2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Kansas

Pay depends on occupation, credential, employer, experience, and location. The following U.S. medians are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 occupational wage data. They are national occupational benchmarks, not Kansas-specific earnings estimates or projected starting salaries for graduates.

Use these figures to test whether a program's likely career path can support its total cost. Before calculating a return, check Kansas wages for the specific occupation and region where you intend to work; a national median cannot resolve a local job offer or the earnings of someone still completing supervised practice (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

The programs considered here differ most usefully by credential target and curricular focus, not by a single claim of quality. These distinctions can help you decide which program pages merit a closer review; confirm current requirements directly with each institution before applying.

• Wichita State University, M. Ed. clinical mental health counseling track: This is a clinical track within a counseling education degree, making it a direct option to investigate for prospective mental health practitioners. Compared with a school-counseling track, its clinical focus makes the Kansas behavioral health licensure curriculum map the critical document to request (Wichita State University).
• MidAmerica Nazarene University, M.A. clinical mental health counseling: Its dedicated clinical mental health degree distinguishes it from the university's relationship- and school-focused options. It is the clearest MNU starting point for applicants seeking clinical practice rather than a school credential (MidAmerica Nazarene University).
• MidAmerica Nazarene University, M.A. marriage, couple, and family counseling: Relationship and family work is the defining curricular focus, rather than a general clinical mental health label. Applicants should ask which Kansas professional credential its courses support; counseling and marriage and family therapy are not interchangeable licenses (MidAmerica Nazarene University; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board).
• Emporia State University, clinical counseling with addictions counseling: The named addictions option offers a more targeted route for students interested in substance-use services than a general clinical track alone. Verify the specific addiction-related credential pathway and placement opportunities before treating the concentration name as proof of eligibility (Emporia State University; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board).
• Emporia State University, clinical counseling concentrations: The published concentrations give applicants a way to compare clinical interests within one counseling program. This suits students who want to choose a focus after comparing course requirements, provided the selected concentration still covers their intended credential (Emporia State University).
• MidAmerica Nazarene University, school counseling PLUS: The PLUS pathway warrants attention from applicants whose goals extend beyond a standard school counseling route. Ask the program to identify the additional coursework, fieldwork, and credential eligibility associated with PLUS; the name alone does not establish a second license (MidAmerica Nazarene University).
• Wichita State University, school counseling: Its school counseling handbook gives applicants a program-specific reference for requirements and fieldwork expectations. That documentation is especially useful when comparing a school-based route with Wichita State's separate clinical mental health track (Wichita State University).

These are program distinctions, not claims that any degree automatically qualifies its graduates for independent practice. For a comparison using broader outcome and accreditation criteria, consult the best counseling programs alongside each school's current catalog.

A bachelor's degree typically takes about four years of full-time study. A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years full time; part-time study may take longer because required courses and supervised placements must fit the program's sequence. These are planning ranges, not published completion promises for the Kansas programs above.

If licensure is the goal, distinguish time to graduate from time to independent practice. Kansas may require examination and supervised experience after the degree for the license sought (Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board). Ask admissions staff for a term-by-term plan that shows when practicum and internship occur, whether summer enrollment is expected, and how much paid work students can realistically maintain during placement.

Online delivery can reduce classroom travel for students outside Wichita, Emporia, or the Kansas City area. On-campus study may make scheduled meetings, peer practice, and access to nearby placements simpler. Neither format, by itself, establishes that a program meets Kansas credential requirements; supervised field experience and the degree curriculum remain decisive (Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; Kansas State Department of Education).

Compare the actual delivery pattern, not just an "online" label. Ask how often students must attend campus or live sessions, where skills courses are held, who secures and approves local placements, and whether the program supports students living near the Kansas border. Someone needing to keep a full-time job may value remote coursework, but should first test whether internship hours fit their work schedule.

There is no single reliable Kansas counseling-program average that substitutes for a quote from the specific schools you are considering. Published tuition may be charged per credit, per term, or by enrollment status, and it may exclude fees and placement expenses. Public-university residency rules can affect the price; a private nonprofit university may use a different pricing structure (National Center for Education Statistics; institutional tuition schedules).

Request an estimated total degree cost for your enrollment plan: required credits, tuition, mandatory fees, books, travel to field sites, and any term added by course scheduling. Compare that estimate after grants and employer assistance, not just the advertised rate. The most affordable counseling programs can help build a shortlist, but confirm current charges and residency classification with each school.

Eligible students can explore federal aid through the FAFSA, school-based scholarships or assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and any Kansas aid program for which their school and enrollment qualify. Grant availability often differs between undergraduate and graduate study, so graduate applicants should not assume they will receive the same aid they had as undergraduates (Federal Student Aid; Kansas Board of Regents).

Federal borrowing rules also matter when budgeting for a master's degree. Under changes effective for new borrowing beginning July 2026, Graduate PLUS is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers; limited transitional eligibility may apply to students who previously borrowed for the same program and meet the applicable conditions. Ask the financial aid office to confirm your eligibility and current federal loan limits rather than building a budget around a loan you may not be able to obtain (Federal Student Aid).

Compare each aid offer against the full program budget, including unpaid fieldwork and any reduction in work hours. Borrowing less is valuable only if the schedule still gives you a realistic chance of finishing.

