2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Maine

The U.S. median annual salary for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). That combined occupation is a useful benchmark for a clinical or addiction-focused path, but it does not predict pay for a new graduate in Maine. Employer type, experience, location, and licensure status can all affect an offer.

For school counseling, the national median for school and career counselors was $64,330 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). Because that occupation also includes career counselors, use a Maine district's posted salary schedule when evaluating a specific school job. Compare likely pay with the debt and work hours your degree would require, rather than treating a national median as a return-on-investment promise.

The University of Southern Maine (USM) and Husson University offer distinct clinical and school counseling paths. Their published program descriptions make concentration and delivery format useful first comparisons; request current credit plans, placement rules, and total-price estimates before deciding that one is a better fit.

• University of Southern Maine - clinical mental health counseling: USM offers this path as a concentration within its MS in Counseling. That structure is worth examining if you want to compare clinical preparation with another counseling concentration at the same university; confirm the current course sequence and Maine licensure alignment with the program (University of Southern Maine, Counselor Education).
• Husson University - clinical mental health counseling: Husson identifies this master's degree as an online program. It may suit a working adult who cannot attend regular campus classes, provided the student can secure approved supervised training and meet any required live or in-person activities (Husson University, Online Degrees).
• University of Southern Maine - school counseling: USM's separate school counseling concentration lets applicants focus their comparison on preparation for educational settings rather than clinical practice. Ask how the program coordinates school placements and how its current curriculum relates to Maine educator certification requirements (University of Southern Maine, Counselor Education).
• Husson University - school counseling: Husson offers a school-focused master's through its online degree portfolio. This combination may be useful for an employed or geographically distant applicant, but school-based fieldwork still requires a workable placement and supervision plan (Husson University, Online Degrees).

These are program characteristics, not evidence that one option produces better outcomes. For a broader quality-focused comparison alongside popularity, review the best counseling programs and verify any decisive claim with the school.

A counseling bachelor's degree typically takes about four years of full-time study; a licensure-oriented master's commonly takes roughly two to three years full time and longer part time. The exact timeline depends on required credits, course rotation, and when a student can complete practicum and internship placements. Ask each Maine program for a term-by-term plan that includes fieldwork, not just classroom courses.

Graduation is not necessarily the end of the timeline. A graduate pursuing Maine clinical licensure must also satisfy applicable supervised-experience and examination requirements; a school counseling candidate must satisfy the state's educator-certification rules (Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education). If you need to keep working, compare a slower schedule's lower immediate income disruption with its longer path to the intended credential.

Online study changes where you take classes, not the professional standards or fieldwork involved. Husson's online clinical and school counseling options may reduce commuting for students outside a campus area. A campus-based schedule may appeal to someone who prefers face-to-face instruction or easier access to local faculty and placement networks. Neither format is automatically more compatible with Maine licensure or certification (Husson University, Online Degrees; Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

Before accepting an offer, ask whether classes meet live, whether campus visits are required, where placements can occur, and who approves supervisors. If you plan to live or practice outside Maine, ask the program for that state's requirements too: approval to enroll in an online degree is not the same as eligibility for a professional credential there.

There is no single reliable price for a "counseling degree in Maine": undergraduate and graduate programs, resident and nonresident rates, and online tuition policies do not form one comparable cost category. For the degree you actually need, calculate required credits × your applicable tuition rate, then add mandatory fees, books, placement-related expenses, and any travel or campus-visit costs. Compare published charges for the same academic year and enrollment status (institutional tuition schedules; National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS).

An apparently lower per-credit price may not mean a lower total bill if a program requires more credits or takes longer to complete. Financial aid, earnings you give up while studying, and the probability of finishing also matter to value. Use the most affordable counseling programs as a starting point, then request an individualized total-cost estimate from each finalist.

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and each school's aid office. Depending on the degree and your eligibility, options may include federal loans, institutional scholarships, employer tuition assistance, and paid work that fits around fieldwork. Ask about funding for placements specifically: an award that covers tuition may not cover travel or reduced work hours (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Graduate PLUS rules require particular attention for a 2027 applicant. Under the federal changes taking effect July 1, 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot rely on Graduate PLUS; limited transition provisions may apply to eligible students already enrolled in a program and borrowing before the change. Confirm your individual eligibility and current Direct Loan limits with Federal Student Aid and the school before building a budget around any federal loan (Federal Student Aid).

Maine residents should also ask their aid office about current state and institution-specific programs, checking each award's degree-level and residency rules. To compare aid packages meaningfully, separate grants you need not repay from loans and calculate the remaining cost for the whole program.

