2027 Most Popular Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Austin

The closest salary benchmark depends on the job, not the wording on a diploma. The national median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). This is a U.S. occupational median, not an Austin starting salary or a return-on-investment estimate for any particular master's program.

When evaluating an offer, compare its pay, benefits, supervision costs, and advancement possibilities with what you earn now. Early-career associate roles, school positions, and established private practices can have different compensation arrangements; the national median should not be treated as the income you will receive immediately after graduation.

The clearest distinction among the Austin options identified here is each program's stated degree focus. Before treating either as a licensure route, obtain its current degree plan and confirm eligibility with the relevant Texas authority. The following program-level features provide a starting point for that comparison:

• Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest: Its degree is explicitly a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, making the clinical pathway visible at the point of application. That focus is most relevant to applicants aiming for mental health practice; verify the current course sequence, supervised training, and Texas LPC fit rather than relying on the title alone (Seminary of the Southwest, program admissions page).
• St. Edward's University: Its offering is identified as a Master of Arts in Counseling. Because the degree title is broader, applicants should establish which current track or course sequence matches their intended credential before comparing it with a specifically named clinical mental health degree. This matters especially if school counseling or another counseling setting is the goal (St. Edward's University, Master of Arts in Counseling program page).

Neither a program name nor a popularity ranking substitutes for a written answer about required placements, current tuition, accreditation status, and the precise Texas credential its graduates may pursue. Readers comparing outcomes as well as program fit can consult the separate best counseling programs ranking.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time graduate study for a counseling master's; part-time enrollment can take longer. This is a planning range, not a published completion time for either Austin program. The actual schedule depends on required credits, course availability, placement sequencing, and whether the school offers summer classes.

Graduation and independent practice are separate milestones. A Texas clinical counseling applicant must also satisfy applicable examination and supervised-experience requirements for licensure (Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors). Ask for a term-by-term plan that marks when practicum starts and whether prerequisites or missed courses could delay completion.

Online coursework can reduce commuting, but it does not eliminate supervised clinical or school-based training. The comparison below focuses on constraints that can change an Austin student's ability to finish, rather than assuming one format is academically superior.

For an employed student, the decisive question may be whether placement hours are compatible with work, not whether lectures are online. Ask the program for its Texas-specific licensure disclosure and confirm uncertain requirements with the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council or Texas Education Agency, as appropriate.

There is no reliable single Austin-wide master's-in-counseling price in the program information discussed here. Quoting an institutional undergraduate average - or inventing an average from a small set of programs - would not tell you what this degree costs. Request each school's current total estimated program cost, including per-credit tuition, mandatory fees, expected tuition changes, books, travel to placement, and any supervision or examination expenses. IPEDS publishes institution-level tuition data, but applicants need the school's graduate program estimate for this decision (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS; institution fee schedules).

Compare the cost over the time you will actually enroll. Part-time study may preserve wages but extend fee payments; faster study may reduce time to graduation while increasing foregone earnings. Start with published charges and aid offers rather than assuming a private university is necessarily less affordable or that a lower sticker price produces a better return. The most affordable counseling programs list can help narrow options, but it cannot replace your individual net-cost calculation.

Ask each financial aid office about graduate scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and eligibility for federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Complete the FAFSA for the relevant award year and compare aid that does not need repayment with loans. Federal eligibility and institutional awards are separate decisions (Federal Student Aid; U.S. Department of Education).

Financing rules matter especially for 2027 entrants. Under changes effective July 1, 2026, Graduate PLUS is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers. A limited continuation exception may apply to students who received a qualifying Direct Loan for the same program before that date and meet the applicable enrollment and time-limit conditions; ask the aid office to assess your record rather than assuming you qualify (Federal Student Aid). If your remaining cost exceeds available aid, compare payment plans, employer support, and program costs before relying on private borrowing.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, but required undergraduate coursework, minimum grades, references, statements, interviews, and application deadlines vary by program. An undergraduate psychology major may be useful preparation, yet it should not be assumed mandatory without checking the current admissions page (Seminary of the Southwest; St. Edward's University).

Before applying, request both an admissions checklist and a degree audit for any proposed transfer graduate credit. Acceptance into a university does not mean prior coursework will replace credential-required courses or clinical training. Career changers should also ask when background checks are required for placements and whether their preferred specialization has additional entry conditions.

