Choosing a counseling master's program in Fort Lauderdale means looking beyond a school's name: the degree must fit your budget, schedule, clinical training needs, and Florida licensure goals. This guide is for career changers and future therapists comparing those trade-offs. It accompanies the 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Fort Lauderdale, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering. You'll learn what to verify before enrolling and how to weigh cost against career fit.
Key findings about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degrees in Fort Lauderdale
For a Florida therapist career, compare master's programs against Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling requirements before comparing popularity; graduation alone does not confer a license.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 national median annual wage of $59,350 for the occupational group that includes mental health counselors and projects 18% employment growth for 2025-2035. Neither figure predicts a new Fort Lauderdale graduate's pay.
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale presents a degree specifically in clinical mental health counseling, while Nova Southeastern University publishes a master's counseling curriculum. Ask both schools for the exact track's credits, placement arrangements, total price, and licensure outcomes before choosing.
What can I expect from a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Fort Lauderdale?
A clinical mental health counseling degree is graduate training for assessing mental health concerns, developing treatment plans, and providing counseling under appropriate supervision. For someone seeking to practice as a mental health counselor in Florida, the relevant comparison is usually between qualifying master's programs - not between a master's degree and a short certificate. A certificate may build a specific skill but does not replace the education and supervised experience the Florida licensing board requires.
Expect coursework in counseling theory, assessment, ethics, diagnosis, and culturally responsive care, followed by supervised clinical training. Fort Lauderdale students should ask where placements occur within Broward County, when sites require daytime availability, and whether a school helps secure placements. That can matter more to a working adult than a difference in classroom format.
This path fits people who want sustained client-facing clinical work and can accommodate supervised training after graduation. Someone primarily interested in school counseling, social work, or psychological testing should compare those distinct credentials and licensing routes before committing.
Where can I work with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Fort Lauderdale?
Potential settings in the Fort Lauderdale area include community behavioral health organizations, hospitals, outpatient practices, substance use treatment services, and integrated primary care. Employers determine which positions accept graduates working toward licensure and which require an active Florida license. Private practice is generally a later-career option tied to appropriate licensure, not an automatic first job after the master's degree.
Because a placement can become a professional connection, compare programs' actual Broward-area site relationships rather than assuming a local campus guarantees a convenient internship. Ask whether sites serve the populations you hope to counsel and whether their supervisors meet the standards for your intended training or licensure stage.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a $59,350 national median annual wage in May 2025 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. This is a midpoint for employed workers in a combined occupational category, not a Fort Lauderdale starting salary or a return guaranteed by any degree. Pay can differ by employer, clinical duties, experience, and licensure status.
For an investment decision, compare the pay in jobs you could realistically obtain after graduation with your current earnings. Then account for tuition, borrowing, forgone work hours during placements, and the time required to qualify for independent practice. A higher eventual salary is less persuasive if the route requires debt you cannot comfortably repay.
The clearest distinction in the available program materials is how each school frames the degree. Neither a program title nor a curriculum page, however, substitutes for a current written review of Florida licensure alignment and clinical placement requirements.
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale: Keiser identifies its offering specifically as a master's in clinical mental health counseling, making it a direct option to investigate if that is your intended profession. Compared with a broader counseling degree, the focused title makes it especially important to verify the current clinical sequence, placement support, and Florida board alignment with Keiser's program staff (Keiser University).
Nova Southeastern University: NSU publishes a curriculum for its master's in counseling, giving applicants a course-level starting point for checking the pathway they intend to take (Nova Southeastern University). Students considering a particular clinical track should request that track's current degree plan and confirm which required courses and supervised experiences apply; do not assume every counseling pathway leads to the same license.
Compare the best clinical mental health counseling programs alongside these program documents, but give verified fit with your intended credential more weight than any single ranking position.
A full-time clinical mental health counseling master's commonly takes about 2-3 years; part-time enrollment may take longer. The exact timeline depends on required credits, course scheduling, placement availability, and whether prior graduate coursework is accepted. Ask for a term-by-term plan that shows when clinical training begins - not just an advertised time to finish classes.
Completing the degree is separate from becoming independently licensed. The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling also reviews post-degree supervised experience and other licensing requirements. If you must keep working full time, a slower degree with a feasible placement schedule may be preferable to an accelerated plan you cannot complete.
An online format can reduce commuting, but it does not remove clinical training or make a program automatically suitable for Florida licensure. A Fort Lauderdale student should check where supervised experiences can be completed, who arranges the sites, whether any in-person sessions are mandatory, and which state's licensing requirements the curriculum addresses.
