2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Ohio

The latest national U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures available for this comparison report a May 2025 median annual wage of $59,350 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. The median for school and career counselors and advisors was $64,330. These are occupation-wide medians, not starting salaries or Ohio-specific pay estimates; experience, setting, hours, and licensure can change an individual offer.

For an investment decision, compare the pay of the job you intend to pursue with your current earnings. A career changer who must reduce paid work during an internship has a different financial calculation from someone whose employer permits a flexible schedule. Do not use the national median as a promised post-graduation salary.

Popularity does not establish a single best fit. The Ohio programs below differ in degree structure, professional emphasis, and location; their published curricula are a starting point for questions about placements and licensure, not substitutes for a current program handbook. Confirm details with the institution before applying.

• Xavier University: Xavier offers a clinical mental health counseling degree within its counseling program. Its Cincinnati location may be useful to students seeking placements and professional contacts in that metropolitan area; ask how the program allocates local placements and supports students who live elsewhere (Xavier University).
• Kent State University: Kent State's clinical mental health counseling option is an MEd. That education-focused degree structure may appeal to applicants comparing counseling with adjacent education careers, but they should verify which courses and placements apply to their specific credential goal (Kent State University).
• University of Akron: Akron's clinical mental health counseling master's offers a Northeast Ohio public-university option. For students comparing it with Kent State, the useful distinction is not the degree label alone but the current curriculum, placement geography, and net cost after aid (University of Akron).
• Wright State University: Wright State offers an MS in counseling with a clinical mental health concentration. Applicants who want that concentration should confirm its exact degree plan rather than assuming that every counseling track within a university leads to the same Ohio credential (Wright State University).
• Youngstown State University: Youngstown State publishes its counseling curriculum in its graduate catalog as a Master of Science in Education program. The catalog format makes it particularly useful for checking course sequences and requirements before comparing a proposed part-time schedule with other schools' plans (Youngstown State University).
• Franciscan University of Steubenville: Franciscan offers clinical mental health counseling in a distinctly Catholic university setting. Students for whom that educational environment matters should still compare its clinical curriculum, placement expectations, and total cost against their licensing and career goals (Franciscan University of Steubenville).
• Capital University: Capital's published graduate bulletin provides a formal program outline for checking required courses. Its Columbus-area location may be relevant to students seeking nearby clinical placements; request current information on placement support rather than assuming proximity secures a site (Capital University).
• University of Dayton: Dayton's clinical mental health counseling degree is an MSE. It is worth comparing with Wright State's MS if you want to stay in the Dayton area: ask each school about course scheduling, supervised-placement arrangements, and the resulting total price (University of Dayton; Wright State University).
• Heidelberg University: Heidelberg offers a Master of Arts in Counseling. Its Tiffin location makes placement travel an especially practical comparison for students living outside major metros; ask whether approved sites and supervisors are available where you intend to train (Heidelberg University).
• Ohio University: Ohio University offers a clinical mental health counseling option through its education-related counseling unit. For students considering Athens, compare the program's clinical-placement arrangements with where you expect to live and work after graduation (Ohio University).

None of these descriptions is an outcome or licensure guarantee. Request each program's current handbook and ask for its accreditation status, completion and exam-result disclosures where applicable, and the process for approving clinical sites. For a broader quality-focused comparison, see Research.com's best counseling programs.

A clinical counseling master's commonly takes about two to three years of full-time study; part-time study can take longer. The actual calendar depends on course sequencing and when practicum and internship placements are available. A bachelor's degree usually requires about four years of full-time study, while a doctorate adds further years for advanced research, teaching, or supervision goals.

Ask for a term-by-term plan showing when you become eligible for clinical courses, how many hours per week a placement requires, and whether summer enrollment is expected. An accelerated plan is less attractive if it forces you to leave paid work unexpectedly or delays graduation because a required course is offered infrequently.

Online delivery can reduce trips to class, but it does not turn counseling into a wholly remote profession. Supervised practice still requires an approved setting, and a program must address the requirements of the state where you plan to seek licensure. Ohio applicants should confirm how an online program handles placements, supervision, and state eligibility before paying a deposit (Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board; U.S. Department of Education).

Campus study may suit someone who wants regular in-person skills practice or access to placements near the university. Online or hybrid study may better fit a working adult with an approved site near home. Compare scheduled live sessions, travel for any residencies, and placement assistance - not simply whether a brochure says "flexible."

