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

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, the occupational group most relevant to this degree. It is a midpoint for workers across experience levels and credentials - not an Oregon starting salary or a forecast for graduates. Supervised entry-level work and established licensed practice can have substantially different pay arrangements.

For an investment decision, compare a school's net cost and expected time to completion with your current earnings, likely time in supervised work, and the pay offered by employers where you plan to live. The most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs comparison can help frame value, but your own aid package and employment plans determine whether a particular degree is affordable.

The schools below offer different ways to organize counselor preparation. These are program-fit distinctions, not claims that one option produces better licensure or employment outcomes; verify current curricula, delivery, accreditation, and placement arrangements directly with each institution.

• Lewis & Clark College: Its graduate counseling and psychology offerings place mental health counseling alongside related counseling pathways, including addiction-focused study. That breadth is worth examining if you want to compare clinical interests before choosing a specific training route; ask which courses and placements belong to the exact degree you would enter. Source: Lewis & Clark College graduate counseling and psychology program information.
• George Fox University: Its clinical counseling master's sits within a university that explicitly integrates a Christian perspective into its educational approach. Students who want that perspective should ask how it appears in clinical instruction and how the program prepares them to serve clients with different beliefs. Source: George Fox University counseling program information.
• Oregon State University: The named Master of Counseling in Clinical Mental Health Counseling offers a defined route to compare with programs awarding an MA or MS. For applicants considering a public university, the useful next comparison is its actual delivery schedule and total program price - not the degree title alone. Source: Oregon State University College of Education program information.
• Western Seminary: Its counseling master's explicitly identifies CACREP accreditation and is offered in a seminary setting. That pairing may appeal to students seeking accredited counselor preparation with theological study; confirm how clinical requirements and belief-related coursework fit your goals. Source: Western Seminary counseling degree information; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
• Portland State University: Its clinical mental health option is part of a broader graduate counseling program. For students seeking training in Portland, the key question is how its clinical track, course schedule, and placement support compare with programs farther from the metro area. Source: Portland State University graduate counseling program information.
• Corban University: Its counseling offerings provide a faith-oriented university option distinct from a seminary-based degree. Ask for the exact graduate degree plan and its clinical fieldwork requirements before comparing it with programs specifically titled clinical mental health counseling. Source: Corban University counseling program information.
• Bushnell University: Its MA is specifically titled Clinical Mental Health Counseling and offers an option in Eugene. That may reduce relocation needs for students in the southern Willamette Valley, but confirm when clinical courses meet and which local placements are available. Source: Bushnell University clinical mental health counseling program information.
• Southern Oregon University: Its clinical mental health counseling master's gives prospective students an Ashland-based public university option. It is particularly relevant if you hope to train near southern Oregon employers; ask whether required placements can be completed in the community where you intend to work. Source: Southern Oregon University clinical mental health counseling program information.

Program pages do not necessarily report comparable completion, placement, or licensure results. Request those results for the same reporting period before using them to break a tie.

Plan on roughly two to three years for a full-time counseling master's, with part-time study potentially taking longer. That is a planning range, not a promised completion time: course sequencing, internship availability, and whether you must keep working can all change your timeline. Ask schools for the sequence from first term through final placement, not just an advertised minimum.

Graduation is also not the end of the Oregon LPC process. The Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists requires applicants to satisfy additional supervised experience and examination requirements. Compare programs by how clearly they prepare you for that next stage, and budget for a period in which your clinical work may still require supervision.

Online delivery can reduce travel for coursework, but it does not make clinical training virtual by default. Practicum and internship work still depends on suitable supervisors and approved sites. An on-campus program may make in-person contact with classmates and nearby agencies simpler, while a remote or hybrid format may better fit someone already living and working outside a campus city.

The deciding question is whether the specific program and your intended placement location work together. Ask where in-person attendance is required, who finds and approves sites, whether placements are available in your Oregon community, and how supervisors are evaluated. If you might seek licensure outside Oregon later, check that state's board rules as well; an online degree does not automatically satisfy every state's requirements.

There is no single reliable statewide price for this specific degree: schools publish tuition using different credit, term, and fee structures, and a student's net price depends on aid. NCES/IPEDS institutional graduate tuition figures can provide context, but they are not a substitute for a program-specific quote covering the full course sequence.

Request an itemized estimate for tuition, mandatory fees, books, clinical travel, background-check or site requirements, and any terms needed to finish fieldwork. Public-university residency rules may affect the quote, so confirm your classification rather than assuming an Oregon address qualifies. Compare that estimate with the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs, then subtract aid you are actually offered. A lower tuition rate may save less than expected if a longer schedule increases living costs or time away from paid work.

Start with each university's graduate assistantships, scholarships, and payment options, then complete the FAFSA to establish eligibility for federal aid. Graduate students may be eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans, subject to federal rules; institutional grants and assistantships vary by school. Ask whether funding continues during internship terms, when paid work may become harder to schedule. Source: Federal Student Aid; individual institutions' graduate financial aid offices.

