2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Norfolk

National occupational medians offer a benchmark, not a starting-salary quote for Norfolk. The table pairs the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 wage reference period with its 2025-2035 projections so readers can compare career directions without confusing pay with program outcomes.

These are occupation-level national figures, not Norfolk placement or graduate-earnings data (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections). Compare any local job offer by its credential requirements, supervision arrangements, benefits, and setting. A higher national median does not make a differently licensed occupation accessible through every counseling degree.

The Norfolk options below differ most meaningfully by professional destination and by the program information students can use to check their path. Confirm the current catalog, accreditation status, fieldwork rules, and credential alignment before treating any feature as fixed.

• Norfolk State University, professional school counseling: Its named professional school counseling program gives applicants a school-specific path to examine against Virginia Department of Education requirements (Norfolk State University; Virginia Department of Education). It is the relevant NSU option to investigate if working with K-12 students, rather than pursuing clinical practice, is the goal.
• Norfolk State University, mental health counseling: NSU publishes a mental health counseling course sequence labeled 2024-2026, giving applicants a concrete sequence against which to check prerequisites and the order of fieldwork (Norfolk State University). Because that sequence has a stated period, request the catalog applicable to your entry term before planning time off work or assuming every course will run on the same schedule.
• Old Dominion University, school counseling: ODU lists school counseling as a distinct master's program, rather than a concentration applicants must infer from its mental health offering (Old Dominion University). Students comparing Norfolk's school-focused options should ask ODU specifically about school-placement coordination and Virginia school-personnel licensing alignment; the program title alone does not establish eligibility.
• Old Dominion University, mental health counseling: ODU's separately identified mental health counseling master's makes it the clinical-direction comparison to its school counseling program (Old Dominion University). It is most relevant to applicants seeking mental health practice; compare its current clinical fieldwork and post-degree supervision preparation with NSU's published course sequence before deciding.

None of these distinctions substitutes for verified, comparable completion rates, placement outcomes, or a current individualized cost estimate. For a broader quality-oriented comparison, consult the best counseling programs alongside program documents.

A counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on course sequencing, required supervised practice, and whether a placement can begin when needed. Ask for a term-by-term plan for your entry date rather than applying a generic completion estimate to either Norfolk institution.

An accelerated schedule can reduce time away from full-time earnings, but it may leave little flexibility when an internship has daytime hours. If you intend to work throughout the degree, compare realistic weekly placement commitments - not just the number of academic terms.

Online coursework can reduce commuting and make classes easier to schedule; campus study may simplify face-to-face contact with faculty and local placement networks. Neither format removes supervised fieldwork or changes Virginia's credential requirements (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

Before choosing an online option, confirm where you may complete practicum and internship, who approves and supervises sites, whether campus visits are required, and whether the curriculum fits the state where you plan to seek a credential. For a Norfolk resident, a program with convenient online classes but hard-to-arrange local fieldwork may be less flexible than it appears.

There is no single defensible Norfolk average for the programs discussed here: a useful figure would require comparable, current program-level tuition and required-fee data for the same enrollment load and residency status. Published tuition can also exclude books, travel to placements, insurance, and lost earnings. NCES/IPEDS reports institutional prices, but those figures should not be presented as the total cost of a particular counseling master's (National Center for Education Statistics).

Request a written estimate for the entire course plan from each school, including per-credit charges, mandatory fees, expected annual increases, and fieldwork-related expenses. Compare the most affordable counseling programs against those individualized estimates: the lowest tuition rate need not produce the lowest total cost if completion takes longer.

Graduate students can investigate institutional assistantships, scholarships, employer tuition benefits, and federal aid by completing the FAFSA and reviewing each school's award notice. Federal loan eligibility and limits depend on the student and applicable rules; an aid offer is not the same as a grant, and borrowed funds must generally be repaid (Federal Student Aid).

Ask whether assistantships can coexist with fieldwork and whether any award renews through internship terms. Compare net borrowing across the full degree, not just first-year aid. The most valuable counseling programs can help frame the comparison, but personal return on investment also depends on aid, debt, completion probability, foregone earnings, likely career earnings, and how long you expect to work in the field.

Applicants should expect to document a bachelor's degree and meet each program's current graduate-admissions requirements. Schools may also ask for transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or specified preparation in the behavioral sciences; requirements can differ by program and entry term (Norfolk State University; Old Dominion University).

Do not confuse admission with permission to begin fieldwork or eligibility for a later credential. Ask admissions which prerequisites are mandatory before enrollment, whether prior graduate credits transfer into the counseling sequence, and whether background checks or site requirements could affect placement. Obtain a written transfer evaluation before counting on earlier coursework to shorten the degree.

