2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Des Moines

Pay varies by occupation, employer, experience, and credential. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 U.S. median annual wage of $59,350 for the occupational group covering substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That national midpoint is useful for testing a borrowing plan, but it is not a Des Moines starting salary or a forecast of what a graduate will earn.

Specialization changes the comparison: BLS reports a May 2025 national median of $64,330 for school and career counselors and advisors, versus $46,850 for rehabilitation counselors. Because these are different occupational groups - not salaries attributable to particular degree programs - compare actual local job postings and their credential requirements before treating a higher median as a reason to switch paths.

The clearest distinction among these Des Moines options is the professional direction of the degree. Compare the current catalog, placement arrangements, and credential disclosures for each option; a shared degree label does not establish identical licensure preparation.

• Drake University - Clinical Mental Health Counseling: This is Drake's clinical counseling route, making it the relevant option here for applicants whose primary goal is mental health assessment and treatment rather than rehabilitation services. Ask how its coursework and supervised placements map to current Iowa mental health counselor requirements (Drake University).
• Drake University - Rehabilitation Counseling: Its rehabilitation focus distinguishes it from the two clinical mental health options. It merits closer consideration if you want to work with people navigating disability, employment, and independent living; confirm which professional credentials its current curriculum supports (Drake University).
• Grand View University - M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Grand View offers another locally based clinical mental health degree, giving therapy-focused applicants a program to compare directly with Drake's clinical route. Request each school's current credit requirements, full cost, placement process, and licensure disclosures before deciding whether either is the better fit (Grand View University).

These distinctions identify what to investigate, not a verified advantage in price, completion time, or graduate outcomes. For another view of applicant interest, see the most popular counseling programs.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time study for a counseling master's; part-time enrollment can take longer. Your actual timeline depends on required credits, course sequencing, and when you can complete practicum and internship placements. A short advertised timeline may be unrealistic if required clinical work conflicts with your job.

Ask for a term-by-term plan showing when fieldwork starts and whether summer courses are required. Also separate time to graduate from time to independent practice: Iowa licensure may require supervised experience and examinations after the degree, subject to the credential sought (Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing).

Online study can reduce commuting and make coursework easier to fit around work, while campus study may make scheduled faculty contact and local peer connections easier. Neither format removes the need to arrange supervised, in-person practice where the program and intended credential require it.

If you live in Des Moines but enroll in an out-of-state online program, get written answers about Iowa licensure alignment, where you may complete fieldwork, and who approves supervisors. Accreditation and online delivery are separate questions: verify the institution's accreditation and check the specific program's CACREP status directly with CACREP if that recognition matters to your goal. Compare format only after establishing that the degree supports the credential you intend to pursue.

There is no single defensible Des Moines average that describes what every applicant will pay: published tuition may be quoted per credit or term, while required credits, fees, aid, and living arrangements differ. Build a program-specific total using the current tuition schedule and catalog rather than multiplying a general university tuition figure without checking graduate counseling charges.

Include required fees, books, travel to placements, any income you may give up during fieldwork, and borrowing costs. A lower sticker price can lose its advantage if a program takes longer or requires an impractical placement schedule. Use the most affordable counseling programs as a shortlist, then request a written cost estimate from each school.

Graduate students can start by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and reviewing each school's aid offer. Potential funding includes eligible federal graduate loans, institution-funded scholarships or assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and program-specific awards. Federal Student Aid rules and each school's eligibility determine what an individual student can receive.

Compare net cost and repayment exposure, not just the largest aid offer: a loan reduces the amount due now but does not reduce the program's price. Ask whether an award continues during fieldwork or part-time study, and whether its conditions could delay completion. Iowa residents should also check current state and institutional opportunities, without assuming an undergraduate grant applies to graduate study.

Expect to document a completed bachelor's degree and meet the specific program's admissions standards. Schools may request transcripts, references, a statement of purpose, and an interview; prerequisite coursework and test policies vary, so verify them on the current admissions page rather than assuming a psychology major or test score is universally required.

If you already hold graduate credits, ask for a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling. A course that transfers as elective credit may not replace a required counseling course or supervised experience. Applicants changing careers should also ask how the program prepares them for clinical work and whether its placement schedule is feasible alongside employment.

