2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mississippi

The most useful salary benchmark depends on the occupation you intend to enter, not the title printed on your diploma. The figures below are national occupational medians for May 2025, not Mississippi starting salaries or graduate outcomes. They help compare career directions, but local pay, employer type, experience, and licensure can change an individual offer (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook).

Use the occupation that matches your intended job when evaluating debt. A higher national median does not, by itself, justify a more expensive degree: compare likely local offers and the time it may take to qualify for the roles you want.

The meaningful differences among these options are often their counseling focus, campus or delivery arrangements, and connection to a particular credential. The program descriptions below identify what to investigate at each option; they do not imply that similarly named degrees satisfy the same Mississippi licensing requirements. Confirm current credits, placement rules, accreditation, and outcomes directly with the program before enrolling.

• Mississippi State University - clinical mental health counseling, Meridian: The Meridian-based counselor education option offers a location-specific route to clinical mental health training. It is particularly worth investigating if reaching Meridian and arranging clinical placements there is more practical than relocating elsewhere; ask how the program approves sites near your home (Mississippi State University).
• Mississippi State University - school counseling: This master's option is explicitly directed toward school counseling rather than clinical mental health practice. Students pursuing work in K-12 schools should compare its school-based fieldwork and Mississippi educator-credential alignment with clinical programs before applying (Mississippi State University).
• University of Mississippi - M. Ed. in counselor education, clinical pathway: The M. Ed. structure makes the precise concentration and course sequence especially important for an applicant seeking clinical work. Request the current curriculum and ask which Mississippi credential requirements the selected pathway is designed to address (University of Mississippi).
• Mississippi Christian University - M. Ed. in school counseling: This school-focused M. Ed. should be evaluated against educator-certification requirements, not assumed to prepare graduates for independent clinical practice. It fits applicants whose planned workplace is a school and who can complete the required school-based experience (Mississippi Christian University).
• Mississippi Christian University - M.S. in mental health counseling: The university offers a separately named mental health degree, giving clinically oriented applicants a more directly relevant curriculum to compare with its school-counseling M. Ed. Ask for its current supervised-training requirements and licensure-alignment statement (Mississippi Christian University).
• Jackson State University - community counseling: The community-counseling program is a useful option to examine for agency-oriented training in the Jackson area. Clarify the program's current degree title and clinical track with the department, since a program label alone cannot establish licensure eligibility (Jackson State University).
• Mississippi Christian University - M.S. in marriage and family counseling: Its separate marriage-and-family emphasis distinguishes it from the university's mental health and school options. It merits a closer look if relationship-centered practice is your goal, provided you verify which Mississippi license and supervised-experience route its curriculum supports (Mississippi Christian University).
• University of Mississippi - M. Ed. in counselor education, school pathway: Applicants considering school counseling should compare the relevant counselor-education pathway with a dedicated school-counseling degree, particularly on field-placement access and educator-credential preparation. Ask the university to identify the current school-focused course sequence rather than treating every M. Ed. pathway as equivalent (University of Mississippi).
• Reformed Theological Seminary - Master of Arts in Counseling: A seminary-based counseling degree offers a distinct educational setting for students who want to consider counseling study alongside a theological environment. Applicants seeking state licensure should check the current curriculum and accreditation against Mississippi board requirements before choosing it for that purpose (Reformed Theological Seminary).
• Jackson State University - clinical mental health counseling curriculum document: The published master's curriculum document gives prospective students a way to examine clinical coursework in more detail than a brief program overview. Because curriculum documents can become outdated, request the current catalog and fieldwork requirements before relying on it to plan licensure (Jackson State University).

A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time enrollment can take longer. The exact timeline depends on the program's course sequence, when required classes are offered, and how quickly a student secures and completes supervised fieldwork. Ask each school for a term-by-term plan based on your intended enrollment pace rather than assuming an advertised completion time applies to you.

Graduation is not necessarily the end of the timeline. Students pursuing the Licensed Professional Counselor credential must also plan for Mississippi's applicable examination and post-degree supervised-experience requirements. School-counselor certification follows a separate state education process (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education).

An online program changes where you take classes; it does not remove clinical or school-based training. For a working student or someone living far from a campus, remote coursework may reduce commuting. An on-campus program may be easier to use if its course schedule and established placement relationships match where you live and work. Neither format is inherently a better licensure route.

Before committing to an online option, get written answers to three questions: Can the program enroll and place a student living in Mississippi? Who finds and approves a nearby supervisor and site? Does the specific degree pathway meet the educational requirements for your intended Mississippi credential? This check is especially important if the institution is based in another state (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education).

There is no single reliable price for every Mississippi counseling degree. Published tuition can differ by institution, residency, enrollment pace, and whether online courses carry separate fees. Without a comparable current program-level dataset, a statewide counseling-program average would be misleading. Request each school's current full-program cost of attendance, not just its per-credit rate (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS; institution tuition schedules).

Include mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, and living expenses in the comparison. In-state tuition can make a public option attractive to eligible residents, but an affordable sticker price may lose its advantage if required classes or placements extend enrollment. The most affordable counseling programs can help narrow a shortlist; verify the price for your residency and chosen pathway with each school.

