2027 Most Popular Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Saint Louis

These national medians provide a comparison among counseling career paths, not a Saint Louis starting-salary estimate. The figures describe occupations that can include workers with different experience levels and credentials (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 occupational wage data).

A sound return-on-investment estimate also accounts for your current earnings, aid, borrowing, time away from work, likelihood of completing the program, and the years over which you expect to benefit. Discounting future earnings matters: a higher salary much later is not equivalent to the same amount earned immediately.

The clearest difference among these Saint Louis-area options is the professional direction each degree emphasizes - not a claim that any one school guarantees licensure. Use the program distinctions below to decide which admissions offices deserve a closer conversation (Missouri Baptist University; University of Missouri-St. Louis; Covenant Theological Seminary).

• Missouri Baptist University, M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: This is a clinical counseling degree at a private university, rather than a school-counseling route. It is worth comparing with UMSL's clinical option if you want to evaluate differences in required courses, placement arrangements, and total net cost before selecting a Missouri licensure path.
• University of Missouri-St. Louis, M. Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: UMSL offers a clinical route within an education-degree framework, distinct from its separate school counseling M. Ed. It is a useful choice to investigate if you want clinical preparation but need to verify exactly how the M. Ed. curriculum maps to Missouri professional-counselor requirements.
• Covenant Theological Seminary, M.A. in Counseling: Its seminary setting makes the integration of counseling study and a faith-oriented academic environment the defining comparison point. Applicants interested in ministry-related settings should still ask separately about clinical placements and eligibility for any state license they intend to seek.
• University of Missouri-St. Louis, M. Ed. in School Counseling: Unlike the clinical options above, this degree is directed toward school counseling. It deserves priority if your goal is a school role; confirm its current alignment with Missouri educator-certification requirements and the availability of school-based placements.

Program titles and institutional setting do not establish current accreditation, admission to a placement, or credential eligibility. Request each program's current handbook and written credentialing guidance before paying a deposit.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time study for a counseling master's, with part-time study taking longer. The calendar depends on course sequencing, whether field placements are available when needed, and whether you can reduce work hours during supervised training. CACREP's 2024 standards require at least 60 semester credits for entry-level clinical mental health counseling programs; that credit minimum is not a promise that every Saint Louis program has the same length (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).

Ask for a term-by-term plan that includes practicum and internship, not just classroom courses. An accelerated schedule may lower living costs or bring forward a career change, but it can be a poor fit if placement hours conflict with paid work.

Online study can reduce commuting and make scheduled coursework easier for a working adult; campus study may make in-person peer practice and local faculty contact simpler. Neither format removes supervised fieldwork. Even an online student needs placements that the program approves and that fit the intended credentialing jurisdiction (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors).

Compare delivery at the course and placement level: required live sessions, campus visits, who finds the site, and whether the school will approve a site near your home or workplace. If you live on the Illinois side of the metro area, establish which state's credential you intend to pursue before assuming a Missouri-based placement will meet your needs.

There is no single tuition figure that fairly represents every Saint Louis counseling master's: schools may charge by credit or term, and programs can differ in length, fees, and aid. An institution-wide graduate tuition average is not necessarily the price of its counseling degree (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS). Rather than relying on an unverified citywide average, request each school's current program-specific cost of attendance.

Compare net total cost: tuition for all required credits, mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, living expenses, and interest on borrowing, minus grants or employer support. For a public option, confirm whether you qualify for the quoted tuition category; for any option, ask whether summer terms and placement-related costs are included. The most affordable counseling programs can provide a starting shortlist, but your aid offer determines what is affordable to you.

Graduate students can submit the FAFSA for consideration for eligible federal aid; eligibility and loan terms depend on current federal rules and individual circumstances (Federal Student Aid). Schools may also offer institutional scholarships or graduate assistantships, while an employer may provide tuition assistance. Ask whether an award continues during internship terms, when a student's paid-work capacity may be limited.

Compare written aid offers against the full program budget, not the first term's bill. The most valuable counseling programs are another comparison point, but a favorable ranking cannot substitute for calculating your own expected debt and the career path available from that particular degree.

Applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree and must meet the chosen school's current admissions rules. Programs may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or evidence of readiness for supervised work; psychology or education prerequisites vary by program (Missouri Baptist University; University of Missouri-St. Louis; Covenant Theological Seminary). Do not assume a counseling certificate replaces a qualifying master's degree for a regulated role.