Common subjects include counseling theories, ethics, assessment, human development, multicultural counseling, research, and group counseling, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Clinical mental health students should examine training in diagnosis and treatment; rehabilitation students should look for disability- and employment-related content. School-focused applicants need a curriculum aligned with the school credential they intend to seek.

Course titles alone are not enough. Compare the current catalog's required sequence with Iowa's applicable credential rules and ask which courses must be completed before fieldwork. That check can expose a costly mismatch before you pay a deposit.

The locally highlighted degrees include clinical mental health counseling and rehabilitation counseling (Drake University; Grand View University). Clinical mental health fits students aiming toward therapy and related treatment roles; rehabilitation fits those interested in counseling connected to disability, work, and community participation.

School counseling, addiction counseling, and marriage and family therapy are other distinct interests, but do not assume a local program offers them as a formal concentration or that a few electives meet their credential requirements. If one is your goal, ask the program for its named pathway and verify the relevant Iowa licensing or school-credential requirements.

Start with the role you want after graduation, then test each program against the requirements for entering it. A ranking can narrow the field, but the best investment for you also depends on completion likelihood, aid, debt, lost earnings during study, your earnings before the degree, and the time it may take for a career change to pay off.

Use these checks to turn a shortlist into an enrollment decision:

1. Identify the Iowa license, school credential, or other qualification required for your target role; obtain the current requirements from the responsible authority.
2. Ask each program for written confirmation of curriculum alignment, accreditation status, fieldwork requirements, and who arranges local placements.
3. Compare written estimates of total cost and time to completion, including aid conditions, likely borrowing, and time away from paid work.
4. Request recent program-level completion and career-outcome information, including its reporting period and how the school defines each measure.

A common mistake is choosing the least expensive or fastest option before checking credential fit. Another is treating a national wage median as a personal return-on-investment forecast. The most valuable counseling programs can inform your comparison, but make the final calculation using your own costs, career baseline, and goals.

A clinical mental health path can lead toward counseling roles in treatment organizations and, with the required credentials and experience, private practice. Rehabilitation graduates may pursue disability and employment-service roles. School counseling is a separate education pathway: check Iowa Board of Educational Examiners requirements before selecting a degree for that purpose.

Some roles are available before independent licensure, while others require a particular license, supervised experience, or examination. Ask prospective employers which credential they require for the jobs you actually want; that answer is more useful than assuming every position with "counselor" in its title has the same entry standard.

National demand is strongest in the BLS projection used here for the occupational group covering mental health and addiction counselors: employment is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That supports investigating clinical opportunities, but a national projection does not measure Des Moines openings or guarantee a job after graduation.

For a local reality check, review current Des Moines-area postings by setting and credential, then ask programs where recent students completed placements. Placements can reveal which employers hire for your intended specialization and whether you can meet their supervision and scheduling expectations. If the jobs that interest you require a different credential from the one your chosen degree supports, reconsider the program before enrolling.

Education is a substantial investment, so Research.com's team designed the ranking to weigh evidence of student outcomes and program quality rather than reputation alone. The Best ranking first combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), licensure exam pass rates where applicable (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation where applicable (16%), and institutional eligibility for federal Title IV aid (4%). Applicable weights are adjusted when a measure does not apply. Program cost then contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. The method is the same for online and on-campus programs.

The team used the following data sources to assess programs and check the credibility and accuracy of the ranking:

• IPEDS database - institutional information, including enrollment, completions, and costs.
• Peterson's database - program and institutional information.
• College Scorecard database - federal institutional data and outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - national education data and definitions.

The ranking offers a researched starting point, not a substitute for checking a program's current tuition, clinical placements, and fit with your intended Iowa credential. Other Research.com rankings order programs by the single dimension named in each ranking. Read more about how Research.com creates its rankings.

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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/
• O*NET OnLine - Mental Health Counselors (21-1014)
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
• Drake University - M.S. in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.drake.edu/degree-programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling
• Drake University - MS in Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.drake.edu/degree-programs/rehabilitation-counseling
• Grand View University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.grandview.edu/academics/programs/ms-clinical-mental-health-counseling