2027 Best Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Springfield

Springfield earnings depend on occupation, employer, experience, and credential. The latest national Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook figures used here report May 2025 median annual wages; they are not Springfield salaries or starting-pay estimates.

These occupational medians include workers at different career stages and may cover jobs with different credential requirements. For an investment decision, compare likely local job offers and any required post-degree supervised work with your current earnings - not just a national median (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Springfield's program choices are most useful when compared by intended credential and training approach. The distinctions below describe program pathways; confirm current credits, fieldwork requirements, accreditation status, and delivery format directly with each school before applying.

• Missouri State University-Springfield, school counseling: Its dedicated school counseling graduate pathway is the direct option to examine if your goal is Missouri school counselor certification rather than clinical practice. Ask how its current curriculum and placements align with DESE requirements (Missouri State University; Missouri DESE).
• Evangel University, clinical mental health counseling: This clinical master's offers the behavioral health pathway within Evangel's faith-based educational setting. It may appeal if that learning environment matters to you, provided the current degree and supervised training meet the Missouri licensure requirements you intend to pursue (Evangel University; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).
• Missouri State University-Springfield, clinical mental health counseling: Unlike its school counseling pathway, this graduate option is oriented toward clinical counseling preparation. It is the Missouri State program to investigate for professional counselor licensure; verify current curricular and fieldwork eligibility with the licensing committee (Missouri State University; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).
• Evangel University, school counseling: This program pairs a school-focused master's with Evangel's faith-based setting, making it a different choice from the university's clinical degree. It is most relevant to applicants seeking school counselor certification who also value that institutional approach (Evangel University; Missouri DESE).

A counseling bachelor's typically takes about four years of full-time study. A master's commonly takes roughly two to three years, with part-time enrollment extending that timeline. Clinical licensure can take longer than graduation because Missouri requires applicants to complete applicable supervised experience and other licensing steps after qualifying education (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).

Compare schools' published plans semester by semester. A shorter advertised timeline is useful only if required courses are offered when you need them and you can complete practica or internships without leaving your job unexpectedly. Ask whether transferred graduate credits reduce required courses, fieldwork, or neither.

Online counseling study can reduce commuting and make coursework easier to fit around employment. It does not remove supervised practice: clinical and school pathways still require appropriate in-person experience. Campus study may make it simpler to attend scheduled classes and develop local placement connections, but that advantage depends on the program's actual arrangements.

If considering an online degree offered outside Missouri, obtain written confirmation about how its curriculum supports your intended Missouri license or school certification. Also ask who secures Springfield-area placements and whether evening or daytime field hours are required. Delivery format alone does not establish credential eligibility (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri DESE).

There is no single reliable Springfield-wide counseling degree price: costs vary by institution, credential, enrollment pace, residency rules, and aid. A school's published tuition may exclude fees, books, transportation to placements, and income lost when fieldwork reduces paid hours. Rather than treat a national graduate tuition figure as a local quote, request a current program-level cost breakdown from each school (National Center for Education Statistics; institutional tuition schedules).

For a meaningful comparison, total the courses you must take after any accepted transfer credits, then add required fees and placement-related costs. Check the most affordable counseling programs as a starting point, but confirm what each listed price includes and whether it applies to your residency and enrollment status.

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and each school's graduate aid office. Depending on eligibility and the program, options may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and payment plans. Ask whether an award covers the additional terms needed for fieldwork, not just classroom semesters (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Check borrowing rules before budgeting around Graduate PLUS. Federal Student Aid's rules effective July 1, 2026, end new Graduate PLUS borrowing for most new graduate borrowers, while limited transition eligibility may apply to qualifying existing borrowers. Confirm your individual eligibility and current loan limits with Federal Student Aid and your school. Borrow only after comparing expected total debt with the roles you plan to pursue.

Master's applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree and the materials required by their chosen institution, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, or an interview. Programs can differ on prerequisite coursework and whether prior teaching experience is expected or helpful. Verify current requirements on the specific Missouri State or Evangel admissions page; do not assume requirements for a clinical track apply to a school counseling track (Missouri State University; Evangel University).

