2027 Most Affordable Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Minnesota

The U.S. median annual wage for the Bureau of Labor Statistics category "substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors" was $59,350 in May 2025. BLS groups several counseling roles in that figure; it does not report a guaranteed salary for a newly graduated Minnesota clinical mental health counselor. Experience, license status, employer, location, and hours worked can substantially affect an offer.

Use the median as a broad career benchmark, not as the income figure in a first-year repayment plan. For a more useful personal estimate, compare current Minnesota job postings that match the license status you expect immediately after graduation, and distinguish their stated pay from positions requiring independent licensure.

These Minnesota options differ in how they name and organize the degree. The distinctions below are starting points for comparing programs, not evidence that one has a better price, placement rate, or licensure result; confirm current credits, delivery, clinical support, and outcomes directly with each school.

• Bethany Lutheran College: Bethany presents a graduate program specifically titled clinical mental health counseling, making the intended discipline clear at the outset (Bethany Lutheran College). Students interested in its setting should ask how program delivery and clinical-site arrangements would work where they live.
• Minnesota State University, Mankato: Its mental health counseling MS sits within Counseling and Student Personnel, a useful distinction for applicants comparing counseling fields within a university department (Minnesota State University, Mankato). Confirm that the mental health track - not another departmental pathway - matches the license you intend to pursue.
• Bethel University: Bethel presents counseling through its graduate offerings rather than identifying every option in the program-page title (Bethel University). Applicants should obtain the exact degree and track requirements before comparing its price or Minnesota licensure fit with a program explicitly titled clinical mental health counseling.
• St. Cloud State University: Its graduate offering is explicitly identified as clinical mental health counseling, which makes it a direct program-level comparison for prospective clinical counselors (St. Cloud State University). Ask how the program supports placement and supervision if you plan to complete clinical training away from St. Cloud.
• Winona State University: Winona State identifies a specific clinical mental health counseling program rather than a general counseling degree (Winona State University). Its location makes campus-attendance and placement logistics particularly important to clarify for applicants elsewhere in the state.
• Crown College: Crown calls its offering an MA in Counseling, a broader degree title than clinical mental health counseling (Crown College). Request a course-by-course explanation of its Minnesota LPCC alignment before assuming the title leads to the same credential pathway.

Program titles are not substitutes for board review or a written school response. If you want to compare dimensions beyond price, consult the best clinical mental health counseling programs alongside each institution's current catalog.

Clinical mental health counseling master's study commonly takes about two to three years full time; part-time study may take longer. Actual completion depends on course sequencing, the availability of a suitable clinical site, and how many hours a student can devote to supervised training. Ask for a term-by-term plan for your intended enrollment pace rather than relying on a school's fastest advertised timeline.

Accelerating may lower living expenses and time out of the workforce, but it can be impractical if clinical hours conflict with paid work. Conversely, a lower-priced part-time program may cost more overall if extended enrollment adds fees or delays a move into the intended role. Licensure also involves steps after the degree; graduation and independent clinical practice should not be treated as the same milestone (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy).

Online delivery can reduce commuting and expand access for Minnesotans who live far from campus. It does not remove in-person clinical-training requirements: students still need approved placements and appropriate supervision. Campus study may simplify access to scheduled classes and local program contacts, but it can impose relocation or travel costs.

Before choosing an online option, ask where students complete practicum and internship, who approves sites, whether live class meetings have fixed times, and whether any campus visits are required. An out-of-state online program deserves an additional check: request its written determination concerning Minnesota educational requirements and verify it with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy. The label "online" does not establish license eligibility.

There is no single reliable statewide average in this guide for the full cost of a Minnesota clinical mental health counseling degree. Published tuition, program fees, required credits, and the pace of enrollment differ, while financial aid changes the amount an individual pays. A comparison based only on an institution's general graduate tuition can therefore misstate the cost of this particular program.

Request each school's current program-specific estimate: tuition for all required credits; recurring, technology, and clinical fees; books; campus-visit and placement travel; and any added expense if training extends into another term. Then subtract grants and scholarships you are actually offered - not aid you merely hope to receive. For a fuller investment comparison, consider likely borrowing, completion probability, earnings you would give up while studying, your current income, expected post-degree earnings, and the period over which you expect a return. The most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs provide another lens, but your own aid and work situation can change the result.

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and each school's graduate aid application. Depending on eligibility and the program, funding may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition assistance, or other school-administered support (Federal Student Aid; U.S. Department of Education). Ask whether an award continues during clinical training and whether it requires a minimum course load.

Graduate PLUS borrowing requires particular caution for 2027 entrants: federal rules changed for new graduate borrowers beginning July 1, 2026; qualifying students who borrowed for the same program before the change may have a limited transition period. Do not build a funding plan around a Graduate PLUS loan without checking your individual eligibility and current limits with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office. Compare the remaining financing gap after confirmed aid, including the cost of any term when clinical hours reduce your ability to work (Federal Student Aid).

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, transcripts, and materials explaining their interest and readiness for graduate counseling study. Schools may also request recommendations, an interview, or prerequisite coursework; requirements vary by institution (institutional admissions offices). A bachelor's in psychology may be helpful but should not be assumed mandatory for every program.

