Choosing a counseling program in Mankato means choosing a career path as well as a school: mental health counseling and school counseling lead toward different credentials and workplaces. This article will feature the 2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mankato, created by the Research.com team of data scientists to help students make an informed choice about programs worth considering. If you are entering the field or changing careers, use this guide to compare training, licensure, cost, and likely career outcomes before applying.
Key findings about Counseling degrees in Mankato
Mankato offers a consequential choice between mental health counseling and professional school counseling master's paths; Minnesota regulates their professional credentials through different bodies, according to the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy and the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports May 2025 national median pay of $59,350 for the occupational group that includes mental health counselors and $64,330 for the group that includes school counselors. These are occupation-wide medians, not Mankato graduate starting salaries.
Before comparing prices, verify that a program supports your intended Minnesota credential and obtain a written estimate that includes tuition, fees, fieldwork-related costs, and any income you expect to forgo while studying.
What can I expect from a Counseling degree in Mankato?
Expect a graduate program that combines counseling theory, assessment, ethics, supervised practice, and preparation for a particular professional setting. The most important distinction is who you want to counsel and where: a mental health route prepares students for clinical services, while a professional school counseling route focuses on students' academic, career, and social-emotional needs in schools.
This comparison shows why programs with "counseling" in their names are not interchangeable. Check the exact curriculum and credential alignment of each program you consider.
Program direction
Primary setting
Credential question to resolve
Mental health counseling
Clinics, community agencies, and other behavioral health settings
Does the degree meet the education requirements for the Minnesota license you intend to pursue?
Professional school counseling
K-12 schools
Does the program support the applicable Minnesota school counselor license?
Minnesota State University, Mankato lists master's options in both directions; Bethany Lutheran College lists a clinical mental health counseling graduate program, according to their program descriptions. For a broader comparison of academic and outcome factors, consult the best counseling programs alongside each school's current requirements.
Where can I work with a Counseling degree in Mankato?
Mental health counselors may seek roles with behavioral health clinics, hospitals, community organizations, or substance-use treatment providers. School counselors work in K-12 education. In and around Mankato, these routes can mean comparing school-district positions with openings at regional health and human-services employers rather than assuming that one degree qualifies you for both.
A degree alone may not authorize independent clinical practice or employment in a licensed school counselor role. Minnesota's Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy oversees LPC and LPCC licensure, while the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board oversees educator licensing. Ask prospective employers which credential they require, then confirm the program's alignment with the relevant state authority.
Pay depends on occupation, employer, experience, and credential - not simply on holding a counseling degree. The following U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook figures are national occupational medians for May 2025, not Mankato wages or forecasts of a new graduate's pay.
Occupational direction
May 2025 U.S. median annual pay
Mental health counseling occupational group
$59,350
School counseling occupational group
$64,330
The difference can inform a career comparison, but it cannot establish which local program offers a better return. Before borrowing, compare likely entry-level job postings, required supervision after graduation, and the pay available in the specific setting where you hope to work.
The clearest distinction among these Mankato options is the professional destination, followed by institutional setting. The highlights below describe features identified in the institutions' program descriptions; applicants should request current handbooks for credit totals, placement policies, and outcomes before making a final comparison.
Minnesota State University, Mankato - Mental Health Counseling, MS: This is the university's mental health counseling route within Counseling and Student Personnel, rather than its school-focused master's option. It is the more relevant starting point for applicants aiming at clinical counseling work who also want to compare a public-university program with Bethany's clinical option.
Bethany Lutheran College - Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Bethany offers a clinical mental health counseling graduate program in a private-college setting. For a prospective clinician, its distinction in this group is a second local institutional option for the clinical path; compare its current curriculum, field-placement arrangements, and net cost directly with Minnesota State's mental health program.
Minnesota State University, Mankato - Professional School Counseling, MS: This program is explicitly oriented toward professional school counseling rather than clinical mental health counseling. It merits priority for applicants seeking a K-12 school role, because its intended professional destination differs from that of the other two programs.
Neither a program title nor an institutional distinction verifies eligibility for a particular license. Confirm requirements with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy or the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, as appropriate.
A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time attendance can take longer. The actual schedule depends on required credits, course sequencing, and when supervised placements are available. Treat that range as planning guidance, not a published completion time for any of the Mankato programs.
If you need to keep working, ask each department for a sample part-time course sequence and the expected weekly availability during practicum and internship. A shorter advertised timeline may save living expenses, but only if its placement schedule is realistic for you.
Online coursework can reduce commuting and make employment easier to maintain. Campus study may make in-person interaction and access to local faculty or placement networks more convenient. Neither format eliminates supervised fieldwork, and an online student must still be able to complete approved experiences in an appropriate setting.
