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

Salary depends on the occupation, employer, setting, experience, and credential. The following U.S. occupational medians are useful benchmarks for comparing career directions, not predictions of starting pay or Texas-specific salaries. The wage reference period is May 2025, and the projections cover 2025-2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections).

These categories represent different occupations and credential paths; a counseling degree does not automatically qualify someone as a marriage and family therapist. Compare offers for the job you intend to pursue, and account for earnings during the supervised, post-degree period rather than applying an occupational median to your first year of work.

Program names can look similar while pointing toward different training and credentials. These highlights identify a concrete reason to investigate each option; confirm current credit requirements, placement arrangements, and licensure alignment directly with the program before applying.

• The University of Texas at San Antonio: Its master's is specifically in clinical mental health counseling, giving prospective LPC applicants a focused option in San Antonio rather than a general counseling degree. Ask how its field placements are arranged for students who need to remain in the metro area (UTSA).
• University of North Texas: UNT's clinical mental health counseling program is associated with the department's Counseling and Human Development Center, a concrete training resource to examine alongside external placement opportunities. This is particularly relevant if you want to know how closely supervised client work is integrated with coursework (UNT College of Education).
• Sam Houston State University: SHSU lists its Counseling degree as an MA in its graduate catalog, making the catalog's required sequence a useful starting point for checking LPC-related coursework rather than relying on the degree label. It suits applicants willing to verify how their intended clinical or school pathway is documented on their plan of study (SHSU Graduate Catalog).
• Tarleton State University: Tarleton offers an MS explicitly in clinical mental health counseling. For an applicant comparing Texas public-university options, its professional focus makes the next question whether course scheduling and approved field sites fit the student's location and work commitments (Tarleton State University).
• East Texas A&M University: Its MS identifies clinical mental health as the counseling focus, rather than requiring applicants to infer that focus from a broader degree name. Students in East Texas should compare its available course and placement locations with the cost of traveling to a larger metro program (East Texas A&M University).
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, MEd in Counseling: This is the education-focused option in UTRGV's counseling offerings, warranting a close look from applicants interested in school-based roles. Confirm the precise educator-certification pathway before treating it as interchangeable with clinical LPC preparation (UTRGV).
• University of Houston-Clear Lake: Its MS is specifically in clinical mental health counseling, an important distinction for Houston-area applicants weighing clinical work against school counseling. Ask how the program approves and supervises placements that fit a working student's schedule (University of Houston-Clear Lake).
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, MS in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling: The explicit clinical rehabilitation focus distinguishes this degree from UTRGV's education-oriented counseling option. It merits attention if disability-related counseling is your goal; verify the credential requirements for your intended job before choosing it as an alternative to a general clinical track (UTRGV).
• Texas State University: The catalog identifies a thesis option for its MA in professional counseling with a clinical mental health focus. That structure may appeal to students considering research or doctoral study, but applicants primarily seeking practice should compare the thesis commitment with other available plans (Texas State University Graduate Catalog).
• Texas Woman's University: TWU's Counseling and Development graduate offerings give applicants a department-level setting in which to compare counseling directions rather than assuming one curriculum serves every credential goal. Request the current degree plan for your chosen track before comparing its time and cost with clinically focused programs (Texas Woman's University).

Full-time students commonly plan on about two to three years for a counseling master's; part-time study can take longer because clinical courses and supervised placements must follow the program's sequence. For Texas LPC preparation, the state's minimum of 60 semester credit hours is a more useful planning check than an advertised completion date alone (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).

Ask each school for a term-by-term plan showing when practicum and internship begin, whether summer enrollment is expected, and whether part-time placements are permitted. The degree timeline also excludes the supervised post-degree experience required for full LPC licensure. An accelerated schedule is worthwhile only if you can realistically complete its fieldwork without jeopardizing employment or income.

Online study can reduce commuting and expand access for students far from a campus, but it does not turn supervised client work into an entirely remote requirement. On-campus study can make scheduled skills practice and local placement coordination easier. Neither format is inherently better for licensure: curriculum, approved fieldwork, and the state requirements applicable to the student matter more (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).

Before choosing online delivery, obtain written answers about where you may complete practicum, who secures the site, whether campus visits are required, and whether the degree meets Texas requirements for your intended credential. Compare total travel and placement costs, not only the convenience of streamed classes. Readers interested in broader academic comparisons can also examine the best counseling programs.

There is no single dependable tuition figure for all Texas counseling master's programs: required credits, residency classification, institution, course load, and fees differ. A published annual graduate tuition average is not the same as the price of finishing a clinically oriented degree, and it may exclude living expenses and fieldwork travel (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS).

For a usable comparison, request each school's current per-credit tuition and mandatory fees, then price the entire required degree plan at your residency rate. Add books, travel to placements, lost work hours, and possible extra semesters. Texas residents should check how a public institution determines in-state tuition; out-of-state students should not assume the resident rate. The most affordable counseling programs offer another shortlist, but compare their full attendance costs before deciding.

Start with the FAFSA and each program's graduate funding office. Depending on eligibility, support may include federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, university scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition assistance, and Texas-administered aid for which graduate students qualify. Award rules vary, so a grant or assistantship advertised by a university should not be assumed to be available to every counseling student (Federal Student Aid; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board).

Graduate PLUS availability has changed for new graduate borrowing beginning July 1, 2026; certain continuing borrowers may qualify under transition rules. A prospective 2027 entrant should not build a financing plan around receiving a new Graduate PLUS loan without checking current eligibility with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office (Federal Student Aid). Compare net cost after aid and the borrowing needed to cover unpaid fieldwork time, not just the first semester's bill.

