Choosing a counseling degree in Minneapolis means choosing a career path as well as a school: a program designed for school counseling may not prepare you for clinical mental health licensure. This guide helps prospective students and career changers compare training, cost, fieldwork, and Minnesota credential requirements before committing. It also features a 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Minneapolis, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about which programs are worth considering.
Key findings about Counseling degrees in Minneapolis
Choose the credential first: Minnesota clinical counseling and school counseling follow different licensing routes, so a degree title alone is not enough to establish eligibility (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board).
The national median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025; the occupation's projected employment growth is 18% for 2025-2035. Neither figure predicts a Minneapolis graduate's pay or prospects (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Compare total tuition, required fieldwork, and eligibility for the intended Minnesota license - not just format or ranking position. A lower-priced program can cost more overall if its schedule delays completion or makes placements difficult.
What can I expect from a Counseling degree in Minneapolis?
A counseling degree combines coursework in assessment, ethics, human development, and counseling methods with supervised practice. The important distinction is what practice the degree prepares you for. A clinical mental health program targets therapeutic work with clients; a school counseling program prepares students to support pupils' academic, social, and career development in schools. Related paths, including marriage and family therapy, can have separate licensing rules.
For someone seeking independent clinical practice in Minnesota, a relevant master's degree is generally the starting credential, not the final license. The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy sets requirements for licensed professional counselors and licensed professional clinical counselors, including education, examination, and, where applicable, supervised experience. School counselor licensure is administered through the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. Ask a program to identify the specific Minnesota credential its curriculum supports before applying.
Where can I work with a Counseling degree in Minneapolis?
Clinical counselors may pursue roles in outpatient practices, community mental health organizations, hospitals, and substance-use treatment settings; school counselors work in educational settings. Minneapolis students can also look for supervised placements across the wider Twin Cities, which may expand their options but add travel time. A placement's setting matters: school-based hours and clinical treatment hours may serve different credential requirements.
Employers determine job duties, while Minnesota licensing authorities determine whether someone may use a regulated professional title or perform licensed work. Before accepting a placement or job offer, check both its supervision arrangements and whether its duties advance your intended credential (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board).
National occupation medians provide a useful comparison across counseling paths, but they are not Minneapolis starting salaries. The figures below are U.S. median annual wages for May 2025; actual pay depends on the role, employer, experience, and license (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Career path
U.S. median annual wage, May 2025
Decision implication
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counseling
$59,350
Compare clinical-program costs against the time needed to qualify for the work you want.
School counseling
$64,330
Evaluate school-specific preparation rather than choosing on wage alone.
Marriage and family therapy
$66,940
Check its distinct Minnesota licensing pathway before treating it as interchangeable with counseling.
A useful return-on-investment estimate compares your likely post-degree role with your current earnings, then accounts for aid, borrowing, lost work hours, completion likelihood, and time spent meeting post-degree requirements. The occupational median is a benchmark, not a salary promise.
The clearest distinction between the programs highlighted here is their intended career route and delivery model. Use these differences to decide which program merits a closer review of current curriculum, fieldwork, and licensing disclosures:
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: Its counselor education master's is housed in the Department of Educational Psychology, making it the option to examine if you want university-based counselor education in the Twin Cities. Confirm the current track, required supervised practice, and corresponding Minnesota credential with the department; the university name alone does not establish license eligibility (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Counselor Education master's program).
Capella University: Its online MS in School Counseling is explicitly directed toward the school counselor pathway, rather than a general clinical counseling license. That focus may suit a working adult seeking online coursework, provided the required in-person field experiences and Minnesota school-licensure alignment fit their schedule and plans (Capella University, MS in School Counseling program; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board).
Program pages do not make unlike outcomes directly comparable. Request each school's current credit requirements, placement expectations, total charges, and recent program-level outcomes before deciding.
A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time enrollment can take longer. The relevant finish line may extend beyond graduation: a Minnesota clinical counseling applicant may still need to satisfy examination or supervised-experience requirements for the intended license (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy).
Ask for a term-by-term plan that shows when practicum and internship occur. For a working Minneapolis student, placement hours - not the number of online classes - may determine whether a proposed completion date is realistic. Check whether the program accepts applicable prior graduate credits, but get its transfer decision in writing before budgeting for a shorter timeline.
Online study can reduce commuting for Twin Cities residents, while campus study can make scheduled interaction with faculty and peers easier to plan. Neither format removes supervised fieldwork. An online student still needs an acceptable placement, qualified supervision, and any required in-person program activities. The right comparison is the entire weekly schedule, not where lectures happen.