On-campus study may make scheduled skills practice and contact with local classmates easier; online study may better fit a job or caregiving obligations. The stronger choice is the format in which you can complete both the academic work and required clinical hours reliably. Request written placement and state-authorization details before paying a deposit, particularly if you might move during the program.
There is no single reliable Fort Lauderdale average that describes what every clinical mental health counseling student will pay. A published institutional tuition figure may cover a different enrollment load or exclude program fees, and national averages do not establish the price of a particular local master's. Request each school's current total program estimate, including tuition for all required credits, mandatory fees, books, and clinical-placement expenses.
Price also depends on credits accepted from previous graduate study, aid, and whether an internship reduces your paid work hours. Compare the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs using the amount you would actually need to pay or borrow, not tuition alone. Public-versus-private labels are not a substitute for an individualized net-cost comparison.
Start with each institution's graduate financial aid office and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Eligible graduate students may have access to federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans; institutional scholarships, assistantships, and employer tuition assistance depend on the school and the student's circumstances (Federal Student Aid). Ask whether an award continues during clinical training and whether a required enrollment level affects eligibility.
Borrowing terms and federal graduate-loan rules can change, so confirm the rules applicable to your start date with Federal Student Aid and the school rather than building a budget around an assumed loan amount. The most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs can help frame the trade-off, but your own debt, completion likelihood, and expected career path determine whether an offer is affordable.
View the chart data as a table
Wage range - Mental Health Counselors in Florida (BLS OEWS, May 2025) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
10th percentile
39,430
25th percentile
46,590
Median
56,790
75th percentile
73,030
90th percentile
84,410
Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must meet the particular program's admissions standards. Schools may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or specified preparatory coursework; confirm current requirements directly with Keiser University or Nova Southeastern University rather than assuming the two use the same criteria (Keiser University; Nova Southeastern University).
If you already hold graduate counseling credits, obtain a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling. A school's acceptance of a course toward graduation does not necessarily mean the Florida licensing board will accept your full educational record for licensure. Ask both the program and the board how a proposed mix of transferred and new coursework will be documented.
Clinical counseling curricula typically cover helping relationships, assessment, professional ethics, research, and supervised practice. Diagnosis, treatment planning, and substance use topics are particularly relevant when comparing paths to mental health counseling work. Review actual course descriptions and clinical syllabi: similar course titles can mask differences in content or supervised practice requirements.
Florida applicants should check the current educational criteria published by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling against the exact track they plan to complete. A useful admissions question is: "Can you show how this degree plan documents each requirement for the Florida credential I want?"
Specialization may come through electives, a named track, or the populations served during clinical placements. Interests such as substance use treatment, trauma-informed counseling, or child and family services can shape your course and site choices, but an elective is not a separate professional license or proof of specialist competence.
Choose the core degree for the credential you seek first. Then ask how much room its required sequence leaves for electives and whether relevant placement sites are realistically available in Broward County. A narrower option makes sense when it preserves Florida licensure eligibility and builds experience in the work you intend to pursue.
Use popularity to find programs, then test each one against your intended job and constraints. The following checks expose the most consequential differences before you commit:
Verify the credential: Ask the Florida licensing board how the exact degree and track meet its current education criteria; confirm institutional accreditation and any relevant programmatic accreditation with the accreditor.
Map the clinical sequence: Get the required practicum and internship plan, site-selection process, supervision arrangements, and expected weekly schedule in writing.
Calculate your net investment: Include aid, fees, likely borrowing, time away from paid work, and the period before you could qualify for independent practice.
Request program-level outcomes: Ask for recent completion and applicable exam or licensure results, along with their reporting periods and the number of students represented.
Two common mistakes are treating CACREP status as identical to institutional accreditation and assuming an online degree is approved for practice everywhere. Confirm each issue separately. A sound return-on-investment comparison also considers your current earnings, probability of finishing, debt terms, future earnings scenarios, and how long you expect to work in the field - not school ownership or sticker price alone.
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 may pursue supervised counseling work and, after meeting the applicable Florida requirements, seek independent mental health counselor licensure. Depending on qualifications and employer requirements, related work may involve outpatient behavioral health, community services, or substance use treatment. The degree does not itself confer the separate credentials used for school counseling, social work, or psychology (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).
That distinction matters when comparing programs: choose a clinical mental health counseling path if direct therapeutic work is your goal. If you want a school-based position or a different regulated profession, compare that occupation's required degree and credential before using counseling-program rankings to make a decision.