Admission and Minnesota licensure are separate checks. Before paying an application deposit, request the current course sequence and clinical-training requirements, ask what prior graduate credits the school will accept, and compare the resulting plan with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy's education rules. Transfer credit may reduce coursework, but only if both the program and, where relevant, the licensing board accept how the requirement is met.

Expect study in counseling theories and techniques, assessment and diagnosis, ethics, research, group work, human development, and work with clients from varied backgrounds, followed by supervised practicum and internship (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; institutional program catalogs). Course titles alone can conceal important differences: a program may cover a topic in a general survey course or through more extensive clinical preparation.

If LPCC practice is your goal, compare each school's catalog against the Minnesota board's required content areas and field-experience rules. Ask the program to identify exactly which courses satisfy those requirements and to explain how it documents completed supervised experience. That is more useful than counting courses with "clinical" in their titles (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy).

Schools may offer electives or placement experiences focused on areas such as addiction, trauma, child and adolescent counseling, or couples and family work. Availability and depth vary; an elective is not necessarily a formal concentration or a separate professional credential. Compare the relevant courses and clinical-site opportunities, not just a specialization label.

For example, a student drawn to addiction treatment should ask whether appropriate supervised placements are accessible locally. Someone whose primary goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy should investigate those credential pathways directly rather than assuming a clinical mental health counseling specialization will satisfy different licensing rules. The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy and the applicable licensing body determine requirements, not a program's marketing description.

Choose the program that meets your intended credential requirements at a total cost and schedule you can sustain. A sensible shortlist should pass the following checks before you compare rankings or reputation:

1. Confirm the credential pathway. Ask for written documentation of how the current curriculum and clinical experience align with Minnesota's intended license; check programmatic accreditation status directly with CACREP if it matters to your plan (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; CACREP).
2. Test placement feasibility. Ask who finds and approves sites, where recent students trained, and how supervision works if you live outside the campus area.
3. Compare individualized net cost. Obtain estimates for the same enrollment pace, including fees, travel, confirmed aid, and possible extra terms.
4. Check completion and outcomes carefully. Request program-level completion and licensure-exam information where available, with reporting periods and sample sizes; do not substitute an institution-wide result for a counseling-program outcome.
5. Plan for work and credit transfer. Get a term-by-term schedule and a written evaluation of prior coursework before assuming a job schedule or transferred credits will fit.

A common mistake is to pick the cheapest tuition rate without pricing the entire clinical pathway. Another is to assume that a program described as accredited, online, or popular automatically meets one's Minnesota licensure needs. The most popular clinical mental health counseling programs can show another way to explore options, but popularity is not a measure of personal fit.

Graduates may pursue counseling positions in community mental health, outpatient care, integrated health settings, or substance use treatment, subject to employer requirements and their stage of licensure (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy). Some roles offer a route to supervised post-degree experience; others expect an independently licensed clinician. Read postings for those distinctions before using their salaries to judge a program's potential return.

If your goal is direct therapy, prioritize programs with feasible clinical training and a clear path to the relevant state credential. If you would rather conduct psychological testing, manage social services through a social-work pathway, or counsel in schools, compare the separately regulated education and licensing routes first. A counseling master's can be a worthwhile investment for the right goal, but it is not interchangeable with those credentials.

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 indicates a growing occupation nationally, not a forecast for openings in a particular Minnesota city or a promise of employment after graduation.

To test your local market, search Minnesota postings by expected license status, clinical setting, and the area where you can work. Compare whether employers offer supervision, require independent licensure, or expect experience with a particular client population. Those details connect the labor-market outlook to the program decision: a degree with affordable tuition may be less useful if its clinical schedule or placements cannot help you enter the roles available where you plan to stay.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com's team developed this ranking to make program comparisons more credible and useful, drawing on education databases and checking measures of cost, graduate outcomes, accreditation, and licensure-exam performance where applicable. The Most Affordable ranking orders programs by cost; a low-cost position alone does not establish licensure eligibility or predict an individual student's outcome.

Research.com's counseling rankings also assess program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, CACREP programmatic accreditation, and institutional eligibility for federal Title IV aid. Its separate Best ranking gives the greatest weight to graduate outcomes and accreditation, with cost contributing a smaller share. The same framework applies to online and campus programs; each ranking orders schools by the dimension named in its title.

The following databases were used to create the ranking. Their different measures help readers distinguish a school's published price from its accreditation status and available outcome information:

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

Ranking data can lag a school's current catalog or aid offer. Use the list to narrow your options, then request a current, individualized cost estimate and written confirmation of the curriculum and clinical-placement requirements. Read more about Research.com's methodology.

• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Wisconsin
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Iowa
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in South Dakota
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nebraska
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Illinois
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Michigan
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Kansas
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Indiana
• 2027 Most Affordable Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Ohio

• 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
• Bethany Lutheran College - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://blc.edu/academics/grad-programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling-cmhc/
• Minnesota State University-Mankato - Counseling and Student Personnel (MS) - Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mnsu.edu/programs/counseling-and-student-personnel/counseling-and-student-personnel-mental-health-counseling-ms/
• Bethel University - M.A. in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.bethel.edu/graduate/academics/counseling/
• St. Cloud State University - Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.stcloudstate.edu/graduate/clinical-mental-health/default.aspx
• Winona State University - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.winona.edu/academics/programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling/