Choosing an online counseling master's program in Mississippi means choosing a career path as well as a school: clinical practice, school counseling, and rehabilitation counseling can lead to different credentials. This guide explains how to compare program format, fieldwork, cost, and licensure fit before committing. It also features a 2027 Best Online Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mississippi, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering.
Key findings about online Counseling degrees in Mississippi
Choose the credential first: Mississippi clinical, school, and rehabilitation counseling paths have different preparation requirements, and an online degree does not confer a license by itself.
Fieldwork remains local and in person even when coursework is online. CACREP's 2024 standards specify at least 100 practicum hours and 600 internship hours for accredited entry-level counseling programs.
The U.S. median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025; BLS projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035. Neither figure predicts a new Mississippi graduate's pay or job prospects.
What can I expect from an online Counseling degree in Mississippi?
An online counseling master's combines graduate coursework with supervised practice. "Online" usually describes how academic classes are delivered, not how clinical skills are assessed or where practicum and internship take place. Ask whether live classes, campus visits, and site-based supervision are required before deciding a program fits your work schedule.
The degree title alone does not identify its professional destination. A clinical mental health track generally targets the licensed professional counselor pathway; a school counseling track targets an educator credential; rehabilitation counseling centers on disability, employment, and related services. Compare the curriculum against the specific Mississippi credential you want, rather than assuming any counseling master's qualifies you for every role (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education).
For working adults, the strongest fit is a program that can accommodate employment without leaving field placement to chance. Before enrolling, ask who approves sites, whether a placement near your home is acceptable, and whether your job can count as a training site under the program's supervision rules.
Where can I work with an online Counseling degree in Mississippi?
Work settings depend on the degree track and the credential you eventually obtain. Clinical mental health and addiction counselors may work in community agencies, healthcare settings, or private practices; school counselors work in educational settings; and rehabilitation counselors may work in disability, vocational, or community-service organizations (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Independent clinical practice generally requires state licensure beyond graduation.
Location affects placement opportunities as well as eventual employment. Someone living outside a major service center should ask programs about approved supervisors and internship sites within a practical commute. A fully remote class schedule offers limited benefit if required in-person hours would mean frequent long-distance travel.
Pay depends on occupation, credential, setting, experience, and location - not simply possession of a master's degree. The following national occupational medians provide a comparison among common paths; they are not Mississippi-specific salaries or starting-pay estimates (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wage data).
Career direction
U.S. median annual wage, May 2025
How to interpret it
Clinical mental health or addiction counseling
$59,350
Relevant to substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor roles.
School counseling
$64,330
Relevant to school counselor roles; school employment and credentialing differ from clinical practice.
Rehabilitation counseling
$46,850
Relevant to rehabilitation counselor roles, which span different employers and responsibilities.
These figures cover workers at different career stages nationwide. For a Mississippi investment decision, compare current local job postings and their credential requirements with your likely loan payment - not a national median treated as a personal earnings forecast.
The most useful distinctions among these Mississippi options concern professional destination and delivery, not a broad claim that one school suits everyone. Confirm current course format, accreditation status, and placement arrangements directly with each program before applying.
Mississippi State University, Meridian clinical mental health counseling: This counselor-education option is explicitly oriented toward clinical mental health counseling, rather than rehabilitation or school counseling. It warrants a closer look from prospective LPC applicants, who should confirm its current online or hybrid schedule and how local clinical placements are arranged (Mississippi State University, Meridian).
Mississippi State University, online rehabilitation counseling: Its online Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling offers a different professional focus from the Meridian clinical mental health option: counseling related to disability and rehabilitation. It is the more directly aligned option here for someone targeting rehabilitation services; applicants interested in both rehabilitation certification and clinical licensure should check each credential's requirements separately (Mississippi State University Online).
Delta State University, M. Ed. in Counseling: The education-degree structure makes it important to select the appropriate counseling emphasis rather than treating the M. Ed. label as a credential in itself. Prospective students should verify the available emphasis, its current distance-learning requirements, and the credential it is designed to support before comparing it with MSU's more explicitly named clinical and rehabilitation degrees (Delta State University).
