OnLine - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (21-1014)
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A. Ed.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.uncp.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=24&poid=10534
• East Carolina University - Master of Science in Counselor Education
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://degrees.ecu.edu/degree/counselor-education-ms/
• Catawba College - Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.catawba.edu/cmhc/
• University of Mount Olive - Master of Science in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://umo.edu/msc/
• Montreat College - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.montreat.edu/online/master-clinical-mental-health-counseling/