For a counseling master's, expect to document a completed bachelor's degree and submit materials such as transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, or an interview; exact requirements vary by program (Wichita State University; Emporia State University; MidAmerica Nazarene University). An undergraduate major outside psychology or counseling is not automatically disqualifying, but a school may require particular foundational courses.

Before paying an application fee, ask whether your prior courses satisfy admission prerequisites, whether transferred graduate credits can replace required courses, and whether the program accepts applicants seeking your intended credential. Transfer approval by a university is not the same as confirmation that every transferred course satisfies a Kansas licensing requirement (Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board).

Graduate counseling curricula commonly cover counseling theories, interviewing and helping skills, assessment, ethics, research, human development, and work with diverse clients, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Clinical pathways add mental health diagnosis and treatment planning; school pathways emphasize student development and school-based practice; addictions pathways address substance-use assessment and intervention (Wichita State University; Emporia State University; MidAmerica Nazarene University).

Course titles alone can conceal important differences. Request the catalog, fieldwork handbook, and a credential-alignment document, then check whether required - not merely elective - courses cover the pathway you intend to pursue.

The options represented by the Kansas programs discussed here include clinical mental health, school counseling, addictions counseling, and marriage, couple, and family counseling. Emporia State also presents clinical counseling concentrations, while MidAmerica Nazarene offers a school counseling PLUS pathway (Emporia State University; MidAmerica Nazarene University).

Choose a specialization by the work and credential it supports, not its appealing title. If you want to counsel students within schools, investigate the school route and educator requirements. If your goal is independent clinical work, ask about the applicable behavioral health license. If you are undecided, compare how many required courses a specialized route shares with other routes before assuming you can switch without extra time or cost (Kansas State Department of Education; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board).

Start with your intended occupation, then work backward from its Kansas credential requirements. CACREP is a counseling-program accreditor, while institutional accreditation and federal aid eligibility are separate considerations; check the status of the specific program and the requirements of the license you want rather than assuming one designation answers every question (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; U.S. Department of Education; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board).

Use these checks when two programs look equally attractive on a ranking page:

1. Ask each program to identify the exact Kansas credential its graduates are prepared to pursue and any coursework, exam, or supervised experience still required.
2. Compare written total-cost estimates after likely aid, including placement travel and income you may forgo while completing fieldwork.
3. Request recent program-level completion and placement information, and ask what the figures include rather than treating an institution-wide outcome as a counseling result.
4. Confirm where placements can occur, who arranges them, and whether the schedule works with your employment and location.
5. Check transfer-credit decisions in writing before assuming earlier graduate work will shorten the degree.

A common mistake is to equate the cheapest tuition or highest ranking position with the strongest return. A meaningful return-on-investment comparison also considers aid, debt, completion likelihood, time out of the workforce, your current earnings, plausible post-degree earnings, and how long you expect to use the credential. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison lens, but your own costs and career goal should decide the final shortlist.

Possible paths include school counselor, clinical mental health counselor, addiction counselor, rehabilitation counselor, and relationship-focused practitioner. Some graduates also move into program coordination, supervision, or counselor education after acquiring further experience or education. The degree needed and the permission to practice differ across these roles (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board; Kansas State Department of Education).

If you want to enter the helping professions sooner, an undergraduate human services role may be worth comparing with immediate graduate enrollment. If you specifically want independent clinical practice, budget for the master's, the applicable Kansas licensing steps, and supervised practice. A short certificate can build a focused skill, but it should not be treated as a substitute for a license-qualifying degree.

National projections point to different levels of demand across counseling occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, versus 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. These are U.S. occupational projections, not forecasts of Kansas openings or the chances of finding a job immediately after graduation.

For a Kansas decision, search current postings in the communities where you could realistically live and note the credential employers specify. Compare school-district roles with clinical employers rather than assuming the two labor markets move together. Ask potential placement sites whether they hire graduates and what license level they require; that answer can be more useful than a broad growth figure when choosing a program.

Education is a substantial investment, so Research.com evaluates counseling programs using multiple sources rather than treating a school's reputation as a substitute for program evidence. Its counseling rankings consider graduate completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure exam results, CACREP recognition, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. Each ranking orders programs by the dimension in its name; popularity should not be read as a finding that a program is the best fit or the least expensive.

For context, Research.com's Best counseling ranking first scores applicable graduate outcomes and accreditation measures, then incorporates cost as a smaller component - about 7% of its final score. Criteria that do not apply to a program are excluded and the remaining shares are adjusted. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs. The team draws on the following sources to improve the ranking's quality and credibility:

• IPEDS database: institutional reporting on enrollment, completion, and costs.
• Peterson's database: program and institutional information used in comparisons.
• College Scorecard database: federal information on institutions and student outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics: federal education data and definitions.

The ranking is a starting point for narrowing options, not a substitute for checking a program's current requirements, price, and credential alignment. Research.com explains its broader approach on its methodology page.

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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
• Wichita State University - M. Ed. in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.wichita.edu/academics/education/cles/med_counseling-clinical-mental-health-track.php
• MidAmerica Nazarene University - M.A. in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mnu.edu/pgs/mac-clinical-mental-health/
• 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 - MS, Clinical Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.emporia.edu/applied-health-sciences/counselor-education-home/graduate-programs/clinical-counseling-home/concentrations/