Choosing a counseling master's program in Austin means looking beyond popularity: the degree must fit your budget, clinical training needs, and plans for Texas licensure. This guide is for career changers and prospective counselors comparing local options. It accompanies the 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Austin, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering. You'll learn how to compare program requirements, costs, formats, and career prospects before committing.
Key findings about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degrees in Austin
For Texas LPC planning, compare the actual graduate curriculum and supervised practicum - not just the degree title. Texas requires qualifying graduate education and additional steps after graduation (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).
The U.S. median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025; projected U.S. employment growth is 18% for 2025-2035. Neither figure predicts an Austin graduate's pay or job prospects (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Austin applicants can compare a clinical mental health counseling degree at Seminary of the Southwest with a broader counseling master's at St. Edward's University. The better fit depends on the specific clinical pathway, placements, schedule, and net cost - not popularity alone (institutional program pages).
What can I expect from a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Austin?
A clinical mental health counseling master's prepares students to assess concerns, develop treatment plans, practice counseling skills, and work under supervision. In Austin, the central decision is whether a program's particular course sequence and field placement support your intended route to Texas Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) status. A general counseling degree title does not, by itself, establish licensure eligibility (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).
Expect graduate coursework, supervised clinical training, and substantial time commitments outside class. If you want to provide psychotherapy, a licensure-oriented master's is more relevant than a short counseling certificate. If you want a nonclinical student-support or human-services role, ask whether that role requires an LPC before paying for a clinical degree.
Where can I work with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Austin?
Austin-area opportunities include community mental health organizations, hospitals and health systems, substance-use treatment providers, group practices, and nonprofit agencies. Texas Health and Human Services' local mental health authority network is also relevant: Integral Care serves Travis County. These settings differ in client populations, supervision, hours, and whether they hire graduates who are still completing post-degree licensing requirements (Texas Health and Human Services; Integral Care).
Private practice may appeal to applicants seeking independence, but it is a later-stage plan, not an automatic first job after graduation. Ask placement coordinators which Austin-area sites accept students, whether placements provide the required supervision, and whether recent graduates have secured suitable supervised positions.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 national median annual wage of $59,350 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That occupational median includes workers at different career stages and is not an Austin starting salary or a return promised by a degree.
Local offers can vary with the employer, license status, caseload, benefits, and whether compensation is salaried or tied to client sessions. For a useful investment estimate, compare actual Austin job postings with each program's net cost and the earnings you would give up while studying. Do not treat a national median as your expected first-year income.
The two Austin options below differ most clearly in how they frame the degree. Compare their current catalogs and speak with each program about the specific curriculum and placements available to your cohort; a program description alone cannot confirm an individual's eventual licensure eligibility.
Seminary of the Southwest: Its Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling explicitly centers clinical mental health counseling and is offered within a theological seminary. That combination may suit students interested in examining spirituality alongside clinical practice; ask how the program handles clients whose beliefs differ from their own and how its current curriculum maps to Texas LPC rules (Seminary of the Southwest program information).
St. Edward's University: Its Master of Arts in Counseling uses a broader counseling degree title rather than naming clinical mental health counseling in the degree title. That makes pathway selection especially important: applicants seeking the LPC should request the current clinical course sequence, fieldwork requirements, and written explanation of Texas licensure alignment before comparing its flexibility or price with a specifically named clinical degree (St. Edward's University program information).
Neither distinction establishes a better outcome. For an additional comparison lens, consult the best clinical mental health counseling programs ranking, then verify program-specific evidence directly with each school.
A full-time clinical counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years; part-time study can take longer, particularly when practicum and internship scheduling constrain course choices. Treat that range as planning guidance, not either Austin school's published completion time. Ask for a term-by-term plan showing when clinical placements begin and whether required courses run every term.
Graduation is not the end of the Texas LPC pathway. Applicants must also satisfy the state's examination and supervised post-degree experience requirements before independent licensure (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). A shorter academic schedule may save living costs, but only if you can manage clinical hours without sacrificing work income you need.
Online coursework can reduce commuting and make study more manageable for a working Austin resident. It does not eliminate in-person clinical training or the need to secure an acceptable placement and supervisor. Campus study may make it easier to build local professional connections, though its class schedule can be harder to combine with full-time work.
Compare the formats against the requirements that matter for Texas licensure, not against convenience alone. Before enrolling in an online program based elsewhere, obtain written answers about Texas curriculum alignment, where Austin-area fieldwork can occur, who arranges placements, and any required campus visits (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; institutional program information).
