2027 Easiest Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Kansas

Pay depends on occupation, experience, employer, location, and credential - not simply possession of a counseling degree. The table shows national occupational medians, which provide a comparison point but should not be read as Kansas starting salaries. Growth figures describe projected employment change, not raises (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wages and 2025-2035 Employment Projections).

A higher occupational median is not, by itself, a reason to change tracks: the jobs require different preparation and credentials. For a personal return-on-investment estimate, compare likely postdegree roles with your current earnings, then account for tuition, aid, borrowing, time out of work, completion likelihood, and the period before you can qualify for the intended role.

These program pages point to different professional aims, even when schools offer degrees with similar names. Use the distinctions below to narrow your shortlist, then verify current credits, delivery format, placement rules, accreditation status, and credential alignment directly with each program; a program page alone does not establish licensure eligibility.

• MidAmerica Nazarene University - marriage, couple, and family counseling: This is the clearest option in the group for applicants whose primary interest is work with couples and families rather than a general clinical or school track. Ask how its curriculum and supervised experience align with the Kansas license you intend to pursue (MidAmerica Nazarene University program page).
• Emporia State University - clinical counseling with addictions counseling: The addictions focus gives substance-use treatment a more explicit place in the degree choice than a general clinical title does. It suits applicants who want to compare preparation for addiction-related work with preparation for broader mental health practice (Emporia State University program page).
• Emporia State University - school counseling: This is a school-focused route rather than a clinical-counselor route. Prospective students should confirm school placement expectations and Kansas education-credential requirements before treating it as equivalent to another counseling master's (Emporia State University program page; Kansas State Department of Education).
• Fort Hays State University - clinical mental health counseling: Its explicitly clinical mental health focus makes it a starting point for applicants interested in mental health counseling outside schools. Compare its required supervised experiences and Kansas license alignment with other clinical tracks, not with school counseling alone (Fort Hays State University program page).
• Fort Hays State University - school counseling: This separate school-counseling option lets applicants at the same university choose an education-setting goal instead of a clinical mental health goal. That distinction matters if your intended employer is a school district (Fort Hays State University program page).
• Wichita State University - M. Ed. counseling, clinical mental health track: The clinical pathway is identified as a track within an M. Ed., a useful structural detail when comparing degree titles and advising requirements. Ask for the track's current course sequence and fieldwork rules rather than assuming every M. Ed. counseling option has the same professional outcome (Wichita State University program page).
• Emporia State University - clinical counseling concentrations: A dedicated concentrations page offers a way to compare interests within clinical counseling before committing to a particular emphasis. Check which concentrations are currently offered online and whether any alter placement planning or credential preparation (Emporia State University concentrations page).
• Wichita State University - school counseling: Its school-counseling handbook is a concrete source for checking program policies beyond an admissions overview. Applicants balancing employment with study should use it to review progression and field-experience expectations, then confirm that the edition applies to their entry term (Wichita State University school-counseling handbook).
• MidAmerica Nazarene University - School Counseling Plus: The named "Plus" pathway calls for a more precise question than a standard school-counseling comparison: what additional preparation does it include, and which credential goals does that preparation serve? Request a written explanation before paying for coursework you may not need (MidAmerica Nazarene University program page).
• MidAmerica Nazarene University - clinical mental health counseling: This is the university's mental health route rather than its family- or school-focused option. It is most relevant to applicants who want to compare those career directions within one institution while checking each route's distinct fieldwork and licensure fit (MidAmerica Nazarene University program page).

For a student who already holds a bachelor's degree, a counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time enrollment generally takes longer. The actual timeline depends on the school's course rotation, entry terms, field placements, and any applicable prerequisite work. Postdegree supervised experience and examinations can add time before independent clinical licensure (Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; counseling program requirements).

If speed matters, compare the fastest counseling programs by their published course sequences - not just an advertised minimum. Ask whether summer study is required and when you can start the internship. A shorter classroom schedule is little benefit if required placements cannot fit your work or location.

Delivery changes where much of the academic work happens, not the need to demonstrate counseling skills or complete supervised experience. "Online" may include scheduled live meetings or campus visits; an on-campus program may make local faculty and placement contacts easier to access. Verify the actual format for your entry term with the institution.

For a working professional or a student far from campus, online coursework may reduce travel and make continued employment more feasible. Campus study may be preferable if its schedule, local placements, or face-to-face instruction better support completion. In either format, ask who approves supervisors, where fieldwork may occur, and what happens if a placement falls through. Never assume an online degree can be completed entirely from home.

There is no single dependable price for the options discussed here: total cost changes with required credits, per-credit charges, fees, residency classification, and time to completion. An institutional tuition average is not a counseling-program quote, and the lowest advertised tuition is not necessarily the lowest total bill. Request a current, program-specific cost estimate before borrowing (institutional tuition and fee schedules; NCES/IPEDS).

Compare the most affordable counseling programs using the full required course of study. For each school, obtain written estimates of tuition and mandatory fees, then add any travel, books, background checks, and placement-related expenses that apply to you. If you are considering a public university, verify whether its online rate differs by residency; do not assume either an in-state rate or an out-of-state surcharge without checking the program's policy.

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the institution's graduate aid office. Depending on eligibility and the program, options may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, school scholarships or assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and aid with program-specific conditions. Online enrollment does not itself establish aid eligibility: confirm the institution's federal-aid status and your enrollment requirements (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Graduate PLUS availability has changed for new graduate borrowers. Students who qualify under federal transition rules for a program they had already entered may retain access for a limited period; new borrowers should not build a financing plan around receiving a Graduate PLUS Loan. Ask the aid office to check your individual eligibility and current federal borrowing limits before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid).

Compare net cost after grants and employer support, not just the amount a school will let you borrow. If you plan to keep working during fieldwork, ask how placement hours could affect your income; that opportunity cost may matter as much as a tuition difference.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, but eligible majors, minimum academic standards, recommendations, essays, interviews, and prerequisite courses vary by program. An undergraduate counseling major should not be assumed necessary - or sufficient. Check each institution's current admissions page and distinguish admission to the university from admission to a particular counseling track (institutional admissions requirements).

Before applying, send admissions staff your transcript and intended Kansas credential, then ask which prerequisites or transfer credits would actually count toward that track. Graduate transfer credit is school-specific; accepting a course for admission does not mean it replaces required clinical or fieldwork training. Confirm deadlines for background checks or placement approvals as well as the classroom application.

Counseling curricula commonly cover helping relationships, ethics, assessment, human development, group work, and supervised practice. Clinical programs may add diagnosis and treatment planning; addiction pathways may emphasize substance-use assessment; school programs address counseling in educational settings. The exact courses and their relationship to a credential depend on the program (CACREP standards; institutional program curricula).

Compare course sequences rather than titles alone. Ask whether a needed course is offered every term, whether skills practice requires live attendance, and whether practicum or internship can be completed near your home. A required course offered infrequently can extend completion even when most lectures are online.

The options represented here include clinical mental health, school, addictions-focused clinical counseling, and marriage, couple, and family counseling (program pages for Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Wichita State University). These are career distinctions, not merely elective topics: the intended occupation determines which degree requirements and credential rules you must investigate.

Choose school counseling if schools are your intended workplace and the program fits the applicable education credential. Choose a clinical or addictions-oriented route if mental health or substance-use services are the goal; examine a family-focused route if relational practice is central to that goal. A concentration name alone does not establish eligibility for a separate license, so ask the program to identify the credential pathway in writing (Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; Kansas State Department of Education).

Start with the job and credential you want, then compare programs on the requirements that could prevent you from reaching them. A ranking can help build a shortlist; it cannot replace a check of licensure alignment, fieldwork access, and total cost. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison, but personal value also depends on debt, completion prospects, current earnings, expected work, and how long you expect to use the credential.

Use these questions in conversations with each program so the answers are comparable:

1. Which Kansas license or school credential is this specific track designed to support, and what requirements remain after graduation?
2. Who arranges and approves a placement near my location, and what are its scheduling requirements?
3. What is my written total-cost estimate, including required fees, and which aid offers do not need repayment?
4. How many terms will my plan take if I keep working, and which of my previous courses can satisfy degree requirements?
5. Where can I verify current accreditation status and program-level completion or credential outcomes?

A common mistake is choosing the fastest or cheapest title that sounds relevant without checking the intended credential. Verify institutional accreditation through a recognized accreditor and any claimed CACREP programmatic accreditation directly with the accreditor; then confirm with the Kansas authority how that degree fits your goal (U.S. Department of Education; CACREP; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; Kansas State Department of Education).

A relevant graduate degree may support a path toward clinical mental health counseling, addiction counseling, school counseling, or marriage and family therapy, depending on its curriculum and subsequent credentialing. Rehabilitation counseling is another occupation to investigate, but do not assume any of the listed tracks prepares students for that role merely because both use the word "counseling" (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Kansas credentialing authorities).

Think in stages: select a degree aligned with the role, complete approved supervised work during the program, and check any postdegree experience, examination, or certification requirements with the appropriate Kansas authority. The Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board oversees relevant behavioral-health licenses, while school credential questions belong with the Kansas State Department of Education. Graduation alone should not be treated as authorization for independent practice.

National projections point to different levels of demand across counseling occupations: employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, while projected growth for school and career counselors is 3% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). The contrast can inform a track decision, but national growth does not measure openings in a particular Kansas community.

Test local demand before choosing a placement or degree. Review openings from the kinds of Kansas employers where you would actually work, note their required credentials, and ask a prospective program where students complete fieldwork. For someone who cannot relocate, the availability of appropriate supervisors and employers within commuting distance may matter more than the national projection.

Education is a significant investment, so Research.com evaluates counseling programs using multiple sources rather than treating a school's description as proof of outcomes. Its counseling rankings consider program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam results, CACREP recognition, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. The Best ranking combines those measures in an outcomes-and-accreditation score, then gives cost a smaller role; other rankings order programs by the dimension their names describe. The same approach applies to online and campus programs.

The Research.com team uses the following sources to check program and institutional information and make comparisons more credible:

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

These measures help readers look past marketing claims and identify programs worth investigating. They cannot establish that admission, coursework, or licensure will be easy for any individual. For more detail on the ranking process, see Research.com's methodology.

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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/
• MidAmerica Nazarene University - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mnu.edu/pgs/mac-marriage-couple-amp-family-counseling/
• Emporia State University - M.S. in Clinical Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.emporia.edu/applied-health-sciences/counselor-education-home/graduate-programs/clinical-counseling-home/clinical-counseling-addictions-counseling/
• Emporia State University - Master of Science in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.emporia.edu/applied-health-sciences/counselor-education-home/graduate-programs/school-counseling/
• Fort Hays State University - Master of Science in Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.fhsu.edu/programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• Fort Hays State University - Master of Science in Counseling (School Counseling)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.fhsu.edu/programs/school-counseling/