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

The closest national occupational benchmarks depend on the job you pursue, not simply the title of your degree. These U.S. medians describe workers across experience levels and locations, so use them to compare career paths - not to forecast a first offer in Springfield (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 occupational wage data).

A Springfield applicant should request recent graduate employment information and examine local job postings before estimating earnings. Licensure status, experience, employer, and hours worked can all make an individual offer differ from a national median.

The four Springfield options divide first by professional destination, then by institution. The distinctions below are useful for building a shortlist; they are not substitutes for current credit totals, placement details, costs, or verified program-level outcomes from admissions staff.

• Missouri State University-Springfield, school counseling: This is the public-university school counseling option in the set. It merits a closer look if you intend to pursue Missouri school counselor certification and want to compare public-university charges and school placements against Evangel's option (Missouri State University program information).
• Evangel University, clinical mental health counseling: This option pairs a clinical mental health degree with Evangel's Christian institutional setting, a potentially meaningful distinction for applicants evaluating educational fit. Confirm how its curriculum and clinical placements support your intended Missouri licensure route rather than assuming institutional mission changes credential requirements (Evangel University program information).
• Missouri State University-Springfield, clinical mental health counseling: This is the public-university clinical alternative, making it a direct comparison with Evangel for applicants planning a professional-counselor pathway. Compare actual program charges and placement arrangements; public status alone does not establish the lower total cost (Missouri State University program information).
• Evangel University, school counseling: This combines a school counseling degree with Evangel's Christian institutional setting rather than a clinical counseling degree. It may suit applicants seeking that environment who plan to work in schools, provided they verify Missouri certification alignment and school-based fieldwork (Evangel University program information).

Comparable, current program-level completion, exam, and employment results should carry more weight than unsupported claims of superiority. Request the same measures and reporting periods from every program you are considering.

Plan on roughly two to three years for a full-time counseling master's; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on required credits, course scheduling, and when practicum and internship placements are available. Ask for a term-by-term plan for your chosen track rather than assuming the clinical and school programs have identical schedules.

An accelerated schedule can reduce time away from higher-paid work, but concentrated fieldwork may make it difficult to maintain a job. A working professional may be better served by a slower plan that keeps income stable and makes placement hours feasible.

Online delivery changes where you take coursework; it does not remove supervised, in-person training or Missouri credential requirements. Campus study may simplify face-to-face contact with faculty and nearby placement partners. Online study may reduce commuting, but students still need an approved placement and appropriate supervision where they train.

Before choosing either format, ask whether your specific track is available in that format, whether any campus visits are required, and who secures placements. If you expect to practice outside Missouri, check the destination state's rules as well; approval for one state should not be assumed to transfer to another (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

There is no single reliable Springfield-wide master's price to apply to these four options: tuition schedules, credit requirements, fees, and aid differ by program and student. A quoted annual tuition rate is especially misleading if one track takes longer or requires more credits. Request a written estimate for the full degree, including mandatory fees and any fieldwork-related expenses (Missouri State University and Evangel University tuition and program information).

Compare that estimate with your expected borrowing and lost earnings during placements. The most affordable counseling programs can help start a cost comparison, but the least expensive sticker price is not necessarily the lowest net cost after aid or the best fit for licensure.

Graduate students may be able to combine institutional scholarships or assistantships, employer support, and eligible federal student loans. Federal grant options are generally more limited at the graduate level than at the undergraduate level; eligibility depends on the student and program (Federal Student Aid). Complete the FAFSA and ask both Springfield institutions whether counseling students can receive department-level funding and whether an assistantship's work schedule fits field placement.

Do not assume that a previous student's borrowing options will be available under the same terms when you enroll. Verify current federal graduate-loan eligibility and limits with Federal Student Aid and each school's financial aid office before committing to a financing plan.

Expect to document a bachelor's degree and submit the materials required by the individual program, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, or an interview. Prerequisite coursework, minimum academic standards, deadlines, and requirements for school-counseling applicants can differ; use the current Missouri State or Evangel admissions page for your exact track rather than another counseling program's checklist (Missouri State University; Evangel University).

Before paying an application fee, ask whether your prior coursework satisfies prerequisites and whether any graduate credits can transfer. A transfer award is useful only if the credits apply to the degree and do not disrupt the sequence of supervised training.