There is no reliable single Austin-wide average for this specialized master's: a citywide figure would hide differences in program length, enrollment pace, fees, and aid. Published institution-level graduate tuition is not necessarily the price of a particular counseling program (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS). Request each school's current total program estimate, not just its per-credit rate.
Include required fees, books, insurance or background checks, travel to placements, and the income you may forgo during clinical training. Austin students who can live and work locally may avoid relocation costs, but an unpaid placement can still change the calculation. Use the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs as a starting point, then compare your own aid-adjusted totals.
Start with the FAFSA and each institution's graduate-aid office. Potential sources include institutional scholarships, assistantships where offered, employer tuition support, and federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans for eligible students. Eligibility and actual awards depend on the student and school; confirm the program's federal-aid eligibility before budgeting around loans (Federal Student Aid; U.S. Department of Education).
Do not assume Graduate PLUS will cover a funding gap. Under the federal changes taking effect July 1, 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot rely on new Graduate PLUS loans; limited transition rules may apply to eligible continuing students. Check your individual status with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid).
Compare grants and scholarships before borrowing, then ask whether aid continues during fieldwork terms or part-time enrollment. A low advertised tuition rate can be less attractive than a higher-priced offer with dependable funding and a schedule that lets you keep working.
View the chart data as a table
Graduates (2024-25) by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
Episcopal Theological Se
17
St. Edward's University
104
Applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree and must meet the school's current graduate admissions requirements. Programs may request transcripts, references, a statement of purpose, an interview, or evidence of readiness for helping-profession work; do not assume a psychology major is required without checking the specific program (institutional admissions information).
Before applying, distinguish admissions eligibility from future LPC eligibility. Ask whether any undergraduate prerequisites apply, whether prior graduate credits can transfer into the clinical sequence, and how transfer credit affects fieldwork and graduation timing. Texas evaluates licensure qualifications separately from a university's admissions decision (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).
Licensure-oriented curricula typically cover counseling theory and skills, assessment and diagnosis, ethics, research, multicultural counseling, group work, human development, and supervised practicum and internship. For Texas applicants, the important comparison is not whether two catalogs use identical course names; it is whether each current degree plan satisfies the board's educational and supervised-training requirements (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).
Request a course map that identifies prerequisites for fieldwork and any classes offered only once a year. A program with appealing electives can still delay graduation if its clinical sequence does not fit your work schedule.
Clinical mental health students may pursue electives or placements involving trauma, substance use, children and adolescents, or spiritually integrated care, depending on the program and available sites. These interests are not necessarily separate credentials. Seminary of the Southwest's seminary setting may be particularly relevant to applicants interested in spirituality and counseling; applicants should verify the specific coursework and clinical opportunities available in their intended year (Seminary of the Southwest program information).
If your goal is school counseling, marriage and family therapy, or another separately regulated profession, compare that profession's degree and licensing rules before choosing a clinical mental health pathway. An elective in a specialty does not by itself qualify a graduate for a different license (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).
Choose for your intended credential and likely working life, then use popularity as one piece of context. The following checks help expose differences that a ranking position or tuition quote may miss:
Ask the program to map its current degree plan to Texas LPC educational and practicum requirements, including how it evaluates transfer credits.
Verify the institution's accreditation, federal-aid eligibility, and any claimed programmatic CACREP status directly with the institution and accreditor; these are distinct questions.
Request a realistic schedule and placement plan that accounts for your job, commute, and access to supervision.
Compare aid-adjusted total cost, expected borrowing, likely completion time, and the earnings you would otherwise receive while studying.
Ask for recent program-level completion, exam, and employment outcomes with reporting periods; treat unavailable figures as a question to investigate, not proof of poor results.
A practical return-on-investment comparison also considers your current earnings, plausible post-degree earnings, debt repayment, completion probability, and how long you expect to work in the field. Discounting future earnings matters because income received years after enrollment is not equivalent to income available now. The most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs can help frame that comparison, but cannot calculate your personal return.
View the chart data as a table
Median wage by U.S. state - Mental Health Counselors (BLS OEWS, May 2025) (Source: BLS)
State
Value
AK
80,770
AL
47,310
AR
51,580
AZ
65,300
CA
59,250
CO
62,390
CT
63,590
DC
60,450
DE
56,020
FL
56,790
GA
58,960
HI
60,090
IA
60,880
ID
63,360
IL
60,730
IN
53,760
KS
59,470
KY
54,190
LA
37,910
MA
59,890
MD
59,530
ME
59,970
MI
61,690
MN
58,780
MO
56,910
MS
46,990
MT
59,000
NC
55,490
ND
68,630
NE
63,770
NH
54,840
NJ
62,820
NM
74,100
NV
57,210
NY
59,450
OH
58,360
OK
59,350
OR
74,590
PA
52,010
PR
46,790
RI
65,120
SC
52,370
SD
53,650
TN
49,580
TX
62,630
UT
63,890
VA
59,880
VT
61,810
WA
68,910
WI
62,220
WV
49,430
WY
62,980
A graduate might begin in an eligible supervised counseling role, then pursue Texas LPC licensure and positions involving greater clinical independence. Possible directions include community mental health, substance-use treatment, hospital-based services, and group practice. Job titles and permissible duties depend on the employer and the person's license status (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
This path makes most sense if you want sustained client-facing clinical work and can accommodate supervision after graduation. If your goal is research, prescribing medication, or a school-specific counseling position, compare the relevant doctoral, medical, or school-counseling route instead of assuming a clinical mental health master's covers it.
View the chart data as a table
Wage range - Mental Health Counselors in Texas (BLS OEWS, May 2025) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
10th percentile
37,650
25th percentile
45,290
Median
62,630
75th percentile
79,200
90th percentile
95,910
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth for 2025-2035 among substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That signals demand across the occupation, but it does not measure Austin openings or guarantee that a new graduate will find an acceptable supervised position nearby.
For a local reality check, review Austin-area postings by license status and setting. Separate jobs open to graduates completing supervision from those requiring an unrestricted LPC, and note whether employers provide clinical supervision. That distinction matters more to an incoming student than the total number of advertisements using the word "counselor."
2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Austin
Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com's team uses multiple education datasets and checks program outcomes, accreditation, eligibility for federal aid, and cost to make its counseling rankings more credible and useful. Popularity is a reason to investigate a program, not evidence that it offers the best licensure preparation or financial return.
The ranking draws on these data sources:
IPEDS database: institutional enrollment, completions, and cost reporting.
Across Research.com's counseling rankings, the Best ranking first combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure-exam pass rates (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation (16%), and institutional Title IV eligibility (4%). Inapplicable criteria are excluded and the remaining shares adjusted; program cost then accounts for about 7% of the final score. The same approach applies to online and campus programs, while other rankings order programs by the dimension named in the ranking. Readers can use these distinctions to separate popularity from quality and cost, and find further details in Research.com's methodology.
# 1 position
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest
Master
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
40.20
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2.5 to 3 years
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
64 semester credits
GPA range
2.50 - 4.00
Program completion rate
61% (2025-26)
Employment or doctoral admission
88% (2024-25)
Licensure exam pass rate
100% (2024-25)
Application deadline
rolling
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree generally required (accreditation standards allow admission of a few students who lack such a degree); official transcripts required.
Additional requirements
Application, official transcripts (minimum 2.5 GPA), undergraduate degree, three letters of recommendation, and two personal statements on learning/career goals, relationship-forming, respect for cultural differences, and aptitude.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 40.2/100, supported by 17 graduates (2024-25) and 61% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2034-04-30.
# 2 position
St. Edward's University
Master
Master of Arts in Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
64.80
/ 100
Final score
Program length
About 2.5 to 3 years (8 semesters)
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Application deadline
Fall: Jun 1; Spring: Oct 1; Summer: Mar 1
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
St. Edward's University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 64.8/100. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2028-03-31.
Frequently asked questions about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Austin
Is a master's degree enough to become an LPC in Texas?
No. A qualifying degree is one part of the process; Texas also has examination and supervised-experience requirements. Confirm your intended program's eligibility with the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council before enrolling.
Does a counseling program need CACREP accreditation?
Do not assume CACREP accreditation is either automatic or the only consideration for Texas licensure. Check the program's current status and ask the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council how its curriculum meets the applicable education rules.
Can I complete an online degree while living in Austin?
Potentially, but online classes do not remove clinical placement requirements. Verify Texas licensure alignment and obtain a clear plan for approved local fieldwork before applying.
Is a popular program necessarily the best investment?
No. Compare net cost, completion time, clinical placements, licensure alignment, and your expected borrowing. Popularity alone measures none of those personal trade-offs.
Can I keep working while enrolled?
Many students plan to, but required classes and clinical placements may limit availability. Ask for a term-by-term schedule and typical placement hours before choosing a part-time or full-time plan.
