2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Oregon

There is no single "counseling master's salary." The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports these national occupational medians for May 2025. They describe workers in each occupation - not starting salaries, Oregon-specific wages, or guaranteed outcomes for degree holders.

The wage spread makes specialization financially relevant, but occupation is not the only variable. Before estimating a return on your Oregon degree, compare likely local job offers, whether a position requires postdegree supervision, your current earnings, and the time it may take to reach independent practice.

The programs below address different professional goals, so their strongest distinctions are not interchangeable. Use these highlights to build a shortlist, then verify current requirements, delivery, and placement options directly with each program.

• Portland State University - clinical rehabilitation counseling: Its explicit combination of clinical and rehabilitation counseling makes it especially relevant to students who want mental health training centered on disability-related practice. Compare its clinical-license alignment with a general mental health program before choosing it (Portland State University).
• Corban University - counseling: Corban offers a faith-informed counseling education, a substantive distinction for applicants who want to examine how their values inform practice. Ask how the curriculum teaches work with clients whose beliefs differ from their own (Corban University).
• Oregon State University - clinical mental health counseling: The MCoun identifies clinical mental health as its professional track rather than treating counseling as an undifferentiated graduate subject. It belongs on a shortlist for prospective clinical counselors who want a clearly designated pathway (Oregon State University).
• Portland State University - marriage, couple, and family counseling: This named track puts relational practice at the center of the degree. It is a more direct curricular match than a general clinical track for applicants specifically planning to serve couples and families (Portland State University).
• Oregon State University - school counseling: OSU offers a school counseling MCoun distinct from its clinical mental health MCoun. That separation helps applicants focus their course and placement questions on school credentialing rather than clinical licensure (Oregon State University).
• Portland State University - school counseling: PSU's dedicated school counseling program offers another school-focused option rather than a clinical degree with a school-related elective. Compare its school placement arrangements and credential guidance with OSU's if you need to train near a particular district (Portland State University).
• Lewis & Clark College - mental health master's degrees: Its counseling and psychology department presents mental health master's options, allowing applicants to examine how a chosen degree's emphasis matches a clinical or addiction-related goal. Confirm the exact degree and specialization on your application; the department name alone does not identify a licensure route (Lewis & Clark College).
• Southern Oregon University - clinical mental health counseling: Based in Ashland, this program gives students targeting southern Oregon a geographically relevant clinical training option. Its location matters most if approved field placements and supervision are available where the student plans to work (Southern Oregon University).
• Portland State University - clinical mental health counseling: PSU distinguishes this clinical track from its school, family, and rehabilitation tracks. Applicants seeking broad mental health practice should compare its required placements with those of Oregon State and Southern Oregon rather than assuming all clinical tracks provide identical experiences (Portland State University).
• Western Oregon University - rehabilitation counseling: Its MS is specifically in rehabilitation counseling, making disability and rehabilitation practice the principal reason to consider it. Students aiming primarily for psychotherapy should check whether this degree satisfies their intended clinical licensing pathway before applying (Western Oregon University).

Plan on about two to three years full time for a counseling master's; part-time study can take longer. The calendar depends not only on credits but also on when practicum and internship courses run and how many fieldwork hours a site can accommodate. Ask programs for a term-by-term schedule that includes the placement search, not just classroom enrollment.

Graduation and independent practice are separate milestones. Oregon clinical license applicants may need to complete supervised experience and other board requirements after the degree; school credentialing follows its own process (Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists; Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission). An accelerated academic schedule is useful only if it preserves the training needed for your credential.

Online study can reduce commuting, but counseling training still requires supervised practice in an approved setting. On-campus study may simplify access to nearby classes and relationships with local placement sites; neither format automatically produces better licensure eligibility.

For an Oregon student, the decisive question is where fieldwork can occur. Before accepting an online offer, get written answers about placement assistance, site approval, required campus visits, and whether the program's curriculum meets the rules of the state where you intend to practice. A student living outside Oregon should also check that state's requirements rather than assuming an Oregon-oriented pathway transfers unchanged (Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists).

There is no reliable single sticker price for the Oregon programs discussed here: published graduate tuition may be charged per credit or term, and the total changes with program length, residency rules, fees, and enrollment pace. A statewide average would hide those differences. Request each school's current estimate for your complete degree, including mandatory fees and expected fieldwork expenses, rather than comparing one term's tuition with another school's full-program estimate.

Public-university residency classification can affect tuition, while private nonprofit colleges may use a different published rate and aid structure; neither institutional type determines the lowest net cost by itself. Use the most affordable counseling programs as a shortlist, then compare written aid offers, borrowing, commuting or relocation, and earnings forgone during placements.

Graduate students can submit the FAFSA to establish eligibility for applicable federal aid, including Direct Unsubsidized Loans, subject to federal rules. Ask each graduate program about assistantships, scholarships, and whether a paid placement can meet its supervision standards; do not assume a job can substitute for required fieldwork (Federal Student Aid; individual institutions).