For students entering in 2027, do not build a financing plan on the assumption that Graduate PLUS is available. Under federal changes effective July 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot obtain new Graduate PLUS loans; limited transition provisions may apply to qualifying existing borrowers. Confirm your own eligibility and current limits with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office before accepting a place. Source: Federal Student Aid.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must meet the chosen school's graduate admissions requirements. Depending on the program, those may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, interviews, or prerequisite coursework; do not assume every school requires a psychology major. Check the current admissions page for your intended start term. Source: institutional graduate admissions requirements.

If you have prior graduate credits, obtain a written transfer-credit evaluation before paying a deposit. Credits that a university accepts may not replace a required clinical course or supervised placement. Career changers should also ask whether the program's class and fieldwork schedule is workable alongside their current job.

Common subjects include counseling skills, human development, assessment, diagnosis, ethics, research, multicultural counseling, and group work, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Exact titles and credit allocations vary. For Oregon LPC planning, compare each school's course map with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists' education requirements rather than relying on a broad statement that a program is "licensure-oriented." Source: Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists; institutional program curricula.

Look closely at what you will actually practice: case documentation, treatment planning, referral, and clinical decision-making under supervision. If substance use treatment interests you, check whether related coursework is required, elective, or attached to a separate pathway.

Depending on the school, students may find electives, placements, or separate degree pathways related to addiction, children and adolescents, couples and families, or other populations. These are not interchangeable credentials. For example, interest in couples counseling does not mean a clinical mental health degree automatically satisfies requirements for Oregon's separate marriage and family therapist license. Check the intended license with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists before choosing a track. Source: Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Choose a specialization for its courses, supervisors, and reachable placement sites, not its label alone. A general clinical program with an appropriate internship may fit better than a named emphasis whose required placements are impractical for you.

Start with the license and type of work you want, then eliminate programs whose curriculum or clinical schedule cannot support that goal. A useful shortlist pairs the best clinical mental health counseling programs comparison with direct answers from schools. Accreditation is an important signal to check - particularly CACREP programmatic status - but verify the current status of the specific program and separately confirm Oregon educational eligibility with the state board. Source: Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Before committing, ask each finalist for comparable answers to these questions:

1. Which Oregon LPC education requirements does this degree address, and where can I review the course-to-requirement map?
2. Who secures clinical placements, where have students in my area trained, and what happens if a site falls through?
3. What is my complete net cost and realistic completion timeline, including internship terms?
4. What recent program-specific completion and licensure exam results can you document, with their reporting years?

Red flags include an undocumented licensure claim, a placement promise without a clear process, or a tuition comparison that omits fees and extra terms. A ranking is a starting point; answers to those questions determine whether the investment fits your circumstances.

A graduate may pursue supervised clinical work while meeting Oregon LPC requirements, then consider licensed roles in community agencies, healthcare settings, or private practice if all licensing conditions are met. Some programs also support an interest in addiction services or further graduate study. Job duties and eligibility depend on the employer and credential, so match a program to the work you want to perform - not merely a broad "counselor" job title. Source: Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This path is most compelling if you want sustained, direct clinical work and are prepared for supervised training after the degree. If your goal is school counseling, psychology practice, or marriage and family therapy under a different license, compare those education and licensing routes first; a clinical mental health master's may not be the most direct one.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That points to demand for the occupation nationally, but it does not establish the number of openings in a particular Oregon city or guarantee that a new graduate will find a preferred role. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections.

To assess your local prospects, review current postings in the community where you intend to stay and separate supervised graduate-level positions from roles requiring an active LPC. Compare their schedules, supervision arrangements, and pay with the cost and duration of each program. This is especially important if you cannot relocate for training or work: a strong national outlook cannot remove a local placement constraint.

Research.com recognizes that graduate education is a consequential investment. To make its counseling rankings useful for comparison, the team evaluates documented program outcomes, accreditation, licensure exam results where applicable, eligibility for federal Title IV aid, and cost. The Best ranking first weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP accreditation at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%; unavailable or inapplicable criteria are reweighted. Cost contributes about 7% of its final score. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in the ranking, using the same approach for online and campus programs.

The ranking draws on the following data sources. Because reported outcomes and program offerings can change, use the ranking to narrow your choices, then confirm details with each school.

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

These measures can make a shortlist more credible, but no ranking can tell you whether a particular schedule, placement, or net price fits your circumstances. Read more about the approach on the Research.com methodology page.

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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/
• Counseling Compact - Participating States
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://counselingcompact.org/
• Lewis & Clark College - Master of Arts in Professional Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://graduate.lclark.edu/departments/counseling_psychology/mental_health/masters_degrees/
• George Fox University - Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.georgefox.edu/counseling-programs/programs/clinical-masters/index.html
• Oregon State University - Master of Counseling in Clinical Mental Health
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://education.oregonstate.edu/program/clinical-mental-health-counseling-mcoun
• Western Seminary - MA in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Portland Campus)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.westernseminary.edu/academics/masters-degrees/ma-counseling-cacrep-accredited
• Portland State University - M.S. in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.pdx.edu/academics/programs/graduate/counseling-clinical-mental-health