View the chart data as a table
Graduates (2024-25) by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
Keiser University-Ft Lau
23
Nova Southeastern Univer
44
Nova Southeastern Univer
44
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for the occupational group that includes mental health counselors. That suggests a growing national field, but it does not establish the number of openings in Fort Lauderdale or guarantee that a new graduate will find a suitable supervised position.
For a local reality check, review current Broward-area postings by employer type and separate jobs open to registered or supervised practitioners from those requiring independent Florida licensure. Note the requested schedule, client population, and supervision arrangements. Those details tell you more about your likely first step than a national growth rate alone.
2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Fort Lauderdale
Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com designed its counseling rankings to make program comparisons more transparent, using multiple sources and checking measures of graduate outcomes, licensure preparation, accreditation, and cost rather than relying on reputation alone. A popularity ranking should be a starting point for investigation, not a substitute for confirming a program's current requirements and results.
For the Best ranking, a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP programmatic accreditation at 16%, and federal Title IV institutional eligibility at 4%. Weights are redistributed when a measure does not apply. Program cost contributes about 7% of the final Best score. The same approach applies to online and campus programs; rankings named for another dimension order programs by that dimension.
The Research.com team used the following data sources to support credible, accurate comparisons:
IPEDS database: institutional enrollment, completions, and cost information.
Peterson's database: program and institutional information used in comparisons.
These measures help narrow a shortlist, but institution-wide data do not necessarily describe an individual counseling track. Read more about the approach on the Research.com methodology page, then request current, program-specific figures from each school.
# 1 position
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Master
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
44.20
/ 100
Final score
Program length
36 - 48 months
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Program completion rate
44% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
82% (2024-25)
Licensure exam pass rate
100% (2024-25)
Application process
direct
GRE
optional
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree; experience in mental health or counseling through coursework, research, or work is considered; background check required for admission consideration.
Additional requirements
Completed Graduate School Application and application fee; Personal Statement Letter (GPA-statement required if CGPA < 3.0); three professional Letters of Recommendation; background check; possible admissions interview with CMHC committee.
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).
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 44.2/100, supported by 23 graduates (2024-25) and 44% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2032-01-31.
# 2 position
Nova Southeastern University
Master
M.S. in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration
Delivery mode: campus
53.00
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.50 - 4.00
Application process
direct
GRE
Conditional: GRE (300 V+Q) required if GPA in the last 60 undergraduate hours is below 2.5 and no master's with 3.0 GPA (or 'other similar measures')
Prerequisites
Regionally accredited bachelor's degree; a degree in psychology, education, behavioral science, social work, or a related field preferred, and/or demonstrated aptitude for counseling through professional, volunteer, or research experience.
Additional requirements
Online application, official transcripts from all schools attended (or evaluation of foreign degrees), an 800-word, three-paragraph statement of professional goals, and English proficiency scores for international applicants.
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).
Nova Southeastern University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 53.0/100. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2029-10-31.
# 3 position
Nova Southeastern University
Master
M.S. in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration
Delivery mode: hybrid
53.00
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.50 - 4.00
Application process
direct
GRE
Conditional: GRE (300 V+Q) required if GPA in the last 60 undergraduate hours is below 2.5 and no master's with 3.0 GPA (or 'other similar measures')
Prerequisites
Regionally accredited bachelor's degree; a degree in psychology, education, behavioral science, social work, or a related field preferred, and/or demonstrated aptitude for counseling through professional, volunteer, or research experience.
Additional requirements
Online application, official transcripts from all schools attended (or evaluation of foreign degrees), an 800-word, three-paragraph statement of professional goals, and English proficiency scores for international applicants.
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).
Nova Southeastern University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 53.0/100. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2029-10-31.
Frequently asked questions about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Fort Lauderdale
Do I need a master's degree to become a mental health counselor in Florida?
Florida's mental health counselor licensing route includes graduate education, supervised experience, and other requirements. Check the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling's current criteria for the exact license you intend to pursue.
Is a counseling master's degree the same as a Florida license?
No. Finishing a degree is only one part of the licensing process. Ask a school to document how its specific track supports Florida eligibility, and confirm the remaining requirements with the state board.
Can I complete a clinical mental health counseling degree online?
Potentially, but online coursework still comes with supervised clinical requirements. Confirm where placements may occur, who secures them, and whether the program fits Florida licensure criteria before enrolling.
How long should I plan for the degree?
Full-time master's study commonly takes about 2-3 years, with part-time study often taking longer. Request the school's actual course-and-placement schedule; post-degree licensing steps take additional time.
Which Fort Lauderdale program is the cheapest?
That depends on your admission offer, aid, accepted credits, and required fees. Request comparable total-program estimates from the schools on your shortlist rather than deciding from an advertised tuition rate.
