2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Jacksonville

The national median annual wage for the BLS occupation covering substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). It is an occupation-wide U.S. figure, not a Jacksonville starting salary or an outcome for either local program. Pay can differ by employer, experience, license status, caseload, and whether a position is salaried or paid per client session.

For a useful return-on-investment estimate, request recent program-specific employment information, then compare plausible local job offers with your current earnings. Include tuition, fees, lost work hours during placements, borrowing costs, and the time needed to qualify for independent practice. A higher-paying eventual role does not automatically make a more expensive degree the better investment.

The most useful distinction between Jacksonville options is the fit of each program's academic and clinical pathway - not an assumption that either institution's name predicts licensure or earnings. These program-specific starting points should guide questions to admissions staff:

• University of North Florida: UNF offers a graduate program explicitly titled Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Its public-university setting makes it particularly important for eligible Florida residents to request the current resident tuition schedule and compare the complete degree cost, while confirming clinical-placement and licensure details directly with the program (University of North Florida, Graduate School).
• Jacksonville University: JU identifies its offering as an M.S. in Mental Health Counseling. Because the title differs from UNF's, applicants should obtain JU's current curriculum-to-Florida-LMHC requirements mapping and written details of its field-placement process; this is especially useful when comparing a private-university option with UNF's public-university pricing structure (Jacksonville University, Mental Health Counseling program).

Neither institution's ownership type establishes which offer is cheaper after aid or better for a particular student. Request the current catalog, cohort outcomes, and an individualized cost estimate from both before drawing that conclusion.

A full-time clinical counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years; part-time study can take longer because courses and supervised placements may follow a fixed sequence. Treat that range as planning guidance, not a published completion promise from either Jacksonville program. Ask for a semester-by-semester plan showing when practicum and internship begin and whether required courses are offered every term.

Graduation and independent licensure are separate milestones. Florida requires qualifying post-degree supervised experience and an examination for LMHC licensure, so compare programs on how well they prepare you for the period after the diploma as well as how quickly they award it (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).

Online coursework can reduce commuting, but it does not make clinical training virtual or eliminate placement-site requirements. For a Jacksonville resident comparing local campuses with an out-of-area online program, these are the differences most likely to affect completion and Florida licensure planning:

A working adult may benefit from online coursework only if required live meetings and clinical hours fit their job. Whatever the delivery format, verify accreditation, Florida-specific disclosures, and who bears responsibility for finding a supervisor (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).

There is no defensible single Jacksonville average to apply to every clinical mental health counseling student: published graduate tuition may be quoted per credit or per term and may exclude fees, books, insurance, commuting, and placement-related expenses. UNF's public-university resident pricing and JU's private-university pricing also should not be compared without each student's actual aid offer. IPEDS reports institutional tuition data, but an institutional figure is not necessarily the total price of this particular degree (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS).

Get each school's current required-credit plan and written estimate through graduation. Include terms needed for clinical courses, expected aid, interest on any loans, and income you may forgo during fieldwork. The most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs can help identify options to investigate, but compare your net total cost rather than a tuition headline.

Graduate students can submit the FAFSA to establish eligibility for applicable federal loans and institutional aid. Also ask each Jacksonville program about assistantships, scholarships, employer tuition assistance, and whether clinical placement schedules permit paid work. Grant programs aimed at undergraduates should not be assumed to cover a counseling master's (Federal Student Aid).

Graduate PLUS availability has changed. Students newly entering graduate study under the rules effective in 2026 generally should not build a financing plan around a new Graduate PLUS loan; qualifying continuing borrowers may have transitional eligibility. Confirm your individual status and current federal borrowing limits with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid, Graduate PLUS Loan guidance). Compare remaining funding gaps and repayment obligations, not just the size of an initial aid package.

Expect to need a completed bachelor's degree and an application documenting your readiness for graduate clinical work. Schools may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or specified undergraduate preparation; requirements and transfer-credit policies are set by each program, not by the city. Check UNF's and JU's current admissions pages rather than assuming one application will meet both sets of rules (University of North Florida, Graduate School; Jacksonville University, Mental Health Counseling program).

Prior counseling employment can strengthen an application, but it should not be assumed to replace required clinical coursework or supervised hours. If you already hold graduate credits, obtain a written transfer evaluation showing both how many credits apply and whether Florida-required content remains covered.