Applicants generally need a completed bachelor's degree and the materials specified by the institution, which may include transcripts, references, a statement of purpose, and an interview. Schools set their own GPA, prerequisite-course, and testing policies; a psychology major is not universally required (Texas counseling program admissions offices).

Credential fit deserves an early check. Ask admissions and the program director for the current degree plan and a written explanation of how it addresses Texas LPC education rules or, for school counseling, Texas educator-preparation requirements. Transfer-credit acceptance is also program-specific: confirm both the number of credits that may transfer and whether transferred clinical coursework satisfies the required sequence. Admission to a master's program is not admission to a licensing process (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

Clinical mental health curricula commonly cover counseling theories, ethics, assessment, diagnosis, group counseling, research, and supervised practicum and internship. School counseling adds preparation for working within educational systems; rehabilitation counseling places greater emphasis on disability and vocational concerns. The Texas LPC board evaluates whether an applicant's education meets its rules, so course titles alone should not be treated as proof of eligibility (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).

When comparing catalogs, look at the required sequence rather than the elective list. A course offered occasionally may delay graduation if it is needed before internship, while a thesis may add research value without being the right use of time for every practice-focused student.

Common Texas choices include clinical mental health, school counseling, and clinical rehabilitation counseling. Some programs offer focused coursework related to addiction, couples and families, or other client populations. These interests do not automatically create a separate license: the governing board or certifying body determines which education and experience qualify for a particular credential (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

Choose the specialization by working backward from the job. A future public-school counselor should verify educator-certification preparation; a prospective therapist should verify the appropriate clinical licensure path; someone interested in disability and employment support should compare rehabilitation training and the qualifications employers request. Switching paths after substantial fieldwork may require additional coursework or supervised experience.

The best choice is the program that meets your credential goal at a manageable total cost and timeline - not necessarily the most popular name. Use the ranking to identify options, then test each finalist against requirements that could change your ability to finish and practice.

Ask programs these questions before paying a deposit:

1. Which Texas license or certification does this exact degree plan prepare students to seek, and what requirements remain after graduation?
2. Who finds and approves practicum sites, and are sites available where I can reasonably travel?
3. What is the full estimated cost at my residency rate, including required fees and likely additional terms?
4. Which credits will transfer into the required sequence, and how will part-time enrollment change the finish date?
5. What program-level completion and applicable licensure-exam results can the school document?

Verify institutional and, where relevant, CACREP programmatic accreditation with the accreditor and confirm how the Texas board treats the curriculum. Accreditation, board eligibility, and licensure are distinct checks (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). For the financial comparison, consider aid, debt, time out of work, completion likelihood, earnings before and after the degree, and how long it could take benefits to outweigh costs; the most valuable counseling programs can help frame that comparison. A common mistake is choosing by tuition or ranking alone while leaving placement access and credential eligibility unverified.

A clinical graduate may begin in an approved supervised counseling position and pursue full LPC licensure; a school-counseling graduate may pursue Texas school counselor certification; a rehabilitation graduate may seek disability, vocational, or related counseling roles. Requirements differ by job and credential, and employers may ask for qualifications beyond the master's degree (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

For a prospective LPC, Texas requires supervised experience after the qualifying degree and associate-licensure stage, as well as applicable examinations and board approval (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). That makes the availability and quality of supervision a career-planning issue, not an administrative detail to consider only after graduation. Students who prefer research, teaching, or advanced supervision should also investigate whether doctoral study better fits their long-term goal.

Nationally, employment of 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 indicates a growing occupation, not a guarantee of a Texas opening in a preferred city, specialty, or pay range. School and rehabilitation counseling have different outlooks, so a general statement about "counseling demand" can obscure the market relevant to your degree.

Check current postings in the part of Texas where you expect to work. Note which credentials employers require, whether they hire associates under supervision, and whether the proposed pay supports your borrowing plan. Compare community agencies, health systems, schools, and disability-service employers separately: their hiring cycles, supervision arrangements, and daily work can differ substantially.

Education is a significant investment, so Research.com evaluates counseling programs using multiple sources and checks outcomes, accreditation, and cost rather than treating visibility as proof of quality. The ranking is intended to help readers build a shortlist; its popularity focus should be considered alongside each program's fit with a specific career goal.

The ranking draws on these data sources:

• IPEDS database for institutional education data.
• Peterson's database for program and institutional information.
• College Scorecard database for federal institutional data.
• National Center for Education Statistics for education statistics.

Research.com's counseling rankings assess graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, accreditation and federal aid eligibility, and cost. For its Best ranking, completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable exam results, CACREP recognition, and Title IV eligibility form the main score; cost contributes about 7% of the final score. Criteria that do not apply are reweighted, and the method applies to online and campus programs. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles. Readers can review further details on Research.com's methodology page.

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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/
• O*NET OnLine - Mental Health Counselors (21-1014)
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
• The University of Texas at San Antonio - Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://future.utsa.edu/programs/master/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• University of North Texas - M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://coe.unt.edu/academics/clinical-mental-health-counseling/index.html
• Sam Houston State University - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.shsu.edu/graduate-and-professional/college-departments/education/counselor-education/counseling-ma/
• Tarleton State University - M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://programs.tarleton.edu/program/m-s-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• East Texas A&M University - Counseling (MS) - Clinical Mental Health Counseling Emphasis
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.etamu.edu/programs/counseling-ms-clinical-mental-health/