2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Maine

Pay depends on the job, credential, employer, and location - not the degree title alone. The following national occupational medians provide comparable benchmarks for common paths; they are not estimates of what a new graduate in Maine will earn (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wage data).

For a personal return-on-investment estimate, compare likely post-degree earnings with what you would earn without enrolling. Then account for aid, borrowing, time out of work, completion probability, and the years over which you expect to benefit. A national median describes employed workers across experience levels; it cannot predict your starting salary or establish that a particular tuition bill is worthwhile.

The clearest comparison among these Maine options is credential target versus delivery format. University of Southern Maine identifies separate clinical and school counseling concentrations within its M.S. in Counseling; Husson University identifies online master's options for each path. Each distinction matters only if the program's current coursework and placements fit your intended credential and location (University of Southern Maine; Husson University).

• University of Southern Maine - clinical mental health counseling: Its M.S. in Counseling has a named clinical mental health concentration, giving prospective students a public-university option focused on the clinical path rather than school certification. If Maine clinical licensure is the goal, request the concentration's current course-to-license mapping and placement details before comparing its price with Husson's online clinical option (University of Southern Maine).
• University of Southern Maine - school counseling: This is a distinct school counseling concentration within the university's M.S. in Counseling, not a clinical program with a school placement added. It is the more relevant USM option for applicants planning to work in Maine schools; confirm how its current fieldwork and coursework align with Maine Department of Education certification (University of Southern Maine; Maine Department of Education).
• Husson University - online school counseling: Its master's is explicitly offered online, a meaningful delivery difference for applicants who cannot routinely travel for classes. That flexibility is most useful if Husson can approve required school-based experience within commuting distance of the student (Husson University).
• Husson University - online clinical mental health counseling: Husson offers the clinical track through its online degree division, making it a direct format alternative to USM's clinical concentration. Prospective students should compare synchronous attendance, local clinical-site approval, and total charges - not just whether coursework is online (Husson University).

These descriptions establish program focus and advertised format, not a verified difference in completion, licensure-pass, or employment outcomes. Ask both institutions for current, program-specific figures before treating any one option as the stronger investment.

A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time enrollment can extend the timeline. Actual completion depends on course sequencing, required supervised experience, and when field placements can begin. Request a term-by-term plan for your intended concentration rather than assuming that a school's advertised timeline applies to your schedule.

Graduation is not necessarily the end of the timeline to independent practice. Maine clinical licensure can involve additional supervised experience and examinations, while school counselor certification follows education-specific rules (Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education). If you need to keep working, ask whether required courses and placement hours can realistically fit around your job before choosing an accelerated plan.

The decisive difference is where coursework happens, not whether supervised practice is required. Husson advertises online school and clinical counseling master's options, which may reduce travel for classes. Whatever the delivery format, students must still arrange field experiences that satisfy their program and intended credential (Husson University; Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

Online study makes particular sense for a Maine resident far from a campus if suitable placements can be secured locally and required live class sessions fit their schedule. Campus-based study may be preferable for someone who values regular in-person contact or access to nearby placement networks. Ask for the actual meeting schedule, residency requirements, placement-approval process, and any travel costs; "online" alone answers none of those questions.

There is no single reliable statewide average that represents the total price of every Maine counseling concentration and attendance pattern. Published graduate tuition may be charged by credit, and the amount a student pays also depends on fees, enrollment pace, aid, and whether public-university residency rates apply. Compare each school's current complete program estimate, not an undergraduate tuition figure or a single semester's bill (National Center for Education Statistics/IPEDS; institution tuition schedules).

In-state eligibility may make a public option attractive, but institution type alone does not settle value: a lower tuition rate can be offset by a longer schedule, lost wages, or difficult placement travel. Use the most affordable counseling programs comparison to form a shortlist, then obtain written estimates of tuition, mandatory fees, books, travel, and expected borrowing for your own enrollment plan.

Start with the FAFSA and each institution's graduate aid office. Depending on eligibility and availability, funding may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, institutional scholarships, assistantships, and employer tuition assistance. Check Finance Authority of Maine resources for any state-administered opportunity that actually covers your graduate program; do not assume an undergraduate grant extends to master's study (Federal Student Aid; Finance Authority of Maine).

Graduate PLUS rules have changed: under the rules effective July 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot use Graduate PLUS Loans. Limited transition eligibility applies to qualifying students who previously borrowed Graduate PLUS for the same program before the change, subject to the applicable time limits. Ask your financial aid office to confirm your individual eligibility rather than including Graduate PLUS in a budget by default (Federal Student Aid).

Compare aid offers by net amount you must repay, not the total labeled "aid." A loan lowers what is due now but raises the eventual cost; an assistantship may reduce borrowing while adding work obligations.

Master's applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree. Schools set their own admission rules, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework; requirements can differ between clinical and school concentrations. Use the program's current admissions page as the authority for a particular application (University of Southern Maine; Husson University).

