2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in San Antonio

The most useful comparable figures here are national occupational medians, not promised starting salaries. The table uses U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook wage data for May 2025; occupations do not map perfectly to individual degree titles or license types.

A national median mixes locations, experience levels, and employers. It is not a San Antonio entry-level offer. When evaluating the investment, compare likely local openings and pay for the specific credential you intend to pursue, including any period of post-degree supervised practice.

The programs below are best distinguished first by their stated degree focus. Published program descriptions should also be checked directly for current credit requirements, placement arrangements, accreditation status, and credential alignment before applying; those details can change (University of Texas at San Antonio; Texas A&M University-San Antonio; St. Mary's University).

• University of Texas at San Antonio - clinical mental health counseling: This is the UTSA option explicitly centered on clinical mental health counseling rather than school counseling. It is the more relevant UTSA program to investigate if your goal is the Texas LPC pathway; confirm its current curriculum against board requirements.
• University of Texas at San Antonio - school counseling: Its stated focus separates it from UTSA's clinical mental health option. Prospective K-12 counselors should ask how the program supports Texas school counselor certification and arranges school-based field experience.
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - MA in counseling and guidance, school counseling: The catalog identifies a school counseling route within counseling and guidance. If you are comparing it with UTSA's school counseling degree, request both programs' current certification-alignment and placement details rather than treating their different titles as evidence of different outcomes.
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - MA in marriage, couple, and family counseling: Its stated emphasis on couple and family counseling makes it the clearest option in this set to investigate for an LMFT-oriented goal. Ask which Texas LMFT education requirements its courses and supervised work are designed to satisfy.
• St. Mary's University - master's in counseling: This is a private-university option for students comparing it with San Antonio's public programs. Because the general degree title does not establish a credential pathway, verify the available track, current program cost, and field-placement support before comparing value.
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - MA in clinical mental health counseling: This gives clinical mental health applicants another local public-university option. Compare its current course sequence and placement process directly with UTSA's clinical program; the shared specialty label does not establish identical schedules or licensure preparation.

A full-time counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on required credits, course sequencing, when fieldwork begins, and whether a placement fits your schedule. Ask for a term-by-term plan, not just an advertised completion time (American Counseling Association; individual program catalogs).

Finishing faster may reduce living expenses and time away from full-time earnings, but only if you can complete supervised work without disrupting employment or delaying graduation. Working professionals should ask whether key courses and placements are available on the timetable they would actually use.

Online coursework can reduce commuting and help students keep a job; campus instruction provides scheduled face-to-face skills practice. Neither format removes the need for supervised field experience or changes Texas credential requirements (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

For an online option, establish where placements may occur, who approves supervisors, whether any campus visits are required, and whether the program meets the requirements for your intended Texas credential. For an on-campus option, check evening-course availability and travel to placement sites. The better format is the one you can complete and use for your intended career.

There is no single dependable San Antonio average that represents these different public and private counseling programs. Published tuition may be charged per credit or term and may exclude mandatory fees, books, transportation, and costs associated with fieldwork. At a public university, confirm whether you qualify for Texas resident tuition; do not assume that living in San Antonio alone settles residency classification (individual university tuition and residency policies).

Request a written total-cost estimate using the credits and number of terms in your study plan. Then compare net cost after grants or employer assistance, expected borrowing, and earnings you might forgo during placements. The most affordable counseling programs can help start a price comparison, but the lowest tuition is not necessarily the lowest total cost.

Graduate students may be able to combine institutional scholarships or assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and eligible federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Federal loan eligibility depends on the student and program; ask a school's financial aid office to explain current limits and terms before assuming borrowing will cover the full bill (Federal Student Aid; individual university financial aid offices).

Ask departments whether awards are available specifically to counseling students and whether an assistantship's hours conflict with fieldwork. If you work for a school district or health organization, check reimbursement rules before enrolling: some employers require an approved program or a commitment to remain employed after graduation.

Expect to document a completed bachelor's degree and submit the materials specified by the program, which may include transcripts, a statement of purpose, references, or an interview. A psychology bachelor's is not necessarily required, but prerequisite coursework and admission standards differ by school (individual university admissions requirements).

