2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in New Jersey

Pay depends on the occupation, employer, experience, and credential - not simply on having a counseling degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 national median annual wage of $59,350 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. That benchmark can help you test a tuition and borrowing plan, but it is not a New Jersey starting-salary estimate or a promised return.

Compare positions you could realistically qualify for at graduation with positions requiring independent licensure. When a school discusses earnings, ask whether its figure reflects its own graduates, which graduating cohort it covers, and whether it includes only employed respondents. For another way to weigh cost against potential outcomes, consult New Jersey's most valuable counseling programs.

The programs below are most useful to compare by their stated career direction, rather than by school name alone. Use these distinctions to build a shortlist, then obtain each program's current credit plan, placement policy, accreditation status, and credential-eligibility statement before applying.

• Montclair State University - MA in School Counseling: This specifically named school counseling program is the Montclair option to examine if New Jersey K-12 certification is your goal. Ask the program to identify its required school placements and document how graduates meet the state's certificate requirements (Montclair State University program catalog).
• Montclair State University - MA in Counseling: The broader MA listing is the better starting page for comparing counseling pathways at Montclair rather than assuming every pathway leads to school certification. Request the requirements for your intended concentration and its corresponding credential in writing (Montclair State University program page).
• Rutgers School of Health Professions - MS in Rehabilitation Counseling: Rehabilitation counseling is the defining specialty here, making the program especially relevant to applicants interested in disability and vocational services rather than a general school counseling route. Check its current fieldwork and professional-credential information against your intended role (Rutgers School of Health Professions program page).
• Kean University - MA in Counseling: Kean's named counseling degree warrants a track-by-track review because the credential supported by a curriculum matters more than the shared MA title. Applicants should ask which courses and supervised placements apply to their intended track (Kean University program page).
• The College of New Jersey - MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: This explicitly clinical track provides a clearer starting point for applicants planning behavioral health practice than a school counseling track would. Confirm how its current course and fieldwork requirements map to New Jersey's professional counselor rules (The College of New Jersey program page).
• William Paterson University - MEd in Professional Counseling, School Counseling Concentration: The school counseling concentration within a professional counseling degree calls for close attention to the exact credential pathway. It may suit applicants seeking school-based preparation, provided the university confirms the applicable New Jersey certification requirements (William Paterson University program page).
• Fairleigh Dickinson University, Florham Campus - MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Its clearly identified clinical mental health focus makes it a relevant comparison for prospective behavioral health counselors. Before comparing its price with public options, ask for the complete program budget and its current placement and licensure disclosures (Fairleigh Dickinson University program page).
• The College of New Jersey - MA in School Counseling: This separately identified school counseling MA is the TCNJ option to investigate for school-based work rather than clinical mental health practice. Compare its school-placement expectations directly with the institution's clinical track so you do not choose by university name alone (The College of New Jersey program page).
• Stockton University - Graduate Counseling: Stockton's graduate counseling listing is a useful starting point for applicants who want to examine available counseling routes before selecting a specialization. Verify the current track, delivery schedule, and field-site arrangements for the specific degree you would enter (Stockton University program page).
• Kean University - MA in Counseling, credential planning: Students interested in Kean should evaluate the degree against their intended work setting, not treat admission to an MA as proof of license eligibility. Ask for a current advising plan identifying the courses, fieldwork, and postgraduation steps tied to the pathway you select (Kean University program page).

Program titles establish a useful first distinction, but they cannot establish comparative completion rates, licensure-exam results, or total cost. Request those measures for the relevant track and cohort before deciding; a missing or institution-wide outcome figure should not be treated as a program-level result.

A full-time counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years; part-time study can take three to four years or longer, depending on course sequencing and placement availability. Clinical mental health routes commonly center on approximately 60 graduate credits under current CACREP standards, but schools set their own schedules and admission-to-fieldwork rules (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).

Ask for a semester-by-semester plan that includes practicum and internship, not just classroom credits. An accelerated schedule may lower living expenses or time out of the workforce, but only if you can obtain the required placement when scheduled; a part-time plan may be the better investment if it lets you retain income.

Online study can reduce commuting and make scheduled coursework easier to combine with a job. It does not eliminate supervised, in-person training: counseling students still need qualifying field experiences and approved supervision. A campus program may make local networking and scheduled skills practice more convenient, but its timetable may be less compatible with full-time work.

For either format, ask where New Jersey students complete placements, who finds the site, and whether the program meets the education requirements for your intended New Jersey credential. This is especially important for an online program headquartered elsewhere; its authorization to enroll you and its preparation for your target license are separate questions (New Jersey State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners; New Jersey Department of Education).

There is no single responsible statewide price for a counseling degree: published tuition can cover different credit loads, and institutional averages can mix graduate fields. Compare current, program-specific tuition using the credits you must actually complete, then add mandatory fees, books, commuting or housing, and any costs associated with placements. IPEDS reports institutional prices, while each university's current graduate tuition schedule is the source to use for an individual estimate (National Center for Education Statistics; university tuition offices).

At a public university, check whether you qualify for the resident rate and how long that classification lasts; at a private nonprofit university, compare the net price after its aid offer rather than assuming the published tuition determines value. The most affordable counseling programs are a useful cost-focused shortlist, but ask each school for a complete budget before borrowing.

