2027 Most Affordable Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Des Moines

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $59,350 U.S. median annual wage for May 2025 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. This is an occupational midpoint - not an entry-level salary, a Des Moines wage, or an earnings estimate for a particular degree. Pay can differ by employer, experience, license status, and the type of counseling provided.

For a personal return-on-investment estimate, compare likely post-degree earnings with what you already earn. Include borrowing costs, aid, time out of the workforce, your probability of completing the degree, and the years you expect to work afterward. A cheaper program is not necessarily the better investment if its schedule makes completion or required clinical training difficult.

Drake University and Grand View University both offer Des Moines-area clinical mental health counseling programs. Their published program descriptions provide starting points, but students should obtain current credit requirements, placement policies, outcomes, and itemized prices before treating either as the more affordable choice.

• Drake University: Drake offers a clinical mental health counseling degree through its graduate counseling offerings (Drake University program page). Its established Des Moines campus location may appeal to students seeking in-person access to faculty and local training sites; ask specifically how placements are arranged and what attendance the program requires.
• Grand View University: Grand View identifies its offering as an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Grand View University program page). For a student comparing degree structures, that clearly identified master's pathway is a useful starting point; request its current plan of study and a written total-cost estimate to compare it fairly with Drake's offering.

Neither a degree title nor a school's overall reputation establishes Iowa licensure eligibility or better employment outcomes. Verify programmatic accreditation status, clinical requirements, and graduate results for the specific program and reporting period.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time graduate study for a clinical mental health counseling master's; part-time study generally takes longer. The exact timeline depends on each school's course sequence, start terms, and practicum and internship schedule. Request a term-by-term plan rather than relying on the shortest advertised completion time.

Graduation is not the end of the licensure timeline. Iowa's supervised experience and examination requirements are separate from earning the degree (Iowa Board of Behavioral Science). If you need to keep full-time employment, compare the program's clinical-hour schedule with your employer's flexibility before committing.

Online coursework can reduce commuting and make classes easier to schedule, but counseling training still involves supervised clinical experience. On-campus study can make face-to-face interaction easier while adding travel and fixed meeting times. Neither format is automatically cheaper once fees, travel, and time away from work are included.

For any online or hybrid option, confirm where you may complete clinical placements, whether the school helps secure an Iowa site, and whether the curriculum meets the educational requirements for the state where you intend to seek licensure. Do not assume that online availability means a fully remote degree or automatic license eligibility (Iowa Board of Behavioral Science).

A defensible Des Moines average for these specific master's programs is not available here: institution-wide tuition averages do not measure the full price of a clinical counseling degree. Compare each school's current price per credit and required credits, then add mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, and any required clinical or screening expenses. Subtract grants and scholarships to estimate your net cost.

Request the same written cost breakdown from each program so differences in billing do not hide the more expensive option. If your priority extends beyond sticker price, compare the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs alongside the affordability ranking.

Graduate students can ask about institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Submit the FAFSA and request each school's graduate aid offer; eligibility and award amounts vary (Federal Student Aid). Because clinical placements may limit paid work, compare aid against the hours you can realistically earn while enrolled.

Do not assume Graduate PLUS will cover a funding gap. Under federal changes taking effect in 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot use Graduate PLUS; limited continuing-student eligibility depends on federal transition rules. Confirm your individual status and current loan limits with Federal Student Aid and the school's financial aid office before accepting an offer.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must meet the particular program's admissions standards. Schools may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview; required prior coursework and application deadlines must be checked with Drake or Grand View directly (Drake University; Grand View University).

Admission and licensure are different decisions. Before applying, ask the program to show how its courses and clinical training align with Iowa Board of Behavioral Science requirements. If you already hold graduate credits, get a written transfer-credit evaluation: accepted credits may lower tuition, but clinical courses and placements may have restrictions.

Expect study in counseling skills, diagnosis and assessment, human development, group counseling, ethics, research, and supervised practicum and internship. Exact course titles and sequences differ. When comparing catalogs, look beyond whether a topic appears: find out when clinical work begins and whether prerequisite sequencing could delay graduation.

Request a curriculum-to-licensure explanation from each school, particularly if you expect to move after graduation. Another state's board may review coursework and supervised experience differently from Iowa's (Iowa Board of Behavioral Science).

Students may pursue interests such as addiction treatment, trauma, or work with particular age groups through electives and placements, depending on what a program offers. Do not treat an elective, concentration, or certificate as a separate professional license. Ask which options appear on the transcript, require additional credits, and connect to available Des Moines-area clinical sites.

If your goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy rather than clinical mental health counseling, compare the distinct educational and licensing paths before enrolling. A closely related program title does not establish eligibility for a different credential.

Start with your intended license and your workable budget, then compare programs on the requirements that could change either outcome. The best clinical mental health counseling programs can broaden your comparison, but no ranking replaces program-level verification.

Use these questions with both admissions offices; ask for answers in writing where possible:

1. Does the current curriculum meet Iowa's educational requirements for the license I want, and what is the program's current accreditation status?
2. What will the full degree cost after likely aid, including fees and clinical-placement expenses?
3. Who finds and approves placements, and can required clinical hours fit my work schedule?
4. What are the latest program-specific completion, exam, and employment results, and which graduating class do they describe?

A common mistake is choosing by tuition alone, then discovering that a placement schedule requires unpaid time away from work. Another is assuming accreditation or graduation automatically confers licensure. Verify both issues before paying a deposit.

Graduates may seek supervised counseling roles while progressing toward Iowa licensure, then pursue positions for which the appropriate license is required. Possible directions include community mental health, outpatient behavioral health, substance use services, and private practice. Each has different employer expectations and may require additional training or credentials (Iowa Board of Behavioral Science).

If you want to gauge interest in the field rather than cost or licensure fit, the most popular clinical mental health counseling programs offer another lens. Popularity alone cannot tell you whether graduates obtain the credential or job you want.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That indicates broader demand for the occupation, not a forecast of openings in Des Moines or a guarantee that a new graduate will find work immediately.

Local prospects depend on employers' vacancies, the services they provide, and whether applicants meet supervision or licensure requirements. Before enrolling, review current Des Moines-area postings for your target role and ask programs which local organizations host trainees. That comparison is more useful for planning your first job than applying a national growth rate to the city.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision, so Research.com evaluates more than an advertised tuition rate. Its counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes, licensure exam pass rates where applicable, accreditation, federal aid eligibility, and program cost. The Most Affordable ranking orders programs by cost; a low-cost position should still be weighed against clinical placement access and fit with Iowa's licensing requirements.

Research.com uses the following data sources to check institutional information and strengthen the ranking's credibility and accuracy:

• IPEDS database - institutional reporting, including education and cost information.
• 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 context.

Because institutions report different measures at different times, readers should confirm current prices and program-specific outcomes directly with each school. Learn more about the ranking approach in Research.com's 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/
• NBCC - NCE / NCMHCE
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.nbcc.org/exams
• Drake University - M.S. in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.drake.edu/degree-programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling
• Grand View University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.grandview.edu/academics/programs/ms-clinical-mental-health-counseling