2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Norfolk

Salary depends on the occupation, setting, experience, and credential - not simply possession of a master's. The following BLS figures are U.S. occupational medians for May 2025 and national employment projections for 2025-2035. They help compare paths, but should not be treated as Norfolk starting salaries or program-specific outcomes.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections. The faster national growth projected for mental health and addiction counseling may make that path attractive to career changers, but it does not establish local openings. When judging affordability, compare likely earnings in the specific job you intend to pursue with your current earnings and anticipated borrowing.

The four Norfolk program pages point to two different professional destinations. The distinctions below are useful for narrowing a shortlist; ask each department for its current catalog, fieldwork plan, credential disclosures, and total charges before making a final comparison.

• NSU mental health counseling: NSU publishes a mental health counseling course sequence covering 2024-2026. Its term-by-term planning document is particularly useful if you need to check when required courses and clinical training fit around work; request the sequence applicable to your 2027 entry term rather than assuming the older version still governs (Norfolk State University).
• ODU mental health counseling: ODU identifies this as a distinct master's program, rather than a school-counseling option. It belongs on a clinical-care shortlist for applicants aiming at mental health practice; ask ODU to map its current coursework and supervised experiences against Virginia's LPC education requirements (Old Dominion University; Virginia Board of Counseling).
• ODU school counseling: ODU provides a separate school-counseling master's pathway. That distinction matters if your intended workplace is a K-12 school rather than a clinical agency: verify the current school-based field experience and Virginia endorsement pathway before comparing its price with ODU's mental health degree (Old Dominion University; Virginia Department of Education).
• NSU professional school counseling: NSU explicitly presents its school-focused option as professional school counseling. Students comparing the two institutions' school pathways should ask NSU how its current curriculum and placement arrangements support Virginia endorsement, rather than assuming that similarly named degrees have identical requirements (Norfolk State University; Virginia Department of Education).

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time study for a counseling master's, with part-time study taking longer. Your actual timeline depends on course sequencing, the number of credits required, and when you can complete supervised fieldwork. Request a term-by-term plan for your intended start date from NSU or ODU; a posted sequence for an earlier entering class may not apply to you (NSU; ODU).

An accelerated schedule can reduce time away from full-time earnings, but it may leave less room for paid work during practicum or internship. Before choosing the fastest option, ask when placements occur, how many hours per week they require, and whether summer enrollment is necessary. Postdegree supervised experience for clinical licensure is a separate timeline from earning the master's (Virginia Board of Counseling).

Online coursework can reduce commuting and help a working Norfolk student manage class time. It does not remove supervised-practice requirements: an online student still needs acceptable practicum and internship arrangements. Campus study may make in-person contact and scheduled instruction easier, but a convenient campus cannot compensate for a program that does not fit the intended credential (NSU; ODU; Virginia Board of Counseling).

Compare the specific program's current delivery format, not the university's general online offerings. Ask whether courses are live or self-paced, whether any campus visits are mandatory, who finds Hampton Roads placements, and whether the program's coursework meets the education rules of the state where you expect to practice. That last check is especially important if you study in Virginia but plan to work elsewhere (Virginia Board of Counseling).

There is no single dependable Norfolk counseling-master's price: a student's total changes with residency classification, required credits, fees, enrollment pace, and aid. Published university-wide graduate tuition averages are not substitutes for a price for the particular counseling program. For an actionable comparison, obtain current program-level estimates from NSU and ODU that distinguish Virginia resident and nonresident charges where applicable (NSU; ODU; NCES/IPEDS).

Calculate net educational cost as tuition and mandatory fees plus books, travel, and placement-related expenses, minus grants or assistantship support. Then consider foregone earnings during fieldwork and any additional time to completion. The most valuable counseling programs can provide another lens, but value for you also depends on completion probability, debt, earnings before and after the degree, and how long it takes for a potential earnings gain to offset the investment.

Start with each university's graduate financial aid office and department. Ask about scholarships, assistantships, paid campus work, and whether funding continues during internship terms. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to establish eligibility for available federal aid; the amount you can receive depends on your circumstances and the applicable rules, not on the ranking position of a program (Federal Student Aid; NSU; ODU).

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans may be available to eligible graduate students, but borrowing increases the degree's eventual cost. Do not assume Graduate PLUS will cover a 2027 shortfall: its availability changed for new graduate borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, with transitional rules for some existing borrowers. Confirm your own eligibility with Federal Student Aid and the school before committing to a program whose price depends on that financing (Federal Student Aid).

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must meet the chosen university's graduate admission standards. A counseling-related undergraduate major should not be assumed to be mandatory - or sufficient. Check the current NSU or ODU program page for its required transcripts, recommendations, statement, prerequisite courses, and any program-specific screening before paying an application fee (NSU; ODU).

