Choosing a counseling master's program in Philadelphia means looking beyond its name: the degree must fit your budget, schedule, clinical interests, and plans for Pennsylvania licensure. This guide accompanies the 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Philadelphia, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering. If you are entering counseling or changing careers, you will learn how to compare training, costs, and career prospects - and what to verify before enrolling.
Key findings about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degrees in Philadelphia
For Pennsylvania clinical licensure, compare master's curricula and supervised-training plans - not popularity alone; graduation does not itself confer a professional license (Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors).
The U.S. median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025; projected employment growth is 18% for 2025-2035, neither of which predicts a Philadelphia graduate's earnings (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years, with practicum and internship scheduling often determining whether a working student can finish on time; request a written, program-specific completion and cost estimate.
What can I expect from a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Philadelphia?
A clinical mental health counseling degree is generally a graduate program that prepares students to assess concerns, develop treatment plans, provide counseling under appropriate supervision, and work toward professional licensure. It differs from a psychology bachelor's degree, which does not by itself qualify someone to practice independently, and from a school counseling program, which is oriented toward school-based credentials and settings.
Expect coursework in assessment, counseling methods, ethics, diagnosis, and research alongside supervised practicum and internship work. For a career changer, the key question is whether the curriculum satisfies the educational requirements of the Pennsylvania counseling board - not merely whether the diploma contains the words "mental health." Ask the program to map its courses and fieldwork to current board requirements. Programmatic CACREP accreditation is another distinct question to check; institutional accreditation alone does not establish that a particular counseling program holds it (Pennsylvania licensing board; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
Where can I work with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Philadelphia?
Possible settings include outpatient behavioral health clinics, hospitals, community agencies, substance-use treatment programs, and group practices. Philadelphia's healthcare and community-service organizations can offer different client populations and training environments, but an employer's job title does not establish that an applicant meets Pennsylvania's requirements for independent counseling practice.
Before choosing a placement, ask whether it provides the supervision, client contact, and documentation your program - and any later licensure application - requires. If you expect to work across the Delaware or New Jersey border, check that state's board separately; a Pennsylvania-focused degree plan is not a promise of licensure elsewhere (Pennsylvania licensing board; New Jersey Professional Counselor Examiners Committee; Delaware Board of Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Professionals).
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 starting salary, a Philadelphia wage, or a guaranteed return on a master's degree. Pay can vary with employer, experience, licensure, and job duties.
For an investment decision, compare a school's total estimated borrowing with the compensation of actual positions you would pursue locally. Also account for earnings you may give up while completing fieldwork and for the period of supervised practice before independent licensure. A salary figure alone cannot establish whether a program will pay off for you.
The two Philadelphia options below point toward different clinical interests. Neither a program name nor a ranking position replaces a check of its current curriculum, accreditation status, placement arrangements, and Pennsylvania licensure alignment.
La Salle University - Professional Clinical Counseling M.A.: La Salle identifies its degree specifically as professional clinical counseling, making it a starting point for applicants seeking a broadly framed counselor-training pathway. Compare its required courses and supervised placements with your intended practice area before assuming the degree title alone establishes licensure eligibility (La Salle University, Professional Clinical Counseling M.A. program information).
Thomas Jefferson University - Community and Trauma Counseling master's: Jefferson's explicitly identified community-and-trauma focus offers a more targeted starting point for students interested in those client needs. Ask how trauma-related study connects to required general counseling competencies and available placements; specialization should complement, not substitute for, licensure-relevant preparation (Thomas Jefferson University, Community and Trauma Counseling master's program information).
Plan on about two to three years for a typical counseling master's, depending on course load, entry term, and fieldwork sequence. Part-time study can take longer. The most consequential scheduling issue for employed applicants is often whether practicum and internship sites can accommodate their available hours; an online lecture schedule does not make clinical training self-paced.
Ask each school for a term-by-term plan showing when fieldwork starts and whether required courses are offered every term. Keep the degree timeline separate from Pennsylvania's subsequent examination and supervised-experience steps for licensure (Pennsylvania licensing board).
Delivery format changes where and when you attend classes; it does not remove clinical-training obligations. This comparison highlights the practical questions a Philadelphia applicant should resolve before favoring convenience over placement fit.
