2027 Best Doctorate in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in the Midwest

There is no single defensible salary for "a counseling doctorate." Pay follows the job, employer, location, experience, and - where clinical work is involved - licensure. The national figures below use U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational measures for May 2025 wages and 2025-2035 projections. They describe occupations, not the earnings of graduates from the featured programs.

This comparison is most useful for deciding whether your intended role justifies doctoral study. The counselor-education figure is a postsecondary-teaching proxy; the clinical counseling figure describes a different career path that may not require a doctorate.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections. To evaluate a particular Midwestern offer, compare the relevant state or metro occupational wage with the school's documented graduate outcomes, rather than applying a national median to your first job.

The clearest distinctions among these options concern the degree's academic home, its stated focus, and where students would build professional networks. Treat the descriptions below as shortlist prompts, then ask each program for current credit requirements, funding terms, completion data, and graduates' positions before deciding.

• Viterbo University: Its named doctorate joins counselor education with supervision, making the supervision component explicit rather than leaving it to elective selection. Ask how doctoral supervision experiences are arranged if that is central to your career plan (Viterbo University).
• North Dakota State University: Its counselor education and supervision Ph.D. offers a North Dakota base for students whose professional network is in the northern Plains. Compare required campus attendance and available placements before assuming a program in another Midwestern state would serve that network equally well (North Dakota State University).
• Ohio University: Its counseling and higher education academic setting makes it worth examining for applicants interested in how counselor preparation connects with higher education. Confirm the doctoral curriculum and faculty research match that interest rather than relying on the academic-unit name alone (Ohio University).
• Adler University: Its counselor education and supervision Ph.D. is an option for applicants who want to examine the program's stated approach to socially responsible counseling practice. Ask for examples of current dissertation topics and supervision opportunities to see how that emphasis appears in doctoral work (Adler University).
• Kent State University: Its specifically named counselor education and supervision Ph.D. warrants a close look from applicants seeking that combined professional identity. Compare its current doctoral teaching and supervision requirements with programs whose degree is titled more broadly as counselor education (Kent State University).
• Ohio State University: The listed Ph.D. is titled counselor education, rather than counselor education and supervision. Students primarily pursuing faculty research should compare its dissertation expectations and faculty interests with their own proposed topic (Ohio State University).
• Western Michigan University: Its counselor education Ph.D. provides a Michigan-based option for applicants seeking to develop academic connections in that state. Before enrolling, verify how the program supports the particular clinical or school-counseling background you bring (Western Michigan University).
• University of Missouri-St. Louis: Its degree is a Ph.D. in Education with a counseling focus, a structural distinction from doctorates explicitly titled counselor education and supervision. Check the transcript designation and required research coursework if a future faculty posting specifies a particular doctoral field (University of Missouri-St. Louis).
• University of Iowa: Its counselor education and supervision offering sits within an academic area focused on counseling and mental health. Applicants interested in research spanning those subjects should compare potential advisers' current work, not just the program title (University of Iowa).
• Governors State University: Its counselor education and supervision Ph.D. gives applicants a south-suburban Illinois option rather than requiring a move into central Chicago. For working counselors, the decisive comparison is the current schedule and travel requirement - not proximity on a map alone (Governors State University).

None of these distinctions establishes that one program has better outcomes. If cohort size, credits, funding, placement, or completion rates would determine your choice, request figures with a stated reporting period and comparable definitions from every school on your shortlist.

Plan on roughly three to five years of full-time doctoral study, with longer timelines possible for part-time enrollment, dissertation revisions, or delays in arranging required experiences. That range is a planning guide, not a published completion estimate for any school listed here. A program advertising a shorter coursework phase may still require additional time to finish the dissertation.

Ask each department for its recent median time to degree, whether that measure includes non-completers, and how long funding lasts. A funded offer that expires before a typical student finishes can cost more than a seemingly higher-priced offer with support throughout the dissertation stage.