If you already hold graduate credits, obtain a written transfer-credit evaluation. Acceptance of a course toward the degree does not necessarily establish that it satisfies Virginia's education requirements for an LPC or a school counselor endorsement. Likewise, admission to a program is distinct from eligibility to enter a placement or obtain a later credential (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

Expect study in counseling theories and techniques, ethics, assessment, human development, multicultural counseling, and research, followed by supervised practice. Clinical mental health pathways give greater attention to concerns such as diagnosis and treatment planning; school pathways focus on counseling pupils and working within educational systems. Exact course titles and requirements differ, so compare the current NSU and ODU curricula rather than relying on a general course list (NSU; ODU).

For a credential-focused comparison, ask an adviser to identify the courses and field experiences that address the applicable Virginia requirements. A course that sounds relevant by title may not fulfill a board requirement, and a clinical elective cannot be presumed to replace school-based preparation (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

The clearest choice among the Norfolk programs examined here is mental health versus school counseling: NSU and ODU each publish a pathway in both areas. Mental health counseling better fits an applicant seeking a clinical-practice route; school counseling better fits someone seeking a K-12 role. These are not interchangeable specializations for credential purposes (NSU; ODU; Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

Interests such as addiction, family work, or rehabilitation may shape electives and placements, but do not assume a Norfolk program awards a separate credential in any of those areas. Ask which relevant courses are offered during your enrollment period and whether an appropriate supervised site is realistically available.

Start with the job you want, then compare programs that plausibly lead to its required credential. A lower tuition quote has limited value if the degree does not meet the education requirements for that goal. The best counseling programs ranking can broaden your shortlist, but use the checks below before enrolling.

1. Verify the credential route: ask the Virginia Board of Counseling about LPC education requirements or the Virginia Department of Education about school counselor endorsement, and request the school's current written explanation of how its program aligns.
2. Check accreditation accurately: confirm institutional accreditation and, if programmatic CACREP accreditation matters to your plans, check the specific program and current status with CACREP. Do not infer one program's status from another program at the same university.
3. Compare complete costs and schedules: obtain a current credit-and-fee estimate, your residency classification, aid offer, course sequence, and placement schedule.
4. Test the investment: weigh likely debt and foregone income against your present earnings, intended occupation, chance of finishing, and the time over which a career change might pay off.

A common mistake is choosing the cheapest advertised per-credit price before checking fieldwork or licensure fit. If a department cannot explain its current requirements, placement process, and total charges clearly, resolve those questions before paying a deposit.

A clinical mental health graduate may pursue supervised clinical work and, after meeting Virginia's separate residency and examination requirements, apply for LPC licensure. A school-counseling graduate may pursue Virginia school counselor endorsement and K-12 positions. Neither transition is automatic at graduation; the route depends on the degree, qualifying experience, and the relevant state authority (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

Some graduates also work in related support, program-coordination, or student-services positions. If your goal is therapy, however, a role that does not qualify for the required clinical supervision may slow your licensure path. Ask prospective employers what credential they require and clinical applicants what supervision they can document.

The national outlook favors some counseling occupations more than others: BLS 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. These projections describe U.S. occupations, not the number of jobs available in Norfolk. They support investigating clinical demand, but cannot replace a local search for positions that accept a graduate's actual credential (BLS).

For Norfolk, search across Hampton Roads employers and distinguish postings for licensed counselors, license-eligible residents, and school counselors. The credential and supervision terms in those postings will tell you more about immediate employability than a national growth rate. If the roles you want regularly require an LPC, budget for the supervised stage after the degree; if they require school endorsement, prioritize a program that can document that pathway (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

Investing in a master's degree is a consequential decision. Research.com created its counseling rankings to help readers compare programs using documented measures rather than tuition or reputation alone. The team draws on multiple education datasets and checks program information for quality, credibility, and accuracy. The ranking is a starting point; readers should still confirm current charges and credential eligibility with each school.

Research.com uses the following data sources to build the rankings:

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

Research.com evaluates graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation and federal Title IV eligibility, and program cost. Its Best ranking first combines completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable exam results, CACREP accreditation, and Title IV eligibility; cost then contributes a smaller share of the final score. Criteria that do not apply are excluded and the remaining weights adjusted. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles, so an affordability ranking should not be read as a ranking of clinical outcomes. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs. Readers can find further detail on Research.com's methodology page.

• 2027 Most Affordable Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Washington
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Lynchburg
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Greensboro
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in New York
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Scranton
• 2027 Most Affordable Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Pittsburgh
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Columbia
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Fairfield
• 2027 Most Affordable Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Columbus
• 2027 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Knoxville

• 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/
• Norfolk State University - M.A. in Counseling Education - Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.nsu.edu/Academics/Faculty-and-Academic-Divisions/Schools-and-Colleges/School-of-Education/Departments/Secondary-Education-and-School-Leadership/Programs/M-A-Counseling-Education/Mental-Health-Counseling/MHC-Documents/MHC-Course-Sequence-24-26.aspx
• Old Dominion University - Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/mental-health-counseling
• Old Dominion University - M.S. Ed. in Counseling - School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/school-counseling
• Norfolk State University - M.A. in Urban Education
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.nsu.edu/sesl/programs/professional-school-counseling