Common areas include counseling theory and skills, ethics, human development, assessment, group counseling, multicultural counseling, and supervised practicum and internship. School-focused coursework applies these skills to student development and school systems; mental health coursework gives more attention to clinical assessment and treatment (Norfolk State University; Old Dominion University).

Read the sequence, not merely the course list. A required class offered only before practicum can delay graduation if missed, and a course with a familiar title may not satisfy a licensing board's content requirement. Have the program explain how its current curriculum maps to your intended Virginia credential.

The clearest local distinction is school counseling versus mental health counseling: both Norfolk State and Old Dominion identify programs in these directions (Norfolk State University; Old Dominion University). Choose by the work and credential you want, not by assuming that all counseling master's degrees are interchangeable.

Other counseling-related interests include addiction, rehabilitation, marriage and family therapy, and eventual counselor education. These can involve different degrees or credential rules; a relevant elective is not necessarily a recognized specialization or a route to a separate license. Ask whether a school offers the exact track and supervised experience your target occupation requires.

Start with the credential and workplace you want, then compare programs against requirements you can verify. This order prevents a common, costly mistake: choosing an attractive schedule or ranking position before checking whether the degree fits the intended profession.

1. Identify your target role and ask the Virginia Board of Counseling or Virginia Department of Education which education and subsequent steps apply.
2. Check institutional accreditation and the program's current programmatic accreditation status directly; ask how either affects your intended credential.
3. Request the current course map, placement policy, completion information, and an itemized total-cost estimate from each school.
4. Compare full-time and part-time plans against your work schedule, travel needs, likely borrowing, and potential post-degree supervision obligations.

Institutional accreditation, programmatic accreditation, degree completion, supervised experience, examinations, and state licensure are distinct checks. If a school cannot explain how its specific curriculum aligns with your goal, resolve that gap before paying a deposit - not after starting fieldwork.

A school-counseling pathway is aimed at school-based roles; a mental health counseling pathway can support progression toward clinical counseling roles. Graduates may initially work under supervision while meeting applicable post-degree requirements. Virginia's Board of Counseling and Department of Education govern different credential paths, so eligibility must be checked against the intended job (Virginia Board of Counseling; Virginia Department of Education).

A counseling degree may be worth the investment when its curriculum matches a role you genuinely want and you can finance the training and supervision period. Someone seeking an immediate independent practice, a guaranteed salary increase, or primarily administrative work should investigate alternatives before assuming this degree is the shortest route.

National demand signals differ substantially by occupation: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2025 to 2035, versus 3% for school and career counselors and advisors. That makes clinical counseling's national outlook stronger by this measure, but it does not establish the number of openings or salaries available to a new graduate in Norfolk (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections).

For a local decision, review current Hampton Roads postings for required credentials, supervision provisions, hours, and commuting distance. Compare those requirements with each program's field placements and your likely graduation date. Demand for counselors does not eliminate competition for a particular school district position or a suitable supervised clinical role.

Investing in a counseling degree is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its rankings to make program comparisons more useful, drawing on multiple education datasets and checking factors that matter after enrollment - not just a school's name. Readers can use the rankings to build a shortlist, then verify current program details directly with each institution.

Research.com's counseling rankings assess graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. Its Best ranking first combines completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable licensure-exam pass rates (20%), CACREP programmatic accreditation (16%), and institutional Title IV eligibility (4%). Inapplicable criteria are renormalized; cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their title, so popularity should not be mistaken for licensure readiness or overall quality.

The following sources were used to create the rankings and support checks across institutions:

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

These sources improve comparability, but a ranking cannot confirm that a particular course sequence meets an individual's licensing needs. See Research.com's ranking methodology for more detail, and confirm accreditation, tuition, and placement requirements with a program before committing.

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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/
• NBCC - NCE / NCMHCE
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.nbcc.org/exams
• Norfolk State University - M.A. in Urban Education
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.nsu.edu/sesl/programs/professional-school-counseling
• Norfolk State University - M.A. in Counseling Education - Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.nsu.edu/Academics/Faculty-and-Academic-Divisions/Schools-and-Colleges/School-of-Education/Departments/Secondary-Education-and-School-Leadership/Programs/M-A-Counseling-Education/Mental-Health-Counseling/MHC-Documents/MHC-Course-Sequence-24-26.aspx
• Old Dominion University - M.S. Ed. in Counseling - School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/school-counseling
• Old Dominion University - Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/mental-health-counseling