Before paying an application deposit, check two separate questions: Will I be admitted? and Will this exact degree support my intended Maine credential? An admissions offer does not establish licensure or certification eligibility. Applicants bringing prior graduate credits should also request a written transfer-credit evaluation that identifies which requirements - and which placement hours - would still remain.

Expect study in counseling theories and skills, ethics, human development, assessment, research, and supervised practice. Clinical mental health study places greater emphasis on mental-health assessment and treatment; school counseling applies counseling methods in educational settings and includes preparation relevant to students and schools. Exact course titles and requirements vary by program (University of Southern Maine; Husson University).

Read the required course sequence rather than judging a concentration by its electives. If a credential depends on a subject or type of supervised experience, an interesting elective cannot necessarily replace it. Ask the program director which requirements are built into the degree and which, if any, a graduate would have to complete separately for Maine.

The most consequential choice in the featured programs is clinical mental health versus school counseling: USM identifies both as M.S. concentrations, while Husson advertises separate online master's options in both areas (University of Southern Maine; Husson University). Clinical mental health better fits someone aiming toward behavioral-health treatment; school counseling better fits someone who wants a school-based role and its associated certification pathway.

Other counseling career interests include addiction, rehabilitation, and marriage and family work, but do not assume that a clinical or school concentration automatically meets every other specialty's credential rules. If your goal is highly specific, send the proposed course plan to the relevant Maine licensing or certifying authority - or ask the program for its documented alignment - before enrolling.

Start with the job and credential you want, then compare programs against requirements you cannot easily fix after graduation. Research.com's most valuable counseling programs can help identify candidates, but your best fit also depends on placement access, net cost, and the likelihood that you can finish while meeting your work and family obligations.

Use these checks when speaking with admissions and program staff:

1. Verify credential alignment: Name the Maine license or school certification you seek, and request written documentation showing how the current curriculum meets its education requirements.
2. Check accreditation and eligibility separately: Confirm institutional accreditation and Title IV eligibility, and verify any claimed CACREP programmatic accreditation for the particular program and current period (U.S. Department of Education; CACREP).
3. Test placement feasibility: Ask who finds sites, where recent students completed fieldwork, and whether your proposed local site can qualify.
4. Compare full financial scenarios: Obtain a complete cost estimate and aid offer; include borrowing, missed earnings, completion time, and realistic earnings relative to your current job.
5. Request program-level results: Ask for recent completion, exam-pass where applicable, and employment figures, along with the reporting period and number of students represented.

A common mistake is choosing the cheapest advertised tuition or most convenient online label before resolving credential and placement questions. Either oversight can make an otherwise attractive program a poor investment.

A clinical counseling pathway can lead toward supervised behavioral-health roles and, after satisfying applicable requirements, professional licensure. A school counseling pathway targets school-based positions and Maine education certification. Rehabilitation and addiction roles may involve different employer expectations or credentials; match the program to the actual postings you intend to pursue (Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

For a career changer, the strongest case for a master's is a target role that requires the resulting education and a feasible route through supervision or certification. If your immediate goal is to explore helping work rather than practice as a counselor, compare entry-level human-services jobs first. That can clarify your preferred setting before you commit to graduate tuition and a specialized placement schedule.

National demand differs substantially by occupation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for the occupation covering substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That is a useful signal for clinical and addiction interests, but it is a national projection - not a forecast of Maine vacancies or an assurance of a job near your home.

For a Maine-specific decision, review recent openings in the part of the state where you can work. Record the credential requested, supervision offered, work setting, and pay range; rural placement access and a willingness to commute may matter as much as the number of advertised roles. The most popular counseling programs comparison can show another way to explore schools, but program popularity should not be mistaken for local employer demand or graduate placement success.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com designed its ranking to compare evidence that matters to prospective students, rather than relying on reputation alone, and reviewed multiple education datasets to support its quality and accuracy.

The Best ranking begins with a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score: program completion accounts for 40%; employment or doctoral admission, 20%; applicable licensure exam pass rates, 20%; CACREP programmatic accreditation, 16%; and institutional Title IV eligibility, 4%. Inapplicable criteria are removed and the remaining weights 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 dimension named in each ranking.

The ranking draws on the following sources to check program characteristics, outcomes, eligibility, and cost:

• IPEDS database - institutional enrollment, completion, and financial data.
• 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.

A ranking is a starting point, not a substitute for checking whether a particular concentration meets your intended credential's requirements. See Research.com's methodology for more detail on how its rankings are created.

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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/
• University of Southern Maine - Master of Science in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://usm.maine.edu/counselor-education/master-of-science-in-counseling-clinical-mental-health-counseling-concentration/
• University of Southern Maine - Master of Science in Counseling: School Counseling Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://usm.maine.edu/counselor-education/master-of-science-in-counseling-school-counseling-concentration/
• Husson University - Master of Science in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/master-of-science-in-school-counseling
• Husson University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/master-of-science-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling