2027 Most Popular Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina

Pay depends on the occupation, setting, experience, and credential - not simply the degree title. The following national BLS figures are occupational medians for May 2025, paired with employment projections for 2025-2035. They are useful for comparing career directions, but should not be read as starting pay or North Carolina-specific salary offers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections).

These rows represent different occupations, not interchangeable jobs available to every counseling graduate. For a realistic personal estimate, compare current postings in the part of North Carolina where you intend to work, separating positions open immediately after graduation from those requiring independent licensure.

The program pages point to meaningfully different ways to study counseling. The distinctions below are most useful as questions for a shortlist: confirm current credits, fieldwork arrangements, accreditation status, and outcomes directly with each program before applying (institutional program and catalog pages).

• East Carolina University, counselor education M.S. degree page: Its degree-specific page gives applicants a starting point for checking the M.S. curriculum rather than relying on university-wide descriptions. It is a useful first stop for students who want to compare the stated degree pathway with North Carolina credential requirements.
• East Carolina University, counselor education department: The department page provides the broader counselor education context alongside the degree listing. Applicants weighing an area of practice should use it to check which current pathways and faculty support are associated with the program.
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke, graduate catalog entry: The catalog is the appropriate place to verify formal degree requirements and course rules. This matters especially if an applicant plans to request transfer credit or needs to know which requirements will apply upon entry.
• North Carolina A&T State University, mental health counseling: The program page explicitly identifies mental health counseling as its focus. It merits closer examination from applicants seeking a clinical mental health pathway rather than a school-based counseling credential.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, school counseling: Its school counseling program is the relevant option here for applicants targeting work in schools. Those applicants should confirm how the current curriculum and placements align with North Carolina educator licensure.
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte, school counseling concentration: School counseling is presented as a concentration within its counseling master's program. That structure makes the concentration's required courses and placements particularly important to check before comparing it with a stand-alone school counseling degree.
• Montreat College, online clinical mental health counseling: The program is presented as an online option. It may suit a working applicant who needs remote coursework, provided its required in-person training can be completed at an approved site within a practical commute.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, clinical mental health counseling: This program sits in the university's health sciences area, a different academic setting from its school counseling offering. Applicants interested in healthcare-related settings should ask how that setting shapes placements and interdisciplinary training.
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke, professional school counseling: This degree-specific page makes the school pathway easier to distinguish from broader counseling listings. Applicants should verify its current placement expectations and North Carolina educator-licensure alignment.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, clinical rehabilitation counseling catalog: The graduate catalog identifies a rehabilitation-focused pathway. It deserves attention from students whose interests center on disability and rehabilitation rather than a general school counseling role; the catalog should also be checked for binding curriculum requirements.

Program descriptions establish areas of focus, but they do not by themselves establish superior outcomes. Request comparable, recent program-level completion, placement, and applicable exam results before treating any distinction as evidence of a better return on investment. For a broader comparison based on outcomes and other factors, see the best counseling programs.

Plan on roughly two years of full-time study for many counseling master's programs; part-time study commonly takes longer. The actual schedule depends on the program's credit requirements, course sequence, start dates, and availability of a supervised placement. A short advertised completion time is less useful if required classes or internships cannot be taken when you need them (institutional program catalogs).

Ask for a term-by-term plan for your intended enrollment status. If you will keep working, establish when internships occur and whether your employer can accommodate them. Graduation and independent practice are separate milestones: North Carolina clinical mental health counselor licensure has additional supervised-experience and examination requirements (North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors).

Online delivery changes where coursework happens, not the need to develop counseling skills under supervision. An online program can reduce commuting for a student who works or lives far from campus; an on-campus program may make scheduled face-to-face practice and local placement coordination easier. Either format can be a poor fit if its required field site is inaccessible or its timetable conflicts with employment.

Ask online programs whether classes meet at fixed times, whether any campus visits are required, who approves local supervisors, and what happens if a placement falls through. For both formats, confirm programmatic accreditation status and obtain written guidance on how the degree aligns with the North Carolina credential you seek. Do not assume that "online" means placements can also be completed remotely (institutional program pages; Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; North Carolina licensing boards).

There is no single statewide counseling-master's price that reliably describes every applicant's bill. Published graduate tuition may be quoted by credit or term, and public universities can charge different resident and nonresident rates. Compare the total price for your actual course plan, not a one-year tuition figure. NCES IPEDS institutional cost data can help establish a baseline, but a program-specific written estimate is more useful for this decision (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS; institutional tuition schedules).

Include mandatory fees, books, travel to placement sites, possible campus visits, and income lost during fieldwork. Verify your residency classification before using an in-state quote. For a cost-focused shortlist, review the most affordable counseling programs, then request each school's current estimate for your residency and enrollment status.

Start with the FAFSA and each graduate program's aid office. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans may be available to eligible graduate students; assistantships, employer tuition support, institutional scholarships, and certain service-linked awards depend on the school or employer. Ask whether funding continues during internship terms and whether an assistantship's work hours are compatible with placement obligations (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Graduate PLUS is not a safe assumption for a new 2027 enrollee. Federal rules ended new Graduate PLUS borrowing beginning July 1, 2026, while limited transition eligibility may apply to students who borrowed for the same program before that date and meet the applicable conditions. Confirm your individual eligibility with Federal Student Aid and the school rather than building a budget around that loan (Federal Student Aid).

A low sticker price is not always the lowest net cost. Compare written aid offers, the amount you would borrow each year, and the cost of any extra terms. If debt is a major factor, the most valuable counseling programs offer another starting point, but your own aid package and likely completion timeline remain decisive.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and the materials specified by the individual graduate program, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework. A psychology bachelor's is not necessarily required; admissions rules vary, so check the current program page rather than assuming that one school's requirements apply statewide (institutional admissions pages).

Before paying an application fee, ask two separate questions: "Am I eligible for admission?" and "Will this curriculum support the North Carolina credential I want?" They are not equivalent. If you have prior graduate coursework, request a transfer-credit review early; accepting credits does not necessarily mean a school will waive its supervised-practice or licensure-aligned courses (institutional graduate catalogs; North Carolina licensing boards).

Core study commonly covers counseling theories, helping skills, ethics, assessment, research, group work, and human development, followed by supervised practicum and internship. The specialization changes the emphasis: school counseling students need school-relevant coursework and placements, while clinical mental health students focus on clinical assessment and treatment within their program's scope (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; institutional curricula).

Compare course sequences, not just course titles. A student pursuing North Carolina licensure should ask which courses the program counts toward the relevant educational requirements and whether any needed content must be added after graduation. The state board or educator-licensure authority - not a course name - ultimately governs credential requirements.

The clearest choices represented among the featured programs are clinical mental health, school counseling, and clinical rehabilitation counseling (institutional program pages). Clinical mental health fits applicants interested in behavioral health practice; school counseling fits those seeking a school-based role; rehabilitation counseling fits interests involving disability, functioning, and access to work or services.

Related interests, such as addiction treatment or work with couples and families, require closer credential checking. A concentration, elective, or placement in an area is not automatically a separate license. In particular, marriage and family therapy has its own North Carolina licensing board, so applicants seeking that credential should verify the specific educational route before choosing a general counseling program (North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board).

Start with the job and credential you want, then eliminate programs that cannot demonstrate a suitable educational pathway. Popularity can identify options to investigate, but it cannot substitute for a credential check or a personalized budget. Use this sequence when comparing your finalists:

1. Identify the intended North Carolina license or certification and confirm its requirements with the responsible board or agency.
2. Ask each program to document its curriculum alignment, current accreditation status, and where students complete supervised placements.
3. Request a term-by-term schedule and a written estimate of total tuition, fees, and likely travel costs for your circumstances.
4. Compare recent program-level completion and applicable exam or employment outcomes, asking how the school defines each measure.
5. Estimate the investment against your current earnings, expected time out of work, likely borrowing, and the time needed to reach your career goal.

The strongest choice is the one you can complete, afford, and use for your intended pathway. A faster program is not necessarily cheaper if its placement schedule forces you to reduce paid work; a lower-cost program is not a bargain if it does not meet the educational requirements of the credential you need.

A graduate might pursue supervised clinical counseling work, school counseling, rehabilitation services, or a more specialized path consistent with their education and credential. These are not automatic alternatives after earning any counseling master's: schools, clinical employers, and licensing boards can require different preparation (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

For someone already employed in education, a school counseling pathway may build on familiarity with schools, but certification requirements still need checking. Someone changing careers toward independent clinical practice should account for the supervised post-degree stage. If your goal is research, teaching counselor education, or advanced supervision, compare the master's with the additional education those roles may require rather than assuming the degree is the final step.

National demand differs substantially by occupation. BLS projects 18% growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in 2025-2035, compared with 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. Those are U.S. projections, not forecasts of openings in a particular North Carolina county. The distinction matters: choose a specialization for the work and credential you want, not solely for the fastest-growing national category (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

To test local prospects, search current vacancies in your preferred region using the credential required as well as the job title. Compare employers' supervision arrangements, work settings, and requirements for independent practice. Rural and metropolitan searches may produce different placement and employment options, making geographic flexibility a practical part of the decision.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com designed its counseling rankings to give readers a more credible starting point for comparing programs, drawing on multiple education datasets and checking factors that matter beyond a school's name. The team used these sources to create the ranking:

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

Research.com's counseling framework considers program completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam results, CACREP programmatic accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. Its Best ranking first combines outcomes and accreditation, then gives cost a smaller role; other rankings order programs by the dimension named in the ranking. A popularity ranking is therefore a way to discover programs, not proof that the most popular option has the best licensure fit or lowest net cost. Readers can examine the full approach on the Research.com methodology page and use the ranking to build a shortlist for direct verification with schools.

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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/
• East Carolina University - Master of Science in Counselor Education
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://degrees.ecu.edu/degree/counselor-education-ms/
• East Carolina University - Master of Science in Counselor Education - School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://education.ecu.edu/counselor-education/
• University of North Carolina at Pembroke - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A. Ed.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.uncp.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=24&poid=10534
• 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
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - M. Ed. in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://ed.unc.edu/academics/programs/school-counseling