A counseling master's generally requires a completed bachelor's degree. Schools may also request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview; prerequisite coursework and minimum academic standards vary by program. For an undergraduate degree, ask how prior college credits transfer and whether the major has separate admission requirements (University of Southern Maine; Husson University).

The most important prerequisite to check may be career-related rather than academic. If your goal is clinical practice, ask admissions which exact courses support Maine's professional counselor education requirements. If your goal is a K-12 position, ask how the school counseling concentration supports Maine educator certification. Obtain the answer for the specific program and catalog year you would enter (Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

Graduate counseling curricula commonly include counseling theories, interviewing and helping skills, human development, assessment, ethics, research, and supervised field experiences. A clinical concentration may emphasize diagnosis and treatment planning, while a school concentration may emphasize student development, school systems, and counseling within an educational setting (University of Southern Maine, Counselor Education; Husson University, Online Degrees).

Read the required-course list rather than judging fit by the degree title. A course that sounds relevant to your goal may be an elective, may be offered infrequently, or may not satisfy the educational requirement you intend to meet. Ask for the current catalog and a sample study plan before committing.

The clearest choice among the programs discussed here is clinical mental health versus school counseling. Clinical training fits someone aiming to counsel clients in health or community settings and pursue the appropriate professional license. School counseling fits someone who wants to serve students within K-12 systems and pursue educator certification (University of Southern Maine; Husson University; Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

Interests such as addiction counseling, rehabilitation, or couples and family work may require different coursework, credentials, or further training. Do not assume a clinical concentration automatically qualifies you for every related specialty. If your goal is to teach counseling at the university level or supervise as a primary career, compare doctoral education requirements rather than expecting a master's concentration alone to serve that purpose.

Start with the job you want and work backward to its required credential. A degree is more likely to be a sound investment when its curriculum, placement access, schedule, and net cost all support that goal. Someone seeking independent clinical practice should not select a school-focused program solely because it is cheaper; someone committed to K-12 work should not pay for a clinical track without confirming its relevance to school certification.

Use this sequence when contacting programs so that attractive features do not obscure a disqualifying requirement:

1. Identify the Maine license or certification associated with your target role and check the relevant state agency's current requirements.
2. Ask each school how its exact concentration, accreditation status, and supervised placements align with that credential; request written details.
3. Compare total net price, expected completion time, available aid, transfer-credit treatment, and the work hours you may need to give up.
4. Request program-specific completion and career-outcome information, noting the reporting period and whether the figures apply to your concentration.

A ranking can narrow the search, not replace those checks. The most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison lens, but your own return depends on debt, current and potential earnings, completion prospects, and how long you expect to use the credential.

A master's graduate might work toward clinical mental health counseling licensure or school counselor certification, depending on the completed program and additional requirements. Related roles in addiction services or rehabilitation settings can have different qualification rules. Entry-level support work may be possible before independent licensure, but job titles and permitted duties depend on the employer and applicable law (Maine Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure; Maine Department of Education).

Think of the degree as one stage of a pathway: education, supervised experience, any required examination, and state credentialing are distinct steps. If you may move after graduation, check the destination state before enrolling; a program designed around Maine requirements should not be assumed to satisfy another state's rules.

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 indicates stronger national growth for this combined occupation, but it is not a Maine-specific forecast or a guarantee of a local opening. Compare actual postings in the Maine communities where you could work, paying close attention to license requirements and supervision offered.

For school and career counselors, the comparable national projection is 3% growth over 2025-2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). Because school vacancies depend on districts and budgets, prospective school counselors should examine openings and placement access in the areas where they intend to live. In either path, a program's ability to support the required fieldwork can matter more to your first job than a broad growth rate.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision, so Research.com evaluates programs using education and outcomes data rather than treating a school's name as a measure of fit. Its counseling rankings consider graduate completion, employment or doctoral admission, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, programmatic CACREP accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. The Best ranking weights graduate outcomes and accreditation most heavily, with cost contributing about 7% of the final score; other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles. The same approach applies to online and campus programs.

The Research.com team uses the following sources to check program information and strengthen the ranking's credibility:

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

The ranking can help you build a shortlist, but popularity alone does not establish licensure eligibility, affordability, or personal fit. Review the Research.com methodology, then confirm current program requirements and costs directly 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/
• University of Southern Maine - Master of Science in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://usm.maine.edu/counselor-education/master-of-science-in-counseling-clinical-mental-health-counseling-concentration/
• Husson University - Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/master-of-science-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling
• University of Southern Maine - Master of Science in Counseling: School Counseling Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://usm.maine.edu/counselor-education/master-of-science-in-counseling-school-counseling-concentration/
• Husson University - Master of Science in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.husson.edu/online/online-degrees/master-of-science-in-school-counseling