Oregon scholarship opportunities can have program-, residency-, and enrollment-specific conditions, so check the Oregon Office of Student Access and Completion and the school's graduate aid office before counting an award in your budget. Compare the net amount you would borrow under each offer, not just the aid total: loans lower the immediate bill but do not reduce the price of the degree.

Programs generally expect an earned bachelor's degree and an application that may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview; required coursework and screening vary by school (individual program admissions offices). A psychology major is not automatically required, and an undergraduate counseling-related major does not waive graduate professional training.

Check the requirements of the specific track, especially if you are changing careers. Ask admissions whether prior coursework satisfies prerequisites and whether any graduate transfer credits can replace required courses. A school's willingness to admit you is a different question from whether the completed degree will satisfy an Oregon licensing board.

Expect study in counseling theories, ethics, human development, assessment, multicultural counseling, research, and supervised practice. Clinical tracks add mental health assessment and treatment work; school tracks emphasize counseling within educational settings; rehabilitation tracks focus on disability and participation. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards provide a useful framework for examining accredited counseling curricula, but the exact degree plan is set by the program.

Read the course sequence alongside fieldwork requirements. A strong-looking elective list offers little value if the courses you need for your intended Oregon credential are unavailable before graduation or if placements cannot accommodate your schedule.

The clearest Oregon options in this guide are clinical mental health, school, marriage and family, and rehabilitation counseling; addiction-related preparation may also be available within a mental health pathway (institutional program descriptions). These are not merely different topic areas. They can change which placements make sense and which professional credential you may pursue.

Choose a specialization for the population and setting you want to serve, then check its regulatory fit. If you are uncertain between school-based work and clinical therapy, compare both pathways before enrolling: adding electives later may not repair a mismatch between your degree and the credential required for your target job.

The best investment is the program that gets you to an appropriate credential at a manageable total cost - not necessarily the shortest or highest-ranked option. Compare the most valuable counseling programs with your own likely costs and career plans; a ranking cannot account for your current earnings, placement location, or aid offer.

Use this sequence when speaking with programs. It catches the expensive mistakes that a tuition-only comparison can miss:

1. Identify your target job and Oregon licensing or school credentialing authority; ask the program to document how its degree meets the applicable educational requirements.
2. Verify the institution's accreditation and federal aid eligibility, and check any claimed CACREP accreditation for the specific program - not merely the university.
3. Request a complete course and placement schedule, including site-approval rules, travel, evening or daytime commitments, and realistic completion time.
4. Compare net price, expected debt, foregone earnings, likely completion, and plausible postdegree earnings over a time horizon that matters to you; account for uncertainty rather than treating a national median as your offer.

Finally, ask how the school supports students who cannot secure a placement near home or need to reduce their course load. An unclear answer is a meaningful warning sign, particularly for working adults and students outside major metro areas.

A clinical pathway can lead toward supervised counseling roles and, after meeting Oregon's additional requirements, application for professional clinical licensure. Marriage and family training targets relational practice; school counseling targets positions requiring the relevant education credential; rehabilitation counseling supports disability-related counseling and services (Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists; Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission).

A master's is therefore worth considering when your intended role requires graduate preparation and you are prepared for supervised training. If you mainly want a broader introduction to behavioral health, compare entry-level service roles or shorter education options first; a certificate alone should not be assumed to replace the master's required for a regulated counseling role.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for the occupation associated with mental health and addiction counseling, compared with 3% for school counseling. These projections signal different national demand patterns, not Oregon vacancy counts or a promise of employment after graduation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

For a local decision, search current openings in the Oregon areas where you can realistically live and note which titles require a license, an associate-level credential, or school authorization. Compare those requirements with program field placements and the time needed for postdegree supervision. Strong national growth will not compensate for a degree that does not qualify you for the Oregon jobs you actually want.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com designed its counseling rankings to help readers compare programs using outcomes, accreditation, and cost rather than reputation alone; its team reviews the underlying data and applies the same scoring approach to online and on-campus programs.

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 (16%), and federal Title IV eligibility (4%). Weights are redistributed when a measure does not apply. Program cost contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. Other counseling rankings order programs by the individual dimension named in their titles. Research.com identifies these data sources for the ranking:

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

The ranking offers a consistent starting point, not a substitute for checking the particular degree's current curriculum, accreditation status, placement arrangements, and fit with your intended license. 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/
• NBCC - NCE / NCMHCE
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.nbcc.org/exams
• Portland State University - Counseling: Clinical Rehabilitation
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.pdx.edu/academics/programs/graduate/counseling-clinical-rehabilitation
• Corban University - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.corban.edu/academics/majors-programs/counseling/
• 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
• Portland State University - Counseling: Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.pdx.edu/academics/programs/graduate/counseling-marriage-couple-and-family-counseling
• Oregon State University - Master of Counseling in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://education.oregonstate.edu/program/school-counseling-mcoun