Before applying, ask admissions staff to identify any prerequisite courses and the program's policy on graduate transfer credit. Transfer approval can depend on course equivalence, recency, and limits on credits accepted; get a written evaluation before treating previously earned credits as a cost saving.

Expect study in counseling theories, ethics, assessment, human development, research, and culturally responsive practice, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Clinical programs also emphasize diagnosis and treatment; school programs emphasize counseling in educational settings and collaboration with students' families and school staff (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).

Course titles are less important than the competencies and credential requirements they satisfy. Request a curriculum-to-requirements map if a program promises preparation for Missouri licensure or school certification, especially when comparing an M.A. with an M. Ed.

The consequential choices here are clinical mental health and school counseling. Related interests include addiction, couples and family work, and rehabilitation, but an elective or internship in an area does not necessarily qualify a graduate for a separately regulated occupation (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

If your goal is specific - such as counseling in schools rather than treating adults in a clinic - choose the credential route first and then compare programs within it. If you are undecided, ask whether changing tracks would add courses or delay fieldwork before assuming you can switch without cost.

Start with the job you want, the state where you expect to work, and the credential that job requires. A popularity ranking can reveal programs to investigate; the best counseling programs offer a different comparison lens. Neither replaces verifying the details that determine whether the degree works for you.

Use this sequence when speaking with schools:

1. Ask which Missouri license or certification the current curriculum is designed to support, and request the requirements in writing; ask about Illinois separately if you may work there.
2. Check current institutional and, where relevant, programmatic accreditation directly with the recognized accreditor, and ask how it affects your intended credential.
3. Request a term-by-term schedule, placement policy, transfer-credit evaluation, and complete cost estimate after likely aid.
4. Ask for recent program-level completion and credentialing outcomes with their reporting periods, rather than relying on institution-wide results.

A common mistake is choosing the shortest or cheapest advertised option before confirming placement access and credential fit. A better investment is the program you can realistically complete, afford, and use for your intended occupation - not automatically the one with the lowest sticker price.

A clinical master's can be a route toward supervised postdegree practice and, after meeting state requirements, professional counseling licensure. A school counseling master's is a route toward work in schools after satisfying applicable certification requirements. Some graduates may instead seek agency, nonprofit, or student-support roles whose requirements differ by employer (Missouri Committee for Professional Counselors; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

The distinction matters financially: supervised experience, examinations, and credential applications can extend the path to some roles beyond graduation. If you want to enter a different profession, such as marriage and family therapy, verify that profession's educational rules before treating a general counseling degree as interchangeable.

National employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That signals demand across the United States, but it is not a forecast of Saint Louis vacancies or a guarantee that a new graduate will secure a preferred placement.

For a local decision, examine current openings by setting and credential: a school district's certification requirement is not the same as a clinic's requirement for a licensed or license-eligible counselor. Ask programs where their students complete supervised placements and whether those sites have recently hired graduates. Those answers are more useful for judging your immediate Saint Louis opportunities than national growth alone.

Investing in graduate education is consequential, so Research.com evaluates programs using multiple measures rather than treating a single outcome as proof of quality. Its counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and program cost. The Most Popular ranking orders programs by its named dimension; popularity should be a starting point for comparison, not a substitute for checking career fit or licensure eligibility.

For the Best ranking, Research.com first combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure-exam pass rates (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation (16%), and Title IV institutional eligibility (4%). Shares are renormalized when a criterion does not apply. Cost contributes a smaller component - about 7% of the final score. The same approach applies to online and campus programs; other rankings order programs by the dimension their names describe.

The Research.com team uses the following sources to support and check its rankings:

• IPEDS database: institutional enrollment, completions, and cost reporting.
• Peterson's database: program and institutional information used in comparisons.
• College Scorecard database: federal institutional and student-outcome information.
• National Center for Education Statistics: federal education data and definitions.

These measures can help readers narrow a shortlist, but applicants should confirm current tuition, program accreditation, and state credentialing fit directly with each school. See Research.com's methodology for more about how its rankings are created.

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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/
• Missouri Baptist University - Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.mobap.edu/majors-programs/master-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• University of Missouri-St Louis - Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.umsl.edu/degrees/masters/med-clinical-mental-health-counseling.html
• Covenant Theological Seminary - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.covenantseminary.edu/mac
• University of Missouri-St Louis - Master of Education in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.umsl.edu/degrees/masters/med-school-counseling.html