For clinical counseling, ask whether the online curriculum meets Minnesota educational requirements for your intended license. For school counseling, ask how the program supports Minnesota-approved school placements and the applicable educator-license pathway (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board). Compare delivery details alongside the most popular counseling programs, rather than assuming popularity signals the best fit.
There is no single defensible Minneapolis-wide price for a counseling master's: schools charge by different credit systems, and the bill changes with enrollment pace, fees, residency rules where applicable, and required fieldwork. Published annual tuition is especially easy to misread when one program requires a different number of credits or takes longer to finish. NCES/IPEDS institutional figures can help establish context, but they should not be mistaken for a current, program-specific total (National Center for Education Statistics).
Request a written estimate covering all required terms, fees, books, travel to placements, and any residency or background-check expenses. Then compare the most affordable counseling programs against that full estimate: the lowest tuition quote is not necessarily the lowest-cost route to the credential.
Eligible graduate students can investigate federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, school scholarships or assistantships, and employer tuition benefits. Eligibility and award terms vary; submitting the FAFSA and asking each financial aid office for a program-specific offer is more reliable than assuming every advertised aid source applies (Federal Student Aid).
Federal graduate borrowing rules changed for new borrowers beginning July 1, 2026: Graduate PLUS is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers, while some previously enrolled borrowers may qualify under limited transition rules. Because eligibility depends on borrowing and enrollment history, ask the school's aid office and Federal Student Aid to confirm your status before using Graduate PLUS in a financing plan (Federal Student Aid). Borrow only after comparing the amount needed for completion with your existing debt and plausible earnings in your intended occupation.
View the chart data as a table
Median wage by counseling career path (U.S., BLS May 2025) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
Psychologists
99,110
Postsecondary Teachers
85,330
Marriage & Family Therapists
66,940
School & Career Counselors
64,330
Mental Health Counselors
59,350
Rehabilitation Counselors
46,850
Master's applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree, transcripts, and materials showing readiness for graduate study; individual programs set their own rules for prerequisite coursework, recommendations, interviews, and admissions deadlines. A psychology major is not automatically required, and a bachelor's degree by itself does not confer a Minnesota counseling license. Verify requirements on the program's current admissions page rather than relying on a general university checklist.
If you have prior graduate credits, ask both whether they can transfer and whether transferred coursework will meet the educational requirements of your intended Minnesota licensing authority. Credit acceptance and professional eligibility are separate decisions (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board).
Expect study in counseling techniques, ethics, assessment, human development, cultural responsiveness, and supervised practice. Clinical mental health curricula place greater emphasis on diagnosis and treatment; school counseling curricula address student development, educational systems, and school-based services. Course titles alone do not prove that a sequence meets Minnesota requirements, so request the program's written curriculum-to-credential explanation (Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy; Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board).
When comparing syllabi, pay particular attention to who arranges placements, who qualifies as a supervisor, and when fieldwork begins. Those details can affect both your training and your ability to remain employed while studying.
Relevant paths include clinical mental health, school, addiction, rehabilitation, and marriage and family counseling or therapy. They are not interchangeable labels: each can point to different clients, placements, occupations, and credential rules. For example, a school counseling degree is the more direct option for someone committed to working as a licensed school counselor, while a prospective outpatient therapist should investigate a clinical route (Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board; Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy).
Choose based on the job title and jurisdiction you intend to pursue, not just a concentration that sounds interesting. If you might practice outside Minnesota, ask the other state's licensing authority to review the degree requirements before enrolling; Minnesota approval does not establish eligibility elsewhere.
Start with the credential you need, then test each program against the same questions. This sequence helps prevent an attractive price or flexible timetable from obscuring a licensing mismatch:
Identify your intended role - such as Minnesota school counselor or clinical counselor - and obtain the licensing authority's current education requirements.
Ask the program to document its curriculum alignment, current accreditation status, graduation requirements, and field-placement support; verify relevant programmatic accreditation with CACREP when the school claims it.
Compare written total-cost and completion plans, including aid, debt, foregone earnings, travel, and the probability that the schedule works for you.
Request program-level completion and relevant credential-exam outcomes, with their reporting periods, and ask what support is available if a placement falls through.
Research.com's most valuable counseling programs can help narrow the field, but value is personal: it depends on your starting earnings, likely borrowing, time horizon, and whether the degree actually advances your goal. A short certificate may suit continuing education; it should not be treated as a substitute for a required master's degree.