Eligible graduate students can investigate federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans by completing the FAFSA, alongside university assistantships, scholarships, and employer tuition assistance. Award availability and eligibility differ by school. Ask whether an assistantship covers tuition, pays a stipend, or requires work hours that could conflict with an unpaid placement (Federal Student Aid; institution financial aid offices).

Do not build a new graduate enrollment plan around Graduate PLUS without checking eligibility. Under the federal rules taking effect for new borrowing from July 2026, new graduate entrants generally cannot rely on that loan program; limited transitional eligibility can apply to students who meet the prior-enrollment and borrowing conditions. Have the school's aid office confirm your status and current federal loan limits before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid).

Mississippi state aid programs often target undergraduate study, so verify that any state award actually covers your graduate degree rather than assuming residency makes you eligible. Compare aid offers by the amount you would need to borrow across the entire program (Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid).

Master's applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and the materials specified by the institution, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview. Some programs may require or recommend prior coursework in psychology or related subjects; check the current admissions page instead of assuming all counseling programs use the same prerequisites (institution admissions offices).

Admission and professional eligibility are separate checks. Before applying, ask whether the exact track prepares students for Mississippi LPC licensure or school-counselor certification, and request any policy on transfer graduate credits. A school may admit you without accepting earlier coursework toward its required clinical sequence (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education; institution catalogs).

Expect courses in counseling theories and techniques, human development, assessment, professional ethics, multicultural counseling, and research. Clinical pathways may add diagnosis and treatment planning; school pathways emphasize work with students and school systems; marriage-and-family study centers more directly on family relationships. Supervised practicum and internship connect coursework to the setting in which you hope to work (institution program curricula; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).

Compare syllabi and fieldwork policies rather than course titles alone. If your goal is clinical licensure, ask the program to show how its required coursework and supervised training map to Mississippi's current educational rules; electives may not repair a missing required component after graduation (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors).

The clearest choices in the Mississippi programs discussed here are clinical mental health, school, and marriage and family counseling. The distinction is consequential: each points toward different clients, placements, and potentially different state credentials. Addiction or rehabilitation counseling may appear as coursework or a career focus, but do not assume an elective creates a separately recognized credential (institution program curricula; Mississippi licensing and education authorities).

If you are uncertain between school and clinical work, speak with practitioners in both settings before selecting a track. Switching later may require additional courses or supervised training. A broad-sounding degree title is less useful than a clear answer about the job and credential its required curriculum supports.

Start with the job you want, then work backward to its Mississippi credential and educational requirements. CACREP is a programmatic accreditor for counseling programs; institutional accreditation, federal aid eligibility, and state approval or licensure eligibility are different questions. Verify each separately with the accreditor, institution, and relevant state authority rather than relying on a ranking alone (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; U.S. Department of Education; Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors).

Use this sequence to turn a shortlist into a decision:

1. Identify the intended occupation and ask the relevant Mississippi board or education authority which credential it requires.
2. Request written confirmation of how each exact degree track addresses the educational requirements, including supervised fieldwork.
3. Compare full-program cost, financial aid, likely borrowing, and the time you would spend away from paid work.
4. Ask for current program-level completion and licensure-exam outcomes where available, and check what happens if you need to study part time or change placement sites.

For return on investment, consider completion probability, debt, your current earnings, plausible post-degree earnings, the time needed to qualify for work, and how long you expect to use the credential. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison, but value for you depends on those personal circumstances - not institution type alone.

A clinical mental health pathway can lead toward counseling work in behavioral health, substance-use treatment, or private practice after applicable credentialing. A school pathway is more directly suited to supporting K-12 students. Family-focused graduates may pursue work involving couples and families, subject to the credential required by the position (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education).

Decide whether you want direct client care, school-based work, or another helping role before investing in a graduate program. If your target job does not require a counseling license, compare its actual hiring requirements with the cost and time of a licensure-oriented master's. Completing a degree alone does not grant a professional license or school credential.

Nationally, employment of 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 indicates demand in a broad occupational group, not the number of openings available in a particular Mississippi community or a guarantee of employment after graduation.

For a local reality check, review current vacancies in the Mississippi area where you expect to live and note the required license, schedule, and experience. Compare those requirements with a program's training and placement options. If suitable jobs or supervisors are scarce near home, willingness to commute or relocate may matter as much as the degree format.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com designed its ranking to help readers compare evidence beyond a program's name or advertising, and its team evaluates 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 federal Title IV institutional eligibility (4%). Weights are adjusted when a criterion does not apply. Program cost then contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs; rankings focused on another dimension order programs by that dimension.

The ranking draws on these data sources, which help readers assess outcomes, accreditation, and cost together:

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

These measures make the ranking a useful starting point, not a substitute for checking whether a particular curriculum meets your credential goals. Read more about how Research.com creates its rankings.

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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/
• Mississippi State University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.meridian.msstate.edu/counselor-education-clinical-mental-health-counseling
• Mississippi State University - M.S. Degree in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.chef.msstate.edu/programs/grad/counseling/school/masters
• University of Mississippi - M. Ed. in Counselor Education - School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://olemiss.edu/programs/educ/master-education-counselor-education/
• Mississippi Christian University - School Counseling, M. Ed.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mc.edu/academics/departments/counseling/graduate-programs/school-counseling-med
• Mississippi Christian University - Mental Health Counseling (M.S.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mc.edu/academics/departments/counseling/graduate-programs/mental-health-counseling-ms