Format
Potential advantage
Constraint to check
Online or hybrid
May reduce campus trips for working students
Required live sessions, any campus visits, and who arranges local supervised placements
On-campus
Regular in-person access to classmates and faculty
Commute, class times, and whether placement hours fit a work schedule
For either format, confirm the program's accreditation and whether it is designed to meet the educational requirements of the state where you intend to seek licensure. This matters especially if you live outside Pennsylvania while taking a Philadelphia-based online program (institutional program disclosures; relevant state licensing board).
There is no single Philadelphia average that reliably describes what a prospective counseling student will pay: institutions can differ in tuition basis, required credits, fees, and aid, while published institution-wide averages may include students in unrelated programs. Request the full master's-program cost, not just the price of one course or term (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS; institutional tuition schedules).
Include mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, and any earnings lost if fieldwork reduces your paid hours. Then compare the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs using each school's current written estimate. A lower sticker price may be less helpful if a schedule extends the time you must borrow or remain out of full-time work.
Eligible graduate students can investigate federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and any aid for which they meet program and residency rules. Complete the FAFSA and ask each Philadelphia school for a graduate-specific aid offer; undergraduate grant assumptions should not be carried over to a master's budget (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).
Do not budget for Graduate PLUS without checking eligibility. Under rules taking effect in 2026, new graduate entrants cannot rely on new Graduate PLUS borrowing; limited transitional access may apply to qualifying students who were already in the same program and had a qualifying Direct Loan before July 1, 2026 (Federal Student Aid). Ask the aid office how the rules apply to your enrollment and compare your remaining funding gap before accepting a place.
View the chart data as a table
Graduates (2024-25) by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
La Salle University
22
Thomas Jefferson Univers
25
Applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree, but schools set their own prerequisite-course, GPA, recommendation, statement, and interview policies. A psychology major may be helpful, yet applicants from other fields should check actual admissions rules rather than ruling themselves out based on their undergraduate title (La Salle University and Thomas Jefferson University admissions information).
Admissions eligibility and licensure eligibility are separate. Before paying a deposit, ask whether the school accepts graduate transfer credits, which required counseling courses must be taken in residence, and how it evaluates earlier clinical coursework. Get the answer in writing: transferred credits may reduce tuition without replacing required supervised training.
Typical subjects include counseling theories and skills, assessment, diagnosis, group counseling, ethics, multicultural counseling, research, and supervised clinical work. The course titles matter less than their content and their fit with the educational standards the Pennsylvania board applies to a licensure application (Pennsylvania licensing board; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
When comparing catalogs, look closely at how a program teaches trauma-informed care or substance-use counseling without crowding out foundational clinical preparation. Request the current course sequence and fieldwork handbook, particularly if you need evening classes or hope to transfer credits.
Students may encounter an explicitly trauma- and community-oriented program, such as Jefferson's, or a more broadly titled professional clinical counseling pathway, such as La Salle's (Thomas Jefferson University; La Salle University). Individual schools may also offer electives or placements related to addictions, particular age groups, or community care; availability should be confirmed in the current catalog rather than assumed from a degree title.
Choose a focus for the clients and setting you want to serve, but first establish that the complete degree supports your intended licensure route. If your primary goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy, compare programs built for those credentials instead of assuming a clinical mental health counseling concentration is interchangeable (Pennsylvania licensing board).
Start with the professional role you want, then eliminate programs that cannot document an appropriate education and fieldwork pathway. A useful short list should survive these checks:
Ask the program to explain, in writing, how its current curriculum aligns with Pennsylvania's counselor-licensure education requirements and verify any claimed programmatic accreditation with CACREP.
Request the total cost, aid offer, expected completion schedule, transfer-credit decision, and explanation of who secures and supervises placements.
Ask for program-level completion and relevant examination or graduate-outcome information, including the reporting period and number of students represented.
Compare likely debt and lost earnings with your current income, plausible post-degree roles, completion prospects, repayment horizon, and the value you place on the work.
A common mistake is choosing the shortest or highest-ranked option without checking whether its placement schedule is feasible. Use the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs as another comparison point, not as a substitute for a personal cost-and-career calculation.
