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

National occupational medians offer a benchmark, not a predicted starting salary in Greensboro. The figures below refer to workers across each occupation at different career stages; job duties and required credentials may also vary (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections).

Marriage and family therapy is a distinct occupational path; do not assume a general counseling program satisfies its licensing requirements. For a personal earnings estimate, compare current Greensboro job postings by credential and experience level, then weigh likely pay against your existing income and the cost of attending.

These Greensboro options differ most clearly in the professional role they prepare students to pursue and, for school counseling, how the degree is structured. Compare the current curriculum and credential disclosures before applying; a program's name alone does not establish licensure eligibility.

• North Carolina A&T State University - mental health counseling: This is the clinical-facing choice among the listed programs, rather than a school-counseling route. It merits a closer look if you want supervised preparation for behavioral health practice; confirm its current curriculum and North Carolina clinical licensure alignment with the department (North Carolina A&T State University).
• North Carolina A&T State University - school counseling: A separate school-counseling graduate pathway distinguishes this option from A&T's mental health route. It is the more relevant A&T program to investigate if your goal is counseling K-12 students and pursuing North Carolina school-counselor licensure (North Carolina A&T State University).
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro - M.S. in counseling, school counseling concentration: UNCG identifies school counseling as a concentration within its counseling M.S., rather than labeling this option a clinical mental health degree. Students comparing the two local school-focused options should examine each curriculum, placement arrangements, and educator-licensure disclosures to see which fits their work schedule and career goal (University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

To widen the comparison beyond popularity, review the best counseling programs alongside each school's published degree requirements.

Many full-time counseling master's pathways take approximately two to three years, but the actual timeline depends on required credits, course rotation, and fieldwork. Part-time attendance can extend it. Ask for a term-by-term plan that shows when the practicum and internship begin; a nominally short course sequence may be difficult to finish on schedule if you cannot reduce work hours for placement.

Graduation and independent practice are different milestones. North Carolina's clinical mental health licensing process includes requirements beyond simply earning a master's, including supervised experience and examination requirements; school-counselor licensure follows a separate state educator-credential process (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors; North Carolina Department of Public Instruction).

Online coursework may make graduate study easier to combine with work or caregiving, while campus study can simplify scheduled skills practice and access to faculty. Neither format removes the need for supervised field experience. For a Greensboro resident, the deciding question is often whether the program can support suitable placements nearby, not where lectures are delivered.

Before choosing an out-of-state online program, obtain written confirmation that its curriculum and placement arrangements meet the North Carolina requirements relevant to your intended credential. Institutional authorization to enroll North Carolina students is not itself a promise of professional-licensure eligibility (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors; North Carolina Department of Public Instruction).

There is no single reliable Greensboro-wide master's price that applies to these programs: published tuition may be quoted per credit or per term, and a degree's total depends on required credits, residency classification, fees, and time to completion. Compare the current full-program estimates from North Carolina A&T and UNCG, not undergraduate sticker prices or a single semester's bill (North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

For a meaningful affordability comparison, include tuition, mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, any reduction in paid work, and interest on borrowing. North Carolina residency can change the public-university tuition rate, so verify your classification rather than assuming that living in Greensboro automatically qualifies you for an in-state rate. The most affordable counseling programs ranking is useful for narrowing options, but your net cost may differ after aid.

Start with the FAFSA and each university's graduate financial-aid office. Depending on eligibility and availability, funding may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, graduate assistantships, institutional awards, and employer tuition assistance. Ask whether an assistantship reduces tuition as well as providing pay, and whether its work hours conflict with internship requirements (Federal Student Aid; North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

Graduate PLUS rules have changed: new graduate borrowers are not eligible for new Graduate PLUS borrowing beginning July 1, 2026, while qualifying students who had already borrowed for the same program before that date may have a limited transition exception. A prospective 2027 entrant should not build a funding plan around Graduate PLUS without confirming personal eligibility with Federal Student Aid and the school (Federal Student Aid). Borrow only after comparing the full program budget with aid that is actually offered.

