2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Saint Louis

Pay depends on occupation, setting, experience, and licensure - not the degree title alone. The figures below are U.S. occupational medians for May 2025, not starting salaries or Saint Louis-specific predictions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects the listed occupational groups' employment change over 2025-2035.

The table helps compare career directions, but it does not establish what a new graduate will earn locally. For an investment decision, compare the pay of jobs you could realistically obtain after meeting credential requirements with your current earnings, expected debt, and time spent in training (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

These Saint Louis-area options serve different professional aims. Their strongest distinctions are the credential direction and training context, so verify current credit requirements, placement rules, and licensing alignment directly with each program before applying.

• University of Missouri-St. Louis, MEd in School Counseling: Its school-counseling focus distinguishes it from the clinical degrees in this group. It is the UMSL option to investigate first if your intended workplace is a school and your goal is Missouri school counselor certification (University of Missouri-St. Louis, MEd in School Counseling; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).
• University of Missouri-St. Louis, MEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: This is the university's clinical pathway rather than its school-counseling pathway. It better fits applicants targeting mental health practice who need to evaluate coursework and supervised training against Missouri professional counselor requirements (University of Missouri-St. Louis, MEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).
• Missouri Baptist University, MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: This provides a clinical mental health route at a private, faith-affiliated university, offering a different institutional setting from public UMSL. Applicants should compare its published curriculum and field-placement expectations with UMSL's clinical route rather than treating the shared specialty name as proof of an identical experience (Missouri Baptist University, MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling).
• Covenant Theological Seminary, MA in Counseling: Its seminary setting and integration of counseling with theological study make it the clearest fit here for applicants who specifically want that combination. Because its degree title differs from the clinical mental health degrees, prospective Missouri licensees should request a course-by-course explanation of how it satisfies the applicable board requirements (Covenant Theological Seminary, MA in Counseling; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).

Program popularity answers a different question from professional fit. Use the most popular counseling programs comparison to see another view of local options, but make credential eligibility your first filter.

A counseling master's typically takes about two to three years full-time; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on required credits, course sequencing, placement availability, and whether a school follows a cohort schedule. Those factors matter especially to working adults: a flexible weekly timetable will not necessarily shorten the calendar time needed to finish supervised training.

Ask for a term-by-term plan showing when practicum and internship occur, whether summer enrollment is expected, and what happens if a placement is delayed. If you have prior graduate coursework, request a written transfer-credit evaluation before assuming it will reduce either tuition or time to completion.

Online delivery can reduce commuting and make coursework easier to combine with employment. On-campus study may simplify access to face-to-face instruction and local professional contacts. Neither format removes the need to plan supervised field experience; ask where placements can be completed, who approves supervisors, and whether any campus visits are required (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; individual program policies).

An online program can be a strong choice if it confirms that your location and placement meet the requirements for the state where you intend to practice. For Saint Louis students considering sites on both sides of the Missouri-Illinois border, that confirmation is more important than the program's delivery label. Compare the written placement policy - not just the promise of flexibility.

There is no single dependable citywide price that describes every counseling master's program. Total cost varies with credits required, per-credit tuition, mandatory fees, books, travel to placement sites, and whether supervised hours limit paid work. At a public university, residency-based tuition may also matter; private institutions set their own prices and aid policies (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS; individual institutions).

Compare each school's published tuition for the full required program alongside a personalized aid estimate. Do not compare one school's per-credit rate with another's annual price. The most affordable counseling programs can help narrow a shortlist, but the lowest advertised tuition is not necessarily the lowest net cost or the best-fitting route to your credential.

Start with each program's assistantships, scholarships, employer tuition assistance, and available federal aid. Graduate students should submit the FAFSA and obtain a school-specific aid offer; eligibility and award amounts depend on the student and institution. Ask whether funding continues during internship terms, when work hours may be constrained (Federal Student Aid; individual institutions).

Federal graduate borrowing rules also affect a 2027 entrant's financing plan. Graduate PLUS is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, while qualifying borrowers with earlier borrowing for the same program may have a limited continuation exception. Confirm your status and current loan options with Federal Student Aid and the school rather than building a budget around presumed Graduate PLUS access (Federal Student Aid).

Before borrowing, estimate net tuition and living costs, then consider foregone earnings during training and the pay of jobs you could pursue after meeting licensing requirements. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison, but your own return depends on aid, debt, completion, career path, and how long you expect to work in the field.

A bachelor's degree is the usual starting credential for a counseling master's. Programs may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework; exact rules belong to each institution, not to the degree name. Applicants to supervised placements may face additional site requirements (individual institutional admissions and placement policies).

Before paying an application fee, check three separate forms of eligibility: the school's admission rules, the program's placement rules, and the Missouri requirements for your intended professional credential. Admission alone establishes none of the other two. If you plan to work in Illinois, add an Illinois credential check rather than assuming the two states use the same standards (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation).