For a Mankato resident, the deciding question is often where and when clinical or school-based hours can be completed, not where lectures appear on a screen. Ask who finds placements, whether evening or weekend placements are feasible, and whether the degree meets Minnesota requirements. The delivery format alone does not establish licensure eligibility.
There is no single reliable "average cost" that captures these different Mankato graduate routes. Tuition can vary by institution, residency classification, enrollment load, and academic year; a clinical or school placement can also create travel, background-check, and reduced-work-hours costs. NCES/IPEDS institutional tuition figures are useful context, but an institution-wide figure is not a quote for a specific counseling master's.
Request a program-specific estimate for the full expected course of study, including fees and required fieldwork expenses. Then subtract confirmed grants or scholarships rather than comparing published tuition alone. The most affordable counseling programs can help identify options to price-check, but your actual net cost is the decision metric.
Start with the FAFSA and each institution's graduate aid office. Potential sources include eligible federal graduate loans, institution-funded scholarships or assistantships, employer tuition support, and outside awards. Ask whether aid continues during internships, when paid work may become harder to schedule.
Loan rules deserve particular attention for a 2027 entrant. Federal Student Aid states that new graduate borrowers are not eligible for Graduate PLUS loans beginning July 1, 2026; limited transitional eligibility may apply to students who borrowed for their current program before that date and meet continuity requirements. Do not build a new program budget around Graduate PLUS without confirming your individual eligibility with Federal Student Aid and the school. Also check Minnesota aid rules individually: programs intended for undergraduates should not be assumed to cover a counseling master's.
View the chart data as a table
Graduates (2024-25) by program (Source: Research.com)
Category
Value
Minnesota State Universi
9
Bethany Lutheran College
19
Minnesota State Universi
21
These graduate routes generally begin with a completed bachelor's degree. Programs may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or evidence of preparation for work with clients or students; the current admissions page, not a general description of counseling degrees, controls each application.
Before applying, compare your transcript with required prerequisite courses and ask whether prior graduate credits can transfer. Transfer approval may reduce coursework, but it does not automatically satisfy a program's fieldwork or Minnesota licensing requirements. If you are changing careers, explain the experiences that prepared you for supervised counseling work rather than assuming a particular undergraduate major is required.
Students should expect foundations of counseling, ethics, human development, assessment, research, and supervised practice. Mental health curricula typically emphasize clinical assessment and treatment planning; school counseling curricula emphasize counseling within educational systems and working with students, families, and school staff. Individual course names and requirements vary by institution.
Read the sequence as well as the course list. A program can offer the subjects you want yet delay a required practicum until after several prerequisites, changing your graduation and employment timeline. Minnesota's relevant licensing authority should be your reference point when checking whether coursework meets a credential's education requirements.
The locally identified choices center on mental health counseling and professional school counseling. Minnesota State University, Mankato lists both master's directions, while Bethany Lutheran College lists clinical mental health counseling. That is a meaningful choice of professional pathway, not evidence that every school offers every counseling specialty.
If your goal is addiction treatment, marriage and family therapy, rehabilitation counseling, or counselor education, check whether a specific degree and its supervised training meet that field's expectations. Do not assume a general counseling label or an elective creates eligibility for a different professional license.
Choose the intended credential first, then compare programs that can plausibly support it. Rankings can help you find candidates, but a strong overall result cannot compensate for a mismatch between a clinical degree and a school-counseling goal. To assess investment value, consider completion probability, net cost and debt, time out of work, current earnings, plausible post-degree earnings, and how long you expect to use the credential - not institution type alone.
Use these checks in conversations with each program; they are especially important before paying a deposit:
Ask the relevant Minnesota licensing body and the program which degree requirements, examinations, and supervised experiences apply to your intended credential.
Request current program-level completion, placement, and applicable licensure-exam outcomes, including the reporting period.
Obtain a full-program cost estimate and ask how scholarships, transfer credits, and internship scheduling change it.
Confirm who arranges field placements and whether the available sites fit your work schedule and preferred location.
Use the most valuable counseling programs as another comparison point, not a substitute for those checks. A common costly mistake is choosing the lowest tuition or shortest schedule before verifying credential fit and total time to completion.
A mental health counseling graduate may pursue supervised clinical roles and, after meeting applicable state requirements, licensed counseling practice. A professional school counseling graduate may pursue K-12 positions if they meet Minnesota's school counselor licensing requirements. These are different entry routes, even when both involve interviewing, ethical decision-making, and helping people navigate difficulties.
If your goal is private clinical practice, investigate the full post-degree licensing path before estimating when that income might be possible. If your goal is a school-calendar role, review actual district job requirements and placement opportunities. A counseling certificate or unrelated master's may build useful skills, but it should not be treated as an equivalent route to either regulated role without confirmation from the state authority.