An online format can let an established counselor keep working and avoid relocation; campus study may make regular research collaboration and teaching assignments easier to access. Neither format alone establishes program quality or licensure eligibility. Research.com applies the same ranking method to online and on-campus programs, but you should compare their actual attendance and experiential requirements separately.

Ask whether "online" includes campus residencies, synchronous meetings, locally arranged supervision, or required teaching. If you intend to obtain a clinical license, send the curriculum and fieldwork details to the board in the state where you plan to practice. Do not assume that online enrollment in one Midwestern state satisfies another state's rules (state counseling licensing boards).

There is no reliable single Midwest-wide average here that captures a counseling doctorate's actual net cost. Published tuition can differ by institution, residency status, enrollment load, and year; assistantships and tuition waivers can reverse the apparent price order. NCES IPEDS reports institutional charges, but an institution-wide graduate figure is not the price of this particular doctorate (National Center for Education Statistics).

Build a term-by-term estimate covering tuition, mandatory fees, travel or residencies, research expenses, and foregone earnings. Then subtract confirmed grants, waivers, and assistantship pay while accounting for any work obligations. Compare that net cost and expected time to completion against your current earnings and realistic post-degree roles. The most affordable counseling programs are a useful shortlist, but advertised price should not replace an individualized funding offer.

Start with program-specific research or teaching assistantships, fellowships, institutional grants, and employer tuition assistance. Ask whether support includes a tuition waiver, stipend, health coverage, summer terms, and the dissertation period; an assistantship can reduce borrowing but also limits paid work elsewhere.

Eligible students can apply for federal graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans, subject to federal rules and borrowing limits. Graduate PLUS availability has changed: under rules effective July 1, 2026, the program is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers, while certain students with a qualifying earlier loan in the same program may continue borrowing for a limited period. Confirm your individual eligibility and current limits with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office before making a financing plan (Federal Student Aid). State aid and residency rules differ across Midwestern states; do not presume that aid offered to undergraduates also covers doctoral study.

Programs commonly expect a relevant master's degree, graduate counseling preparation, a statement of research interests, recommendations, and evidence that an applicant can undertake doctoral scholarship. Some may require professional counseling experience or a license, while others evaluate these qualifications differently; the institution's current admissions page controls (individual university admissions offices).

Before applying, ask whether your master's coursework meets entry requirements, whether a prospective adviser works in your research area, and whether prior graduate credits can reduce doctoral coursework. Transfer acceptance does not necessarily shorten a dissertation or extend assistantship funding. If the goal is initial clinical licensure rather than teaching or research, first confirm whether a qualifying master's degree is the more direct path.

Typical doctoral subjects include advanced counseling theory, clinical or school-counseling issues, counselor supervision, teaching and curriculum design, ethics, qualitative and quantitative research, and dissertation research. Actual sequences and experiential requirements vary by program; course titles alone do not prove that a graduate meets a state board's licensure requirements (individual university program curricula; state counseling licensing boards).

For faculty ambitions, examine how much supervised teaching and independent research the curriculum requires. For supervision roles, examine who oversees doctoral supervision practice and whether the placement fits the population you intend to serve.

A doctoral student may focus research and supervised work on clinical mental health, school counseling, addiction, rehabilitation, couples and families, counselor training, or supervision. These are possible areas of emphasis - not a claim that every listed school offers each as a formal concentration. A dissertation topic, elective sequence, and named concentration are different credentials.

Choose a focus by working backward from the intended role. For example, a future counselor educator needs an adviser and teaching experience aligned with the courses they hope to teach; a clinician seeking advanced specialization may find focused training or certification more efficient than a research doctorate. Verify any certification requirements with the relevant certifying organization and any practice requirements with the destination state board.

Start with the job you want, then compare programs on evidence that bears on that job. The most popular counseling programs can reveal options other students consider, but popularity does not establish adviser fit, funding, or eligibility for your intended license.

Use these questions to turn a shortlist into a decision. Request answers in writing when the answer affects cost or professional eligibility.