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and each school's graduate aid application. Eligible students may have access to federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans; institutions may offer assistantships, scholarships, or placement-related support. Ask whether an award renews throughout the program and whether part-time enrollment changes eligibility (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Do not build a 2027 graduate budget around assumed Graduate PLUS access. Under the federal rules taking effect for new borrowers from July 1, 2026, new graduate students generally cannot use that loan, while qualifying students who previously borrowed for the same program may have transitional eligibility. Verify your individual status, borrowing limits, and alternatives with Federal Student Aid and the school's aid office before accepting an offer (Federal Student Aid).

New Jersey residents should also check the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and the school for aid applicable to graduate study. A lower net price is valuable, but compare the debt you expect at completion with likely earnings at the career stage immediately after graduation - not only with pay available after later licensure.

Master's applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must meet the particular program's academic and application requirements. Schools may request transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview; some specify prerequisite coursework or experience. Use the current admissions page for each track rather than assuming a psychology major is universally required (institutional admissions offices).

Admissions eligibility and eventual credential eligibility are different. Before paying an application deposit, send the program your intended New Jersey role and ask for its written explanation of the relevant coursework, fieldwork, and accreditation status. If you have prior graduate credits, request a formal transfer-credit review; accepted credits may not replace required clinical courses or supervised experiences.

Core graduate study commonly includes counseling theories, ethics, assessment, research, human development, and helping skills, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Clinical mental health students may study diagnosis and treatment planning; school counseling students may focus on student development, school systems, and consultation; rehabilitation students may emphasize disability and employment services (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; institutional program catalogs).

Read the required-course list, not just the specialization label. A course or placement that sounds relevant may not satisfy a New Jersey credential requirement unless the applicable state authority and program confirm that it does.

The most consequential choice is usually among clinical mental health, school, and rehabilitation counseling. These are not interchangeable labels: they prepare students for different client populations, practice settings, and potential credentials. Some programs also provide focused study in addiction or work with couples and families, but an elective or concentration name does not by itself establish eligibility for a separate professional license (New Jersey State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners; institutional program catalogs).

If you are uncertain between school and clinical practice, compare the required placements and credentials before selecting a broad-sounding degree. Switching direction late may mean additional courses or fieldwork, increasing both tuition and time to completion.

The best choice is the program that fits your intended credential and that you can realistically complete and finance. Popularity can reveal options, but it cannot tell you whether a particular track will work with your job schedule or prepare you for the state credential you need. Use the best counseling programs as an additional comparison, not a replacement for a program-level check.

Before applying, work through these checks in order:

1. Name the job and New Jersey credential you want, then ask each program to document how its specific track supports them.
2. Verify current institutional accreditation, any claimed CACREP program accreditation, and whether accreditation is required or useful for your intended credential (U.S. Department of Education; CACREP; relevant New Jersey credentialing authority).
3. Request the full course sequence, placement policy, time to completion, graduate outcomes, and any available track-specific exam results.
4. Compare net cost and expected debt under a full-time and a feasible part-time schedule, including income you would give up while studying.

For return on investment, consider your current earnings, aid, borrowing, probability of finishing, post-degree career stage, and how long you expect to work in the field. Discount future earnings when comparing programs with materially different costs or completion times. A red flag is a school that offers only institution-wide outcomes when you ask about the track - or cannot clearly explain its credential pathway.

These U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures use May 2025 national median annual wages and 2025-2035 national employment projections. They compare occupational directions, not salaries guaranteed to graduates or New Jersey-specific forecasts.

The occupational spread makes specialization a financial as well as a professional decision, but higher median pay does not mean a particular track will produce a better personal return. For example, a marriage and family counseling role may require a different state license than a general counseling MA supports. Check the credential and likely first job before using any occupational median in your budget (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; New Jersey State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners).

The strongest national growth signal among the paths shown here is for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth from 2025 to 2035. That suggests expanding opportunities in behavioral health, but a national projection does not establish the number of openings near your home or the competitiveness of entry-level jobs in New Jersey.

Test local demand before enrolling. Search current openings in the counties where you could work and separate positions accepting a recent master's graduate from those requiring independent licensure. Compare those requirements with the program's placement sites and alumni destinations. This is particularly important if you hope to work across the New York or Pennsylvania border, where the applicable credential rules may differ from New Jersey's.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. To make its rankings useful and credible, the Research.com team evaluates published education and outcome data, checks how measures apply to particular programs, and distinguishes a ranking's named dimension from overall program quality. A popularity ranking can help you identify programs to investigate; it should not substitute for checking credential eligibility, affordability, and outcomes.

Research.com's separate Best counseling ranking combines program completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure-exam pass rates (20%), CACREP program accreditation (16%), and institutional federal Title IV eligibility (4%). Inapplicable criteria are renormalized; program cost contributes a smaller share - about 7% - of the final Best score. The same approach applies to online and campus programs, while other rankings order programs by the dimension in their names.

The ranking draws on these data sources, which readers can also use to check school-level information:

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

These sources help narrow a search, but institution-level figures do not necessarily describe an individual counseling track. For further details on ranking practices, see Research.com's methodology; then confirm program-specific requirements and current prices with the 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/
• Montclair State University - M.A. in Counseling - School Counseling Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  http://catalog.montclair.edu/programs/counseling-school-counseling-ma/
• Montclair State University - M.A. in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.montclair.edu/academics/programs/ma-counseling
• Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, School of Health Professions - M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling-Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://shp.rutgers.edu/ms-rehabilitation-counseling/
• Kean University - Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.kean.edu/academics/programs/counseling-ma
• The College of New Jersey - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://programs.tcnj.edu/graduate/clinical-mental-health-counseling-ma