Core study commonly covers counseling theories and techniques, assessment and diagnosis, ethics, human development, group counseling, research, and culturally responsive practice, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Course titles are less important than documented content and clinical requirements when you are planning for Florida LMHC eligibility (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).

Before enrolling, request a curriculum map that connects required courses and fieldwork to the board's current education rules. A program promising "licensure preparation" without a clear explanation of that alignment warrants follow-up, particularly if you may later seek licensure outside Florida.

Students may pursue interests such as substance-use treatment, trauma-informed care, child and adolescent services, or work with couples and families through electives and placements. Availability is program-specific: an area of faculty interest is not necessarily a formal concentration, and a concentration is not a separate professional license. Ask UNF and JU which electives run regularly and whether relevant placements are accessible to students (University of North Florida, Graduate School; Jacksonville University, Mental Health Counseling program).

If your actual goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy licensure, compare those credential pathways directly. An interesting elective within a mental health counseling degree may not satisfy another profession's requirements (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).

Start with the credential you need, then test whether each program is feasible in your budget and weekly schedule. A ranking is useful for finding candidates; the following checks are more useful for deciding where to enroll:

1. Confirm the institution's accreditation, the program's current CACREP status if relevant to your plans, and written alignment with Florida LMHC education requirements; institutional and programmatic accreditation are different checks (CACREP; Florida licensing board).
2. Ask who finds and approves Jacksonville-area placements, when clinical hours occur, and what happens if a site falls through.
3. Request a personalized total-cost and term-by-term completion plan, including likely borrowing and lost work time.
4. Ask for recent program-level completion, exam, and employment results, with reporting years and cohort sizes, rather than relying on university-wide figures.

A common mistake is to select the lowest advertised tuition without pricing extra terms or placement travel. Another is to treat a popular program as automatically eligible for licensure. For a separate lens on outcomes and cost, compare the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs, then verify the facts that matter to your own circumstances.

A typical progression is supervised clinical work after graduation, followed - if Florida's education, experience, and examination requirements are met - by application for independent LMHC licensure. Roles may focus on outpatient therapy, community behavioral health, crisis services, or substance-use counseling. Job titles and permissible duties depend on credentials and employers; a degree is not itself authorization to practice independently (Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling).

Choose placements with your likely first job in mind. Community-agency experience may be more useful to an applicant seeking agency work than a narrowly focused elective without corresponding client contact. If independent practice is the goal, plan for the supervised post-degree period and its earnings implications before estimating the degree's return.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That national occupational projection signals sustained demand across the field, but it is not a Jacksonville hiring forecast or a promise that new graduates can immediately obtain their preferred clinical role (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

For a local reality check, compare current Jacksonville postings by required license status, supervision offered, work schedule, and compensation model. Ask prospective placement sites whether they hire graduates into supervised positions. This tests a program's connection to the jobs you can actually pursue upon graduation rather than to jobs requiring an LMHC you have not yet earned.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its counseling rankings to make program comparisons more consistent, drawing on education databases and checking outcomes, accreditation, eligibility for federal aid, and cost rather than relying on promotional descriptions alone. A popularity ranking answers a different question from a best-value or outcomes-focused ranking; readers should use its placement as a starting point, not as proof that a program meets their licensing or financial needs.

Research.com's counseling-ranking framework considers program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam results, CACREP programmatic accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and program cost. In its Best ranking, the outcomes-and-accreditation score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable exam results at 20%, CACREP accreditation at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%; inapplicable measures are reweighted. Cost accounts for about 7% of the final Best score. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles. Research.com does not establish in this description which measure operationalizes "most popular," so do not interpret popularity as a measured licensure or employment outcome.

The team used the following data sources to support the rankings and cross-check school information:

• IPEDS database - institutional enrollment, completion, and education-cost reporting.
• Peterson's database - comparative institutional and program information.
• College Scorecard database - federal institutional information and available student outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

These sources help narrow the field, but database-level outcomes may not describe a particular counseling cohort. Ask each school for current program-level results and read Research.com's full methodology before using ranking position in a final decision.

• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Columbia
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Atlanta
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Boca Raton
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Fort Lauderdale
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Miami
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Knoxville
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nashville
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in New Orleans
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Norfolk
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Harrisonburg

• 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
• University of North Florida - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.unf.edu/graduateschool/academics/programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling.html
• Jacksonville University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ju.edu/mentalhealth/programs/ms-mental-health-counseling.php