Before paying an application fee, ask whether prior graduate coursework can transfer and whether transferred courses will satisfy the intended Texas credential's education requirements. Admission to a university, acceptance of transfer credit, graduation, and professional eligibility are separate decisions.

Common subjects include counseling theories, assessment, ethics, human development, research, multicultural counseling, and supervised practicum or internship. Clinical programs may emphasize diagnosis and treatment planning; school programs focus on counseling in educational settings; couple-and-family programs examine relationships and family systems (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; individual program catalogs).

Compare required courses against the credential you want, not merely against another school's course titles. Ask the program to identify any coursework or supervised experience you would still need after graduation under current Texas rules.

The local choices identified here include clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and marriage, couple, and family counseling (University of Texas at San Antonio; Texas A&M University-San Antonio). They are not interchangeable electives within one general career path: each can lead you toward a different work setting and credential review.

If your goal is treatment in a community agency or eventual independent LPC practice, investigate clinical mental health preparation. If you want to counsel K-12 students, prioritize school certification alignment. If your primary interest is relationship and family therapy, examine LMFT alignment. Applicants unsure of their goal should speak with programs about credential pathways before choosing a specialization by name.

Make a shortlist based on the job and Texas credential you want, then compare evidence that could change your ability to finish and practice. A ranking is useful for discovery, but it cannot determine whether a particular placement schedule or course sequence works for you.

1. Identify your intended role and check its current education, examination, and supervised-experience rules with the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council or Texas Education Agency.
2. Ask each program for its current degree plan, accreditation status, completion timeline, and written explanation of credential alignment.
3. Confirm who finds field placements, when students must attend them, and whether sites near you are available.
4. Compare total net cost, borrowing, missed work income, and the likelihood that you can finish on schedule - not tuition or projected salary alone.

For another lens, the most valuable counseling programs comparison should be weighed alongside those program-specific answers. Correction: If using the linked comparison, its address is most valuable counseling programs.

Graduates may pursue supervised clinical practice toward an LPC, school counselor certification, or a route toward LMFT licensure, depending on their degree and whether they meet the applicable Texas requirements. Related roles in student support, case coordination, or human services may have different employer requirements. A master's degree does not itself confer a license or certification (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

A certificate is unlikely to replace a qualifying master's for someone whose goal is a regulated counseling role. Conversely, if you want a nonclinical support position rather than a counseling credential, compare that employer's actual requirements before paying for a full graduate degree.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2025 to 2035, versus 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. These national projections indicate different levels of broad occupational demand; they do not measure openings in San Antonio or guarantee a local position.

Use the most popular counseling programs list to see another way programs are compared, but do not treat popularity as proof of employer demand. For a local reality check, review current postings for your intended role and note whether employers specify an LPC, LMFT, school counselor certification, or eligibility to work under supervision.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its counseling rankings to help readers compare programs using documented measures rather than promotional claims, and its team checks the quality, credibility, and accuracy of the underlying information.

The Best ranking first combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure-exam pass rates (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation (16%), and institutional Title IV eligibility (4%). When a measure does not apply, the remaining shares are renormalized. Program cost then contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. The method applies to both online and on-campus programs; other Research.com counseling rankings order programs by the single dimension named in each ranking.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

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

These measures provide a starting point, not a substitute for checking a particular program's current tuition, clinical placements, and fit with the Texas credential you want. Read more about Research.com's methodology.

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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/
• The University of Texas at San Antonio - Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://future.utsa.edu/programs/master/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• The University of Texas at San Antonio - M. Ed. in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://future.utsa.edu/programs/master/school-counseling/
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - M.A. in Counseling & Guidance: School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.tamusa.edu/graduate/education-human-development/counseling-health-kinesiology/counseling-guidance-ma-school/
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - M.A. in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.tamusa.edu/graduate/education-human-development/counseling-health-kinesiology/marriage-couple-family-counseling-ma/
• St. Mary's University - M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.stmarytx.edu/academics/programs/master-counseling/