Depending on qualifications and employer requirements, graduates may pursue supervised counseling positions in community mental health, behavioral health, and substance-use services, then work toward licensed professional counselor roles. Experience can later support interests such as clinical supervision or a particular client population, subject to applicable employer and licensing rules (Pennsylvania licensing board; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
This path fits someone who wants direct, sustained clinical work and can accommodate supervised training. Someone primarily seeking a quicker entry into healthcare administration or a school-specific credential should compare those education routes before taking on a clinically oriented master's. The degree is an educational step, not an automatic LPC license.
View the chart data as a table
Wage range - Mental Health Counselors in Pennsylvania (BLS OEWS, May 2025) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
10th percentile
36,280
25th percentile
43,210
Median
52,010
75th percentile
65,280
90th percentile
81,970
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 projection signals demand across the occupation, but it is not a Philadelphia hiring forecast or a measure of openings for newly graduated, not-yet-licensed applicants.
To judge local prospects, review current postings from Philadelphia-area health systems, community providers, and outpatient practices. Note whether they ask for a completed master's degree, Pennsylvania licensure, or eligibility for supervised practice - and whether the offered schedule matches the training you can complete. Those distinctions are more useful for planning a first job than a national growth rate alone.
2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Philadelphia
Education is a substantial investment, so Research.com examines multiple sources rather than asking readers to rely on a program's description alone. Its counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation and Title IV eligibility, and program cost. The Best ranking combines outcomes and accreditation before factoring in cost; other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles. Popularity should therefore not be mistaken for the lowest price or the strongest individual fit.
The Research.com team uses the following sources to check the quality, credibility, and accuracy of its rankings:
IPEDS database - institutional reporting on enrollment, completions, and related education measures.
The ranking can narrow a search, but readers should confirm current tuition, accreditation, clinical placements, and licensure alignment directly with each school. Research.com explains its approach further on its methodology page.
# 1 position
La Salle University
Master
M.A. in Professional Clinical Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
43.60
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 years, 1 semester full-time
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Program completion rate
69% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
82% (2024-25)
Licensure exam pass rate
88% (2024-25)
Application deadline
Fall: August 10; Spring: December 10
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Official transcripts must reflect a minimum of 9-12 hours in psychology, marriage and family studies or counseling.
Additional requirements
Official transcript(s); resume/CV; three letters of recommendation; essay/personal statement on interest in counseling and mission alignment; engagement with program faculty/staff via Open House, virtual info session, or one-on-one meeting.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
La Salle University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 43.6/100, supported by 22 graduates (2024-25) and 69% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2031-03-31.
# 2 position
Thomas Jefferson University
Master
Community & Trauma Counseling Master of Science
Delivery mode: hybrid
45.40
/ 100
Final score
Program length
two years (seven semesters)
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Thomas Jefferson University earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 45.4/100. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2030-03-31.
Frequently asked questions about Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree in Philadelphia
Do I need a master's degree to become a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania?
Plan for graduate-level counseling education and the other requirements set by Pennsylvania's licensing board. Ask a prospective program to document how its curriculum aligns; finishing the degree alone does not grant an LPC license.
Is CACREP accreditation required?
CACREP accredits specific counseling programs, not every degree at an institution. Check its current directory and Pennsylvania's current rules rather than assuming either that institutional accreditation is equivalent or that a particular programmatic credential alone ensures licensure eligibility (CACREP; Pennsylvania licensing board).
Can I complete a Philadelphia counseling degree entirely online?
Coursework may be offered online or in a hybrid format, but supervised clinical training still needs an approved setting. Confirm live-attendance, campus-visit, and placement requirements directly with the school.
How long will the degree take if I keep working?
A typical master's takes about two to three years; part-time enrollment may take longer. Request a term-by-term plan that accounts for the hours when clinical placements are actually available.
Is a Philadelphia clinical mental health counseling degree worth the cost?
It can be a sound fit if the program supports your intended career and licensure path and its total cost is manageable relative to your likely earnings. Compare aid, debt, lost work time, and completion prospects rather than treating the national occupational median as your expected salary.