Plan on roughly two to three years for a full-time counseling master's and longer if you study part time, subject to the program's published sequence. Field placements can constrain acceleration: courses may be offered online while practicum and internship must occur in order and under approved supervision.
Compare programs by the time until you can finish the required placement, not just the number of online terms. If completion speed is decisive, review the fastest counseling programs, then ask whether the projected schedule works for someone who must keep a full-time job.
The central difference is access to coursework. Online study can reduce routine travel; campus study may make in-person classes and meetings with local faculty or placement contacts easier. Neither format removes the need to demonstrate counseling skills or complete supervised fieldwork (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
Choose online study when the class schedule and placement network both work where you live. Consider campus-based or hybrid study if you need regular in-person instruction or if a campus-affiliated placement is substantially easier to reach. Compare actual attendance requirements: an occasional mandatory campus session can still create significant travel and lodging costs.
There is no single reliable price for a Mississippi online counseling master's: tuition depends on the institution, residency rules, enrollment pace, and fees. A statewide or national graduate-tuition average would also be a weak substitute for a quote for the exact counseling track and credit load you plan to take. Use each school's current published charges and an individualized aid offer rather than treating a ranking's affordability label as your final bill (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS).
When requesting estimates, include required fees, books, travel for any campus sessions, placement-related expenses, and the cost of additional terms if you study part time. Compare the most affordable counseling programs on estimated total completion cost; a lower per-credit price may not be cheaper if a track requires more credits or extra travel.
Eligible graduate students can submit the FAFSA to be considered for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and any institutional aid that uses FAFSA information. Graduate students generally are not eligible for Pell Grants; assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and school-specific scholarships may reduce borrowing instead (Federal Student Aid). Check each award's enrollment requirements before building a part-time plan around it.
Federal Graduate PLUS availability has changed for new graduate borrowing. Under the current transition rules, some students who were already in an eligible program and met the prior-loan conditions may retain limited access, while new entrants should not budget on receiving a Graduate PLUS loan. Ask the financial aid office to confirm your individual eligibility and borrowing limits under current federal rules before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid).
Do not assume Mississippi aid advertised for college students applies to master's study. Verify the degree level, residency conditions, and application deadline for each state or institutional award; then compare the remaining cost after grants and benefits, not after loans.
View the chart data as a table
Best score by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
Delta State University
85.05
Delta State University
87.45
Mississippi State Univer
91.57
Mississippi State Univer
95.16
Expect to document an eligible bachelor's degree and meet the program's graduate admissions requirements. Schools may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, or an interview; prerequisite coursework and application rules vary by track. Use the program's current admissions page as the authority, rather than assuming that counseling programs share a single entry standard (Mississippi State University; Delta State University).
Admission and professional eligibility are separate checks. Before applying, ask whether the curriculum meets the educational requirements for your intended Mississippi credential and whether it supports licensure in another state if you might move. If entry requirements are your main constraint, the easiest counseling programs can help you identify options to investigate - but an accessible admission process does not make a program easier to complete or suitable for licensure.
Common graduate subjects include counseling theories, ethics, assessment, research, human development, and counseling techniques. Clinical mental health students should look for preparation in diagnosis and treatment; school counseling students should examine school-based practice; rehabilitation students should look for disability and vocational-rehabilitation content. The important comparison is whether required courses match the credential and work setting you want (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
Course lists also need a fieldwork check. CACREP's 2024 standards call for a supervised practicum of at least 100 hours and a supervised internship of at least 600 hours in accredited entry-level counseling programs. Ask how a particular school sequences, supervises, and documents those experiences; the published standard alone does not tell you whether a nearby site will be approved.
Clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and rehabilitation counseling are materially different choices in the Mississippi programs discussed here. Clinical training is the more direct match for prospective LPC applicants; school counseling is for students seeking school-based roles and educator credentialing; rehabilitation counseling is a closer match for disability and vocational-service work (Mississippi State University; Delta State University; Mississippi Department of Education).
A specialization name is not proof of licensing eligibility. Check the actual degree plan, programmatic accreditation status where relevant, and the rules of the Mississippi board or education agency responsible for your intended credential. A short certificate may build a focused skill, but it is not a substitute for a qualifying master's degree when that credential requires one.
Start with the job and credential you want, then eliminate programs that cannot document a workable route to them. This order prevents a common mistake: selecting an appealing online schedule and discovering later that its track or fieldwork arrangement does not fit your intended role.
Use these checks when comparing finalists:
Identify the relevant Mississippi licensing board or education agency, and ask each program how its curriculum addresses that credential's educational requirements.
Confirm current institutional accreditation and, where important for your goal, the specific program's CACREP status; do not assume university accreditation and programmatic accreditation mean the same thing.
Request the full course sequence, mandatory in-person dates, placement rules, and a written estimate of total cost after grants or employer benefits.
Ask for program-level completion and employment or licensure-exam results when available, including the reporting period; treat missing or differently defined outcomes cautiously.
Compare your likely debt, foregone earnings, chance of completion, and plausible post-degree earnings over a realistic time horizon rather than relying on tuition or a national salary median alone.
The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison lens, but value is personal: the right investment is the program you can complete, afford, and use for your intended credential.
View the chart data as a table
Pay vs projected growth by counseling career path (U.S., BLS) (Source: BLS)
Name
Median annual wage (USD/year)
Projected growth (%)
Mental Health Counselors
59,350
18
School & Career Counselors
64,330
3
Rehabilitation Counselors
46,850
2
Marriage & Family Therapists
66,940
14
Psychologists
99,110
6
Postsecondary Teachers
85,330
7
A clinical mental health path may lead toward agency counseling and, after meeting applicable licensing requirements, broader clinical practice. School counseling points toward work with students in educational settings. Rehabilitation counseling can lead to disability-related and vocational services; certification or particular jobs may impose additional requirements (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors; Mississippi Department of Education).
Graduation is not the same as independent licensure. For the Mississippi LPC route, review the state board's education, examination, and supervised-experience requirements before committing to a clinical program. School credentials are administered through the state education system, while rehabilitation-related certification should be checked with the relevant certifying organization. If your goal is a role that does not require a counseling license, compare job postings carefully before paying for a licensure-oriented degree that may be more training than you need.
View the chart data as a table
Wage range - Mental Health Counselors in Mississippi (BLS OEWS, May 2025) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
10th percentile
32,770
25th percentile
38,760
Median
46,990
75th percentile
58,560
90th percentile
77,310
National demand is strongest among the paths discussed here for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth from 2025 to 2035. That projection describes the national occupation, not openings in a particular Mississippi county or jobs reserved for new graduates.
For a local reality check, search openings in the part of the state where you intend to live and separate roles requiring an LPC, an educator credential, or rehabilitation experience. Then ask a prospective program about approved placements in that same area. Strong national growth will be less useful to your decision if suitable supervised training or entry-level employers are not accessible locally.
2027 Best Online Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mississippi
Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision, particularly when a program must also prepare you for a specific credential. Research.com designed its ranking to make program comparisons more credible and useful, drawing on education databases and checking the factors most relevant to graduate study and professional preparation.
The Best ranking first combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), licensure exam pass rates where applicable (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation (16%), and institutional eligibility for federal Title IV aid (4%). Weights are adjusted when a criterion does not apply. Program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs; other Research.com counseling rankings order programs by the particular dimension named in each ranking.
These sources were used to create the ranking:
IPEDS database - institutional enrollment, completion, and cost information.
The ranking is a starting point, not a substitute for checking whether a particular track meets your intended licensing board's rules, whether its fieldwork is feasible where you live, and what you would actually pay. Readers can find more detail on Research.com's methodology.