Common subjects include counseling theories, helping skills, ethics, human development, assessment, group counseling, and research or program evaluation. Clinical mental health students also need preparation relevant to clinical assessment and treatment; school counseling students focus on counseling and student support in educational settings. Supervised practicum and internship connect classroom learning with the intended role (Missouri State University and Evangel University program information).

Compare course descriptions, not just titles. In particular, check whether the required clinical or school-specific courses satisfy the current Missouri rules for the credential you want, and ask how often essential courses are offered if you plan to study part-time.

The clearest choice among the identified Springfield master's programs is clinical mental health counseling versus school counseling. Clinical mental health is the more relevant direction for applicants seeking clinical counseling roles; school counseling fits applicants whose goal is to support students within schools. Neither label should be treated as an interchangeable route to both credentials (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

If your goal is addiction work, family therapy, or another focused practice area, ask about relevant electives and placements - but confirm any separate credential rules before assuming an elective creates eligibility. A specialized certificate may be useful for someone who already holds the necessary graduate credential; it is not automatically a substitute for a qualifying master's.

Start with the job and state credential you want, then test each program against that goal. Missouri professional counselor licensure and school counselor certification involve different state authorities; accreditation, a degree, supervised experience, examinations, and certification or licensure are separate questions (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education). Confirm the institution's accreditation and the program's current CACREP status directly with the school and accreditor; do not infer programmatic accreditation from institutional accreditation (CACREP).

Use this sequence to make an apples-to-apples decision:

1. Ask each program which Missouri credential its curriculum is designed to support and what additional steps graduates must complete.
2. Request current program-level completion, placement, and applicable exam results, with reporting periods.
3. Compare full-degree net cost, likely debt, completion time, and earnings you may forgo during fieldwork.
4. Confirm placement responsibility, supervision, schedule, delivery format, and transfer-credit decisions in writing.

Research.com's most valuable counseling programs offers another lens, but your own return-on-investment estimate should account for aid, debt, completion probability, earnings before and after the degree, time to completion, and when those costs and benefits occur. A program that does not support your intended credential is a poor investment even if it ranks well.

A clinical mental health pathway can lead toward counseling positions in treatment organizations, healthcare, or eventual independent practice after applicable Missouri requirements are met. A school counseling pathway points toward school-based student support and the appropriate certification. Employers may set additional hiring requirements beyond the degree (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

This degree is most worthwhile if you want work that specifically requires graduate counseling preparation and can accommodate supervised training. If your goal is a general helping role that does not require counselor licensure or school certification, compare less costly credentials and relevant job postings before taking on graduate debt.

National employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That points to demand in a broad clinical occupation, not a guaranteed opening in Springfield. School and career counselor and advisor employment is projected to grow 3% over the same period, so applicants focused on schools should pay particular attention to local vacancies and hiring cycles (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

For a realistic local picture, review recent Springfield-area postings for your intended title, note which require full licensure or certification, and ask programs where recent graduates found work. If you need to remain in the area, the number and fit of accessible placements and employers may matter more than national growth.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com designed this ranking to help readers compare programs using outcomes, accreditation, and cost rather than reputation alone. The team checks multiple education datasets to improve the quality, credibility, and accuracy of the comparison.

The Best ranking begins with a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score: program completion carries 40%; employment or doctoral admission, 20%; licensure exam pass rate where applicable, 20%; CACREP programmatic accreditation, 16%; and institutional Title IV eligibility, 4%. Inapplicable criteria are excluded and the remaining weights adjusted. Program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The method applies to online and on-campus programs; other Research.com counseling rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

• IPEDS database - institutional education and completion data.
• Peterson's database - program and institutional information.
• College Scorecard database - federal institutional information and outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

A ranking is a starting point, not a determination that a program meets your licensing requirements or budget. See Research.com's methodology for more on how rankings are created, then confirm program-specific details directly with each school.

• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Saint Louis
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Des Moines
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Denton
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Dallas
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nashville
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Jackson
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Louisville
• 2027 Best Doctorate in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Chicago
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mankato
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Baton Rouge

• 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
• Missouri State University-Springfield - M.S. in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.missouristate.edu/SMHBS/Counseling/GradCounseling/school-counseling.htm
• Evangel University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.evangel.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling-grad/
• Missouri State University-Springfield - Master of Science in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.missouristate.edu/SMHBS/Counseling/GradCounseling/clinical.htm
• Evangel University - Master of Science in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.evangel.edu/programs/master-of-science-in-school-counseling-grad/