Clinical counseling curricula commonly cover counseling theory, assessment, ethics, diagnosis, group work, human development, research, and supervised practicum or internship. A school-focused course sequence may place more emphasis on student development, school systems, and educational practice. The distinction matters because electives alone may not satisfy a different Texas credential pathway (Texas Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors; Texas Education Agency).

Compare catalog requirements course by course, not just program descriptions. In particular, ask which courses and placements the school identifies as meeting your intended Texas requirements, whether required courses run every term, and what happens if a placement is delayed.

Common graduate directions include clinical mental health, school counseling, addiction counseling, and marriage and family therapy. They are not merely labels for the same professional authorization: Texas regulates professional counseling and marriage and family therapy through distinct licenses, while school counseling uses educator certification (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

The Seminary of the Southwest identifies its degree specifically with clinical mental health counseling, while St. Edward's uses the broader Master of Arts in Counseling name on its program page (Seminary of the Southwest; St. Edward's University). Ask each institution which specializations it currently offers, which appear on the transcript, and which credential requirements each sequence addresses. If your intended role is still uncertain, compare these pathways before selecting electives.

Start with the job you want and work backward to its Texas credential. Then compare programs using the same written questions; this prevents a convenient schedule or attractive headline price from obscuring a placement or licensure mismatch.

1. Identify the intended role and verify its education, examination, and supervised-experience rules with the Texas licensing board or education agency.
2. Ask each program for its current degree plan, relevant accreditation status, Texas credential disclosure, and recent information on student outcomes where available.
3. Confirm who arranges Austin-area placements, when they occur, and whether their hours work with your job.
4. Calculate net cost using your aid offer, likely study duration, foregone wages, borrowing, and realistic post-degree earnings over a stated time horizon.

Accreditation is worth checking precisely: institutional accreditation, CACREP programmatic accreditation, federal aid eligibility, and Texas licensure eligibility answer different questions (CACREP; U.S. Department of Education; Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). A common mistake is treating any one of them - or a ranking position - as proof of the others. For a broader value comparison, use the most valuable counseling programs list alongside your own debt and career assumptions.

These national occupational benchmarks show why specialization matters when estimating career possibilities. Wages are May 2025 medians and growth projections cover 2025-2035; they describe U.S. occupations, not Austin placements or pay for graduates of either named program (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections).

The figures are useful for comparing broad occupational markets, not choosing a degree by salary alone. A master's graduate may first need a supervised or provisionally credentialed role, and the education required for one career direction should not be assumed to qualify them for another (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

The national outlook is strongest among the counseling categories shown here for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, with 18% projected employment growth from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That supports investigating clinical and addiction-related opportunities, but it is not an Austin-specific vacancy forecast.

For a local reality check, review current postings from Austin-area school districts, community behavioral health providers, health systems, and treatment organizations. Separate openings for students, supervised associates, and independently licensed clinicians; note whether employers require a particular credential or schedule. If the roles you want consistently require a different license from the one your proposed program supports, change the program shortlist before paying an enrollment deposit.

Investing in a graduate degree is a consequential decision. To make its counseling rankings useful and credible, the Research.com team draws on education and institutional datasets, evaluates program characteristics, and distinguishes different ranking dimensions rather than treating every list as a measure of the same thing. Popularity alone should not be mistaken for licensure eligibility, affordability, or graduate success.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

• IPEDS database: institutional reporting on programs, enrollment, completions, and costs.
• Peterson's database: program and institution information used to support comparisons.
• College Scorecard database: federal institution-level education and outcome information.
• National Center for Education Statistics: federal education data and definitions.

For context, Research.com's separate Best counseling ranking first scores graduate outcomes and accreditation, then gives program cost a smaller role. Its initial score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, licensure-exam pass rates at 20% where applicable, CACREP accreditation at 16%, and federal Title IV eligibility at 4%; inapplicable criteria are reweighted. Cost accounts for about 7% of the final Best score. These weights describe that ranking, not a verified formula for popularity. See Research.com's methodology for more detail. Use the ranking to identify options, then verify the current curriculum, price, and credential pathway with each school.

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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/
• Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://ssw.edu/admissions/apply-to-southwest/master-arts-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• St. Edward's University - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.stedwards.edu/academics/majors-programs/master-arts-counseling
• St. Edward's University - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.stedwards.edu/academics/majors-programs/master-arts-counseling