Expect to need an accredited bachelor's degree and a graduate application; departments may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or relevant preparation. Requirements and deadlines vary by program, so check the current admissions page rather than assuming a psychology major or previous counseling job is mandatory (North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

Ask admissions two separate questions: "Can I enter with my academic background?" and "Will this degree's current curriculum support the North Carolina credential I intend to pursue?" Admission answers the first question, not necessarily the second. Applicants with prior graduate credits should also request a written transfer-credit review; accepted credits may not replace required clinical or school-based fieldwork.

Core study commonly includes counseling theories, ethics, assessment, research, multicultural counseling, human development, and supervised practice. Clinical mental health students should look for preparation relevant to diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical settings; school-counseling students should look for school-based practice and student-development coursework. Course titles alone are insufficient: compare syllabi, fieldwork requirements, and the credential standards the program says it meets (North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

The clearest local choice among the listed programs is between clinical mental health counseling and school counseling. A clinical route fits applicants aiming for behavioral health treatment settings; a school route fits those seeking a K-12 counseling role. Interests such as addiction, couples counseling, or rehabilitation may call for different electives, field experiences, or even a different degree and license. Confirm that the exact specialization you want is offered rather than treating related coursework as a formal concentration (North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

Start with the job and credential you want, then work backward. This sequence helps prevent the costliest mistake: enrolling in a convenient program that does not prepare you for your intended role.

1. Identify whether your target is North Carolina clinical mental health licensure, school-counselor licensure, or another credential; check its official state requirements.
2. Ask each program for its current curriculum, programmatic accreditation status, fieldwork requirements, and a written explanation of how graduates meet the relevant education requirements.
3. Compare placement locations and hours against your actual work and family commitments, especially if considering online or part-time study.
4. Request a full-program net-cost estimate and ask about completion and credential-exam outcomes, including the reporting period and number of students represented.

CACREP is a programmatic accreditor for counseling programs; institutional accreditation is a separate consideration. Check the current status of the specific program rather than assuming every counseling track at a university has identical recognition (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs). Use the most valuable counseling programs ranking as another comparison, but assess value personally: include aid, debt, lost earnings while studying, likelihood of completion, potential earnings relative to your current job, and the time it may take for the investment to pay off.

A school-counseling graduate may pursue K-12 counseling after meeting North Carolina educator-licensure requirements. A clinical mental health graduate may pursue the state's clinical mental health counselor licensing pathway and seek supervised or, when appropriately licensed, independent clinical roles. Some graduates move into program coordination or further doctoral study, but a master's alone does not confer a supervisory credential or authorize every kind of therapy (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors).

This degree is a stronger investment when the target role specifically requires graduate counseling preparation. If you mainly want to explore helping professions, compare job descriptions and credential rules before committing to a lengthy, placement-intensive program.

The national outlook is notably different across counseling paths: U.S. employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, versus 3% for school and career counselors (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That difference can inform your choice, but it does not measure Greensboro openings or predict an individual job offer.

For a local reality check, review current Guilford County school postings and behavioral health vacancies across the Greensboro area. Record the required license, whether an associate-level credential is accepted, work hours, and pay range. That evidence is more useful for planning your first job than applying a national growth rate directly to the city.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its counseling rankings to make program comparisons more transparent, using multiple sources and checking measures of outcomes, accreditation, eligibility for federal aid, and cost rather than relying on a school's reputation alone.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

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

Research.com's broader counseling ranking framework considers program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, CACREP programmatic accreditation, Title IV eligibility, and cost. Its Best ranking first weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable exam results at 20%, CACREP recognition at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%; weights are adjusted when a measure does not apply. Cost contributes about 7% of the final Best score. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in the ranking. The same approach applies to online and campus programs. Rankings are a starting point, not a substitute for checking whether a particular degree meets your intended credential's requirements. More detail is available in 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/
• NBCC - NCE / NCMHCE
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.nbcc.org/exams
• North Carolina A & T State University - M.S. in Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ncat.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ced/mental-health-counseling.php
• North Carolina A & T State University - M.S. in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ncat.edu/academics/graduate-programs/ced/school-counseling.php
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro - Counseling, M.S.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.uncg.edu/degrees/counseling-m-s-school-counseling-concentration/