2027 Most Affordable Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in North Dakota

The U.S. 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 a national occupational median - not a North Dakota starting salary, a program outcome, or a promise of earnings. Pay can differ substantially by employer, experience, location, and whether a position requires independent licensure.

For a useful affordability check, compare a school's estimated total borrowing with pay posted for the specific North Dakota roles you would seek immediately after graduation and after licensure. That is more informative than applying the national median to your first job.

The two named options present a practical format choice. Neither program's delivery label substitutes for a written cost estimate, placement plan, or confirmation of how its curriculum relates to North Dakota licensure.

• North Dakota State University: NDSU identifies a dedicated clinical mental health counseling master's within its education programs (NDSU). Compared with the University of Mary's explicitly advertised online option, it is worth asking NDSU for its current campus-attendance schedule and clinical-placement arrangements; the answer will matter most to applicants deciding whether they can study near the university.
• University of Mary: The university explicitly markets its Master of Science in Counseling-Clinical Mental Health Counseling through its online programs (University of Mary). That makes it a particularly relevant option for applicants comparing remote coursework, but they should confirm any required in-person activities, where supervised placements can occur, and the complete tuition and fee schedule before treating it as the cheaper choice.

If price is not your only criterion, compare the best clinical mental health counseling programs alongside the affordability ranking.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time master's study; part-time study commonly takes longer. The precise schedule depends on credit requirements, course sequencing, and when a suitable practicum or internship is available. Request a term-by-term plan from each program rather than assuming an advertised minimum completion time fits your work schedule.

Graduation and independent licensure are separate milestones. North Dakota's licensing process includes requirements beyond the degree, so ask the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners and the school how supervised experience and examination steps affect your expected timeline.

Online describes how academic classes are delivered; it does not mean clinical work happens online. This comparison focuses on the logistical differences most likely to change a North Dakota student's total cost and ability to finish.

For either format, ask who secures placements and whether the school will approve your proposed site and supervisor. An online degree that cannot accommodate your local fieldwork may cost more time than a campus option.

There is no dependable single statewide average for these specific master's programs that captures each student's residency status, enrollment pace, fees, and clinical-training expenses. IPEDS reports institutional prices, but those figures should not be mistaken for a complete, comparable clinical mental health counseling program bill (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS).

Ask each school for tuition per required graduate credit, mandatory fees, expected books and materials, any on-campus visit costs, and charges during internship terms. Confirm whether residency changes the rate. Then compare full-program estimates after grants and scholarships - not just the first term's advertised tuition. The most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs offer another lens, but value still depends on your own costs, completion prospects, and career goal.

Start with the FAFSA and each school's graduate-aid office. Ask about institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition support, and eligibility for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans; program and personal eligibility vary (Federal Student Aid). An assistantship may reduce borrowing, but its work hours can compete with clinical-placement hours.

Do not budget around Graduate PLUS without checking eligibility. Under federal rules taking effect in 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot rely on that loan program; limited transitional eligibility may apply to students who meet prior enrollment and borrowing conditions (Federal Student Aid). Have the financial-aid office confirm your status and provide a funding plan for the entire degree, not just year one.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must satisfy the particular school's graduate admissions requirements. Programs may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, or an interview; prerequisite coursework and minimum academic standards should be checked directly with NDSU or the University of Mary rather than assumed to be identical.

If you already hold graduate credits, request a written transfer-credit review before paying a deposit. A course accepted as an elective may not replace required counseling coursework or clinical training. Also ask which background-check or site-specific conditions could affect placement access.

Typical study covers counseling theories and techniques, assessment, diagnosis, ethics, multicultural counseling, research, and group work, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Course titles differ, so compare required content and clinical sequence rather than counting similarly named classes.

Ask a program to identify where you will learn documentation, risk assessment, and referral practices used in clinical settings. For a North Dakota licensing goal, confirm that its course plan addresses the state board's education requirements; a broad "counseling" degree title is not sufficient evidence (North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners).

Programs may let students pursue interests such as substance use, trauma-informed care, or counseling particular age groups through electives and placements. Availability is school-specific, and an interest area on a transcript is not automatically a separate license or professional certification.

Choose a specialization only after checking its effect on required courses and internship options. If your actual goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy, compare those distinct training and licensing pathways before choosing a clinical mental health degree solely because its electives sound appealing. For another view of North Dakota options, see the most popular clinical mental health counseling programs; popularity does not establish fit for a particular license.

Build a shortlist around the license and jobs you want, then request the same information from every school. These checks prevent the common mistake of selecting the lowest published tuition without establishing whether you can finish the clinical requirements.

1. Ask the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners which education, supervised-experience, and examination rules apply to your intended license; have each program explain how its curriculum addresses them.
2. Verify institutional accreditation and check a program's CACREP status directly with the accreditor if that recognition matters to your goals; do not treat institutional and programmatic accreditation as interchangeable.
3. Request an itemized, full-degree cost estimate and a term-by-term schedule, including internship terms, required travel, and the effect of part-time attendance.
4. Ask who arranges placements in your community, what happens if a site falls through, and whether transferred graduate courses can satisfy specific requirements.
5. Compare likely borrowing, lost work income, your current earnings, realistic post-degree roles, and the time needed to complete licensure; revisit the result under a slower-completion scenario.

This degree is a stronger investment when you want clinical counseling work and can complete its supervised training without unsustainable debt. If you primarily want a nonclinical support role, or cannot accommodate placements, compare other education routes before committing.

Graduates may seek supervised counseling roles in behavioral health agencies, hospitals, or treatment settings while completing applicable licensing steps. With the required license and experience, opportunities may broaden to roles requiring more independent clinical responsibility; the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners governs the relevant credentials and requirements.

Career planning should begin with job descriptions, not degree titles. Compare employers' license requirements with the credential you can hold immediately after graduation, then identify the supervised roles that could help you progress. Independent practice should be treated as a later possibility, not an automatic first job.

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). This indicates a growing U.S. occupation, but it is not a North Dakota hiring forecast or an estimate of openings near your home.

Local demand is most useful when paired with placement feasibility. Review current openings at the types of North Dakota agencies where you could complete supervised work, and note which credentials they require. Students considering rural practice should confirm both a realistic clinical placement and a route to supervision before assuming that remote coursework alone solves the access problem.

Investing in a counseling degree is an important decision. Research.com's team evaluates program cost alongside evidence about educational quality and outcomes, checks data from multiple sources, and makes its methodology available so readers can assess what the ranking does - and does not - measure. The affordability ranking helps narrow a shortlist; it cannot establish your personal net cost or guarantee licensure.

Research.com's counseling rankings consider program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, CACREP recognition, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. For its Best ranking, the graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation component weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP accreditation at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%; inapplicable criteria are reweighted. Cost contributes about 7% of the final Best score. Other rankings order programs by their named dimension, and the same approach applies to online and campus programs.

The team used the following databases to build and check the rankings. Readers can review the source organizations and find more detail on Research.com's methodology page.

• IPEDS database - institutional reporting on enrollment, awards, and published costs.
• Peterson's database - program and institution information used in comparisons.
• College Scorecard database - federal information on institutions and student outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

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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
• North Dakota State University-Main Campus - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Master's)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ndsu.edu/ceduc/degree_programs/clinical_mental_health_counseling_masters
• University of Mary - Master of Science in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://online.umary.edu/academics/masters-doctoral-programs/master-science-counseling-clinical-mental-health-counseling