Before paying an application fee, tell admissions which Missouri credential you seek and ask for the program's current credential-alignment disclosures. If you have prior graduate coursework, request a written transfer-credit evaluation; accepting credits does not necessarily replace required counseling fieldwork.

Counseling master's curricula commonly address counseling theories, ethics, assessment, human development, research, and supervised practice. Clinical mental health students should examine preparation for diagnosis, treatment planning, and work with behavioral health clients. School counseling students should examine school-based assessment, student development, and services within K-12 systems (Missouri State University; Evangel University).

Course titles alone are not enough: compare the current catalog and fieldwork sequence against Missouri's requirements for your intended credential. A program with appealing electives may still be the wrong investment if its required courses do not support that pathway.

The clearest local distinction is school counseling versus clinical mental health counseling, both represented among the Springfield programs discussed here. Beyond those degree pathways, students may develop interests in addiction, children and adolescents, or rehabilitation through electives and supervised settings, subject to what a particular program actually offers.

Do not mistake an interest area or elective for a separate professional credential. If a specialty matters to you, ask for the current course list, placement options, and any additional credential requirements before choosing a degree (Missouri State University; Evangel University; relevant Missouri credentialing authorities).

Start with the job you want, then work backward through credential rules, program requirements, and cost. The most valuable counseling programs can add an outcomes-and-cost perspective, but your own value calculation also depends on aid, existing earnings, time out of work, completion likelihood, future earnings, and how long you expect to work in the field.

Use these checks to separate a workable program from one that merely looks attractive on paper:

1. Identify whether the target role calls for Missouri school counselor certification or professional counselor licensure; ask the relevant state authority about eligibility.
2. Verify institutional accreditation and check any claimed programmatic CACREP accreditation in CACREP's directory; ask how accreditation relates to your specific credential goal.
3. Request the current total cost, course sequence, completion information, and placement expectations in writing.
4. Ask who arranges field placements, when students must be available, and how the school evaluates prior coursework.

A common mistake is choosing the lowest tuition or fastest schedule before checking credential eligibility and placement logistics. Another is treating accreditation, graduation, supervised experience, an examination, and state approval as interchangeable steps; they are not (CACREP; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri DESE).

A school counseling master's is the route to investigate for K-12 counseling, subject to Missouri certification. A clinical mental health master's can support a path toward behavioral health counseling, addiction-related work, or - after meeting licensing requirements - professional counseling practice. Rehabilitation counseling is another occupation to explore, but its employer and credential expectations should be checked separately (Missouri DESE; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Bureau of Labor Statistics).

This degree is most compelling if you want sustained client or student-facing work and can accommodate supervised training. If your goal is an entry-level support role rather than a licensed or certified counseling position, compare job postings and less costly education options before committing to a master's.

National demand differs by counseling occupation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. Those are U.S. occupational projections, not forecasts of Springfield openings; the distinction matters if you are choosing between clinical and school tracks.

For a local reality check, review recent Springfield-area postings from school districts and behavioral health employers. Record which positions require certification, a full license, or supervised-license eligibility, and whether schedules match the work you want. A strong national outlook is encouraging, but it cannot substitute for checking the specific jobs and credentials available where you intend to live.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com designed the ranking to help readers compare evidence about program outcomes, accreditation, and cost rather than rely on reputation alone. The team uses consistent criteria for online and on-campus programs and checks information across multiple sources to improve the ranking's quality, credibility, and accuracy.

For the Best ranking, a graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation score combines completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure exam pass rates (20%), applicable CACREP accreditation (16%), and federal Title IV eligibility (4%). Inapplicable criteria are excluded and the remaining weights adjusted. Program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. Other Research.com counseling rankings order programs by the dimension named in each ranking.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

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

A ranking can narrow your search, but it cannot establish that a particular degree satisfies your intended license or that you will receive aid. Check current program disclosures and Missouri credential rules before enrolling. Learn 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/
• 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/