View the chart data as a table
Best score by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
Capella University
84.99
University of Minnesota-
92.8
University of Minnesota-
94.27
A counseling master's can support a path toward school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, or a specialty aligned with its curriculum and the relevant licensing rules. Graduates may initially seek supervised roles before qualifying for a more advanced clinical license. Academic advising, case management, and related support work may offer alternatives, but employers set their own qualifications and those jobs should not be confused with licensed counseling practice.
Someone who wants to provide psychotherapy should choose a degree built for that professional route, not assume any helping-profession degree will suffice. Conversely, someone primarily interested in coordinating services rather than delivering therapy should compare counseling with social work and other relevant programs before taking on graduate debt.
View the chart data as a table
Projected job growth 2025-2035 - Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (U.S.) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
18
All occupations
3
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, compared with 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. These are national occupational projections, not forecasts of Minneapolis openings or graduate placement; they suggest different demand profiles but cannot tell you how competitive a particular Twin Cities employer will be (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).
To test local prospects, review current Twin Cities postings for your intended job title and record the licenses, experience, and schedules employers request. Compare those requirements with the program's placement network and curriculum. Growth alone is not a reason to enroll if the jobs you want require a different credential or substantial experience after graduation.
2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Minneapolis
Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision, so Research.com evaluates more than a school's name or advertised tuition. Its team uses education and outcomes data to assess program quality, credibility, and cost, helping readers compare options while recognizing that a ranking cannot replace checking their intended license and personal budget.
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 excluded and the remaining shares renormalized. Program cost contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. The method applies to online and on-campus programs; other Research.com rankings order programs by the dimension named in each ranking.
The ranking draws on these sources to check institutional information and student outcomes:
IPEDS database - institutional reporting on enrollment, completions, and costs.
Readers can use the ranking to build a shortlist, then verify current program requirements and prices directly with each school. See Research.com's methodology for more on how its rankings are created.
# 1 position
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Master
M.A. in Counselor Education – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
94.27
/ 100
Final score
Program length
5 semesters full-time, including summer
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Program completion rate
100% (2024)
Application deadline
January 15
Application process
direct (UMN Graduate School application)
GRE
no
Additional requirements
Graduate application and fee, transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS/MELAB for non-native speakers, personal statement, resume/CV, course abstract (if applicable), three letters of recommendation, DOVE statement.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 94.27/100, with 100% program completion rate among the verified supporting factors. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2032-10-31.
# 2 position
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Master
M.A. in Counselor Education – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
92.80
/ 100
Final score
Program length
5 semesters full-time
Specialization
School Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Program completion rate
95% (2024)
Application deadline
January 15
Application process
direct (UMN Graduate School application)
GRE
no
Additional requirements
Graduate application and fee, transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS/MELAB for non-native speakers, personal statement, resume/CV, course abstract (if applicable), three letters of recommendation, DOVE statement.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 92.8/100, with 95% program completion rate among the verified supporting factors. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2032-10-31.
# 3 position
Capella University
Master
Master of Science in School Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
84.99
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
School Counseling
Required credits
90 quarter credits
GPA range
2.50 - 4.00
Program completion rate
61.8% (2024-25)
Application deadline
rolling
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a recognized accredited (or internationally recognized) institution with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; lower GPA candidates may discuss alternate admission options.
Additional requirements
Application (no fee); official bachelor's and all prior transcripts; resume/CV; goal statement with five short-answer responses on professional goals and aptitude for counseling; government-issued photo ID. GRE/GMAT not required.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Capella University earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 84.99/100, with 61.8% program completion rate among the verified supporting factors. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2028-03-31.
Frequently asked questions about Counseling degree in Minneapolis
Do I need a master's degree to become a licensed counselor in Minnesota?
A relevant graduate degree is central to Minnesota's professional counseling pathways, but graduation alone does not confer a license. Check the education, examination, and supervised-experience rules for the particular credential with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy.
Is an online counseling degree acceptable in Minnesota?
Delivery format alone does not decide eligibility. Confirm that the curriculum and in-person supervised practice meet the requirements of the Minnesota authority overseeing your intended credential.
Is school counseling the same as clinical mental health counseling?
No. They prepare students for different roles and Minnesota licensing routes. Choose the program that matches the setting and credential you actually want (Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board; Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy).
Should I choose the lowest-tuition program?
Not without comparing required credits, fees, placement travel, aid, completion time, and credential alignment. A cheaper program is poor value if it cannot support your intended career path.
Can I work while completing a counseling degree?
Often, but required practicum and internship schedules may be less flexible than coursework. Ask for the expected placement timetable before committing to an enrollment pace.
See What Experts Have To Say About Studying Counseling