Clinical curricula commonly address helping relationships, ethics, human development, assessment, diagnosis, group counseling, and supervised practice. School-focused study adds preparation tied to students' academic, career, and social-emotional needs. The meaningful comparison is not whether two catalogs use the same course names, but whether their content and fieldwork satisfy the credential you intend to seek (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

Request a degree map and identify any classes offered only in certain terms. That check can expose a hidden time cost if a missed course postpones practicum or internship.

The most consequential local distinction is between school counseling and clinical mental health counseling. Interests such as addiction, couples and families, or rehabilitation may also shape electives and placements, but an elective does not by itself establish a separate license or qualification (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Missouri licensing and certification authorities).

Choose the specialty by the work you want to do, then ask whether the degree - not merely a concentration label - supports that destination. If you are unsure, compare actual course plans and placement settings before committing to a pathway that could require further education to change.

The best choice is the program that fits your intended credential and remains affordable through graduation. A ranking can create a shortlist; these checks determine whether an option belongs on yours:

1. Confirm the destination. Ask the Missouri professional counseling board or school-certification authority which education requirements apply to your intended role, and get the program's explanation in writing.
2. Check accreditation and eligibility separately. Verify institutional accreditation, the program's current CACREP status if relevant to your plans, and whether its curriculum meets the requirements that matter to you (U.S. Department of Education; CACREP; Missouri credentialing authorities).
3. Price the entire pathway. Compare tuition, fees, aid, placement travel, likely time away from work, and any coursework you would still need after graduation.
4. Test the placement plan. Ask who finds sites, which Missouri or Illinois sites are permitted, how supervisors are approved, and what happens if a placement falls through.
5. Request evidence of results. Ask for recent program-specific completion, exam-pass, and employment information, including the reporting period and number of students represented.

A common mistake is treating an appealing tuition rate, online format, or ranking position as proof of licensing fit. Another is treating a national occupational median as a personal earnings forecast. Resolve both by checking requirements first and modeling your own costs and likely career options second.

A clinical graduate may pursue supervised post-degree work toward professional counselor licensure and, once appropriately credentialed, roles involving mental health or addiction counseling. A school-counseling graduate may pursue Missouri school counselor certification and school-based positions. Other counseling-related careers have their own educational and licensing rules; a clinical counseling degree should not be assumed to qualify its holder as a marriage and family therapist or rehabilitation counselor without further review (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

For someone changing careers, the investment is most compelling when the target role requires the graduate credential and the program supplies a feasible path to it. If you mainly want to explore helping work before committing to graduate training, investigate related entry-level positions or volunteer settings first; they can clarify your preferred population and workplace without assuming that every counseling career has the same requirements.

The national outlook is stronger for some counseling occupations than others: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% growth for the occupational group associated with clinical mental health and addiction counseling over 2025-2035, compared with 3% for school counseling. Those projections indicate differences in national demand, not the number of openings a Saint Louis graduate will encounter or secure.

Use local job postings as a second test. Compare the credentials employers request, whether positions accept supervised pre-licensure applicants, and the locations and schedules of available roles. In this metro area, include both Missouri and Illinois employers only if you have checked the relevant state's credential rules. That approach turns a broad growth forecast into a more realistic assessment of your own opportunities.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision, particularly when a program's cost or clinical preparation could affect your path to licensure. Research.com designed this ranking to make program comparisons more credible and useful. Its team evaluates graduate outcomes, accreditation, licensure exam results where applicable, eligibility for federal aid, and cost, while accounting for criteria that do not apply to every program.

For the Best ranking, a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP programmatic accreditation at 16%, and institutional Title IV eligibility at 4%. Applicable weights are renormalized when a criterion does not apply. Program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The method applies to both online and on-campus programs; rankings named for another dimension order programs by that dimension.

The ranking draws on these data sources to check institutions, programs, costs, and outcomes:

• IPEDS database - institutional reporting on enrollment, completions, and prices.
• Peterson's database - program and institutional information used in comparisons.
• College Scorecard database - federal institutional and student-outcome information.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

The ranking is a starting point, not a substitute for confirming that a particular degree meets your intended licensing route. Readers can examine the broader approach on Research.com's methodology page, then use this guide to test the ranked options against their own goals.

• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Springfield
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Louisville
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nashville
• 2027 Best Doctorate in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Chicago
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Des Moines
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Cincinnati
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Milwaukee
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Dayton
• 2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Knoxville
• 2027 Best Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Columbus

• 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/
• NBCC - NCE / NCMHCE
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.nbcc.org/exams
• University of Missouri-St Louis - Master of Education in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.umsl.edu/degrees/masters/med-school-counseling.html
• University of Missouri-St Louis - Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.umsl.edu/degrees/masters/med-clinical-mental-health-counseling.html
• Missouri Baptist University - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mobap.edu/majors-programs/master-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• Covenant Theological Seminary - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.covenantseminary.edu/mac