# 1 position
Mississippi State University
Master
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
95.16
/ 100
Final score
Program length
Full-time students complete the program in two years, including summers.
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
Acceptance rate
60%
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Program completion rate
100% (2023-24)
Employment or doctoral admission
95% (2023-24)
Application deadline
Spring: Dec 1; Summer: May 15; Fall: Aug 1
Application process
direct
GRE
optional
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree
Additional requirements
Graduate application; statement of purpose addressing digital delivery, professional goals and wellness balance; three references (two professional, one instructor); official transcripts; current immunization record
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Mississippi State University earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 95.16/100, supported by 100% program completion rate and 95% employment or doctoral admission rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2030-10-31.
# 2 position
Mississippi State University
Master
Master of Science in Counselor Education with a concentration in Rehabilitation Counseling
Delivery mode: online
91.57
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
Rehabilitation Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
3.00 - 4.00
Program completion rate
100% (2023-24)
Employment or doctoral admission
100% (2023-24)
Application deadline
July 1
Application process
direct (MSU Graduate School online application)
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Baccalaureate degree with minimum 3.00 GPA on last 60 hours of undergraduate work
Additional requirements
Three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, official transcripts, $60 application fee ($80 international), TOEFL/IELTS if applicable
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Mississippi State University earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 91.57/100, supported by 100% program completion rate and 100% employment or doctoral admission rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2030-10-31.
# 3 position
Delta State University
Master
Master of Education in Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
87.45
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Program completion rate
92% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
70% (2024-25)
Licensure exam pass rate
95% (2024-25)
Application deadline
Fall: Feb 15; Spring: Oct 1
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in any field; no prerequisite courses
Additional requirements
Online application, transcripts, typed essay, three professional references, group interview with faculty, TOEFL 90 for non-native English speakers
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Delta State University earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 87.45/100, supported by 95% licensure exam pass rate and 92% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2028-10-31.
# 4 position
Delta State University
Master
Master of Education in Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
85.05
/ 100
Final score
Specialization
School Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Program completion rate
81% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
60% (2024-25)
Application deadline
Fall: Feb 15; Spring: Oct 1
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
No prerequisite courses required, just a bachelor's degree (any field).
Additional requirements
Online application; minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA (or 3.0 on last 60 hours); typed rationale essay in 5 sections; three professional references' contact information; group interview with faculty; TOEFL minimum 90 for non-native English speakers.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Delta State University earned a Research.com Counseling Program Score of 85.05/100, supported by 81% program completion rate and 60% employment or doctoral admission rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2028-10-31.
Frequently asked questions about online Counseling degree in Mississippi
Can I become a licensed counselor with an online master's?
Potentially, but online delivery does not establish eligibility. Check the degree's curriculum and fieldwork against Mississippi's LPC board requirements, then account for any required examination and post-degree supervised experience (Mississippi State Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors).
Do online counseling students still need an internship?
Yes. Counseling preparation includes supervised, site-based practice; accredited entry-level programs follow CACREP fieldwork standards. Ask whether the school will approve a site and supervisor near you (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
Is CACREP accreditation the same as university accreditation?
No. CACREP accredits specific counseling programs, while institutional accreditation applies to the college or university. Verify both statuses independently and ask the relevant licensing authority which matters for your intended credential (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; U.S. Department of Education).
Which track should I choose if I want to work in a Mississippi school?
Start with a school counseling track and verify its fit with Mississippi Department of Education credential requirements. Do not assume a clinical mental health or rehabilitation track provides the same school-based preparation.
Is a counseling master's worth the cost?
It can be if it is needed for your target role and you can complete the program without taking on debt that your likely earnings cannot support. Compare the full cost, available aid, placement feasibility, credential requirements, and realistic local jobs before enrolling.
See What Experts Have To Say About Studying Counseling
Mississippi State University - Master of Science in Counselor Education with a concentration in Rehabilitation Counseling Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions). https://www.online.msstate.edu/msrc