View the chart data as a table
Projected job growth 2025-2035 by counseling career path (U.S., BLS) (Source: BLS)
Category
Value
Mental Health Counselors
18
Marriage & Family Therapists
14
Postsecondary Teachers
7
Psychologists
6
School & Career Counselors
3
Rehabilitation Counselors
2
All occupations
3
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% national employment growth from 2025 to 2035 for the occupational group that includes mental health counselors. That supports investigating the clinical route, but a national projection does not measure openings in Mankato or guarantee a position after graduation.
The local search may involve a smaller set of employers than a large metro search, so placement geography matters. Ask programs where recent students completed supervised work and search current school-district, health-system, and community-agency postings for required credentials. If you need to stay in Mankato, compare the number and type of suitable openings with your intended specialization before committing to a degree.
2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Mankato
Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision, so Research.com uses multiple education and outcomes sources to assess program information and check its credibility. The ranking is intended to help readers identify programs to investigate further, not replace a review of current tuition, admissions policies, and licensing eligibility.
The following data sources were used to create the ranking:
IPEDS database: institutional enrollment, completions, and cost information.
Research.com's counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation and federal aid eligibility, and program cost. The Best ranking emphasizes completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable exam results, CACREP recognition, and Title IV eligibility, with cost contributing a smaller share; rankings named for another dimension order programs by that dimension. Read more about the approach on the Research.com methodology page. A popularity ranking does not, by itself, establish that a program has the best licensure fit or lowest total cost.
# 1 position
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Master
Counseling and Student Personnel (MS) - Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: campus
43.00
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 years
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Program completion rate
100% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
100% (2024-25)
Application deadline
Rolling admissions for Summer/Fall start, with priority given to applications received by January 15
Application process
direct
GRE
no
Prerequisites
Abnormal Psychology or its equivalent, completed prior to or during the first year of admission
Additional requirements
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university (2.75+ GPA competitive); three letters of recommendation (one from an instructor or academic advisor); personal statement answering prompt questions; resume
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Minnesota State University-Mankato earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 43.0/100, supported by 21 graduates (2024-25) and 100% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2033-10-31.
# 2 position
Bethany Lutheran College
Master
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Delivery mode: hybrid
41.70
/ 100
Final score
Program length
two years (three-year option available)
Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
Program completion rate
93%
Employment or doctoral admission
79% (2025)
Application deadline
Priority Fall Cohort or Summer Jumpstart: February 28/29; Standard Fall Cohort: May 15; Rolling if Available: June 30
Application process
direct
Prerequisites
An undergraduate degree in any field is accepted; a psychology degree is not required.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Bethany Lutheran College earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 41.7/100, supported by 19 graduates (2024-25) and 93% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2034-04-30.
# 3 position
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Master
Counseling and Student Personnel (MS) – Professional School Counseling K-12
Delivery mode: campus
32.10
/ 100
Final score
Program length
2 years
Specialization
School Counseling
Required credits
60 semester credits
GPA range
2.75 - 4.00
Program completion rate
100% (2024-25)
Employment or doctoral admission
100% (2024-25)
Application deadline
Summer and fall: rolling, with January 15 priority consideration; applications reviewed until full.
Application process
direct
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Abnormal Psychology or equivalent must be completed before entry or during the first year and does not count toward the graduate program.
Additional requirements
Online application with personal-statement prompt responses, resume, and three recommendation letters (one from an instructor or academic advisor). International applicants need a NACES evaluation and TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5, or Duolingo 110.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), with institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Minnesota State University-Mankato earned a Research.com Student Interest Score of 32.1/100, supported by 9 graduates (2024-25) and 100% program completion rate. The program is CACREP-accredited, valid through 2033-10-31.
Frequently asked questions about Counseling degree in Mankato
Which Mankato counseling degree should I choose for clinical work?
Compare Minnesota State University, Mankato's mental health counseling master's with Bethany Lutheran College's clinical mental health counseling program. Confirm each degree's fit with the Minnesota clinical license you intend to pursue before applying.
Is a school counseling degree the same as a mental health counseling degree?
No. They prepare students for different settings and credential paths. Minnesota school counselor licensing and clinical counselor licensing are overseen by different state bodies.
Will graduating make me a licensed counselor?
No. Graduation is only one potential step. The applicable Minnesota authority determines education, examination, and supervised-experience requirements.
Can I work while earning a counseling master's?
Possibly, but supervised placements may require daytime or otherwise fixed hours. Request a course and fieldwork schedule before deciding that part-time study will fit your job.
Is the cheapest counseling program the best investment?
Not necessarily. Compare total net cost, completion time, lost earnings, placement access, and fit with your intended credential. A lower tuition price offers little value if the degree does not support your career goal.
See What Experts Have To Say About Studying Counseling