1. Does the degree's title, curriculum, faculty expertise, and teaching or supervision experience fit the positions I want to pursue?
2. Is the institution appropriately accredited and federally aid-eligible, and what is the program's current CACREP status, if that status matters for my goal? Verify directly with the accreditor and relevant board (CACREP; U.S. Department of Education).
3. What are recent program-level completion outcomes, median time to degree, graduate positions, and guaranteed versus competitive funding?
4. What will I pay after aid, how much paid work must I give up, and how would borrowing affect my finances if I take longer to finish?
5. If I plan to practice, does the destination state board accept my prior clinical education and the proposed program's relevant coursework and experience?

A sound return-on-investment comparison includes program duration, completion probability, aid, debt, lost earnings, current income, plausible post-degree income, and the period over which you expect a benefit. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison point, but no ranking can calculate those personal inputs for you. Red flags include vague funding promises, no accessible program-level outcomes, and assurances of "automatic" licensure across states.

Common targets are counselor educator, researcher, clinical supervisor, program director, and senior counseling practitioner. A doctorate can be particularly worthwhile if a desired faculty or research position calls for doctoral preparation, or if advanced supervision and teaching are central to your career. It may offer less added value when your preferred clinical job already accepts a qualifying master's degree and license.

Career preparation should match the destination: pursue teaching and publications for academic hiring; document supervision experience for training roles; and maintain the appropriate state license for regulated clinical practice. These paths can overlap, but the doctorate is not a substitute for a professional license (state counseling licensing boards).

The national outlook differs sharply by target occupation: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for 2025-2035 indicate 18% growth for the clinical mental health counseling occupation and 2.5% for the postsecondary-teaching occupation used as a counselor-education proxy. Stronger projected clinical growth should not be mistaken for equally rapid growth in faculty openings - or evidence that a doctorate is necessary to obtain a clinical job (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

Midwestern opportunities also vary by state, employer, and metro area. A student committed to one city should investigate its university openings and clinical employers before choosing a narrowly focused dissertation; someone willing to move may have a broader academic search. Ask departments where recent graduates actually work, and separate tenure-track appointments from adjunct teaching, clinical practice, and other employment when assessing those results.

Investing in doctoral education is an important decision. Research.com developed this ranking to help readers compare programs using consistent measures rather than reputation alone. Its team reviewed education and institutional data, applied the same scoring approach to online and on-campus programs, and considered whether each measure applies to the program being assessed.

For the Best ranking, a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), licensure exam pass rates where applicable (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation where applicable (16%), and institutional Title IV eligibility (4%). Shares are renormalized when a measure does not apply. Program cost contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. Rankings labeled by another dimension order programs by that dimension instead.

The ranking draws on the following sources. Reviewing their scope helps readers understand what a score can - and cannot - say about an individual doctoral student's likely experience.

• IPEDS database: institution-reported enrollment, completion, and financial information.
• Peterson's database: information on institutions and academic offerings.
• College Scorecard database: federal information on institutions, costs, and student outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics: federal education data and definitions used to evaluate schools consistently.

A ranking is a starting point, not a prediction of admission, funding, licensure, or employment. Use it to build a shortlist, then confirm current program requirements and outcomes directly with each school. Read more about Research.com's methodology.

• 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 - Mental Health Counselors (21-1014)
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
• Viterbo University - Counselor Education and Supervision (EdD)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.viterbo.edu/academics/graduate/doctor-counselor-education-and-supervision
• North Dakota State University-Main Campus - Counselor Education and Supervision (Ph.D.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ndsu.edu/ceduc/degree_programs/counselor_education_and_supervision_phd
• Ohio University-Main Campus - Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ohio.edu/education/counseling-higher-education/counselor-supervision
• Adler University - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Counselor Education + Supervision
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.adler.edu/programs/counselor-education-supervision-ph-d/
• Kent State University at Kent - Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.kent.edu/ehs/ldes/ces/counselor-education-and-supervision-phd