There is no single dependable Ohio-wide average price for a clinical counseling master's that captures differences in program length, residency, fees, and aid. Published tuition is only one component. A useful comparison is the total cost to finish the required curriculum: tuition at your applicable rate, mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, and income you may forgo during clinical training.

At a public university, verify whether you qualify for the quoted Ohio-resident rate; do not assume it applies because you plan to move. At a private university, compare the actual aid offer rather than the sticker price. Ask each school for a written estimate based on your intended pace and review the most affordable counseling programs as a starting point, not a substitute for your own net-price calculation.

Start with the FAFSA and each school's aid office. Eligible graduate students may have access to federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans; assistantships, institutional scholarships, and employer tuition benefits depend on the school or employer. Check current eligibility rather than assuming an Ohio undergraduate grant will fund a graduate counseling degree (Federal Student Aid; Ohio Department of Higher Education).

Federal graduate borrowing rules have changed: Graduate PLUS is generally unavailable to new graduate borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, while certain continuing borrowers may qualify under transition rules. If a budget depends on that loan, ask the financial-aid office to confirm your individual eligibility and remaining borrowing options before enrolling (Federal Student Aid).

Compare aid as a reduction in total cost, not as proof that a program is inexpensive. A shorter program may reduce foregone earnings, while a part-time plan may let you keep working but extend living and education expenses. Borrow only after estimating both scenarios.

Master's programs generally require a completed bachelor's degree, transcripts, and an application; programs may also request recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework. Requirements vary, and an undergraduate counseling major is not necessarily required. Check the current admissions page for each school rather than relying on a general description (Ohio University; Kent State University; Xavier University).

Transfer credit deserves an early conversation. Ask how many prior graduate credits can count, whether clinical courses must be completed in residence, and whether accepting transfer work changes your eligibility for Ohio licensure. A credit that shortens a university degree does not automatically satisfy a licensing board's requirements (Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board).

Clinical mental health curricula typically cover counseling theories, helping relationships, assessment, group work, ethics, career development, research, and culturally responsive practice, followed by supervised practicum and internship. Those areas reflect the preparation expected in counselor education; schools differ in course titles, sequencing, and electives (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).

Read the course sequence with your intended work in mind. Someone seeking substance-use treatment should check for relevant electives and placements; someone targeting schools should confirm that the school counseling track, not merely an education-department affiliation, meets the applicable educator requirements (Ohio Department of Education and Workforce).

Common paths include clinical mental health, school, addiction, marriage and family, and rehabilitation counseling. These are not interchangeable credentials. A concentration or elective can deepen preparation, but its title does not establish eligibility for a different state license (Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board; Ohio Department of Education and Workforce).

If your goal is private clinical practice, investigate the professional-counselor licensing pathway and its post-degree requirements. If you want to counsel students in schools, compare school-counselor preparation and educator licensure instead. Applicants considering marriage and family therapy should check that profession's separate Ohio requirements before treating a general counseling master's as an equivalent route.

Choose backward from the job and credential you want, then compare programs that can plausibly get you there. Popularity can reveal options worth investigating, but it cannot answer whether a program fits your finances, location, or licensing plan.

Use these checks when speaking with admissions and program staff:

1. Confirm the credential: Name your intended Ohio license or school credential and ask the program to explain how its exact track addresses the applicable education requirements.
2. Verify accreditation and outcomes: Check institutional status and the specific program's CACREP status, if claimed; request current completion, placement, and applicable exam information with reporting periods (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs).
3. Price the full path: Request a term-by-term cost estimate, then add placement travel, likely borrowing, and earnings you may give up.
4. Test the schedule: Ask where students complete supervised work, who finds sites, and whether your planned pace is feasible while employed.
5. Compare value, not just rank: Weigh completion likelihood, debt, your current and possible future earnings, and how long you expect to use the credential.

A common mistake is choosing the cheapest advertised tuition without checking whether the placement schedule is workable. Another is assuming an online degree or counseling-related title automatically satisfies Ohio licensure. Research.com's most valuable counseling programs offer another comparison lens, but confirm the underlying fit yourself.

The path depends on education and credential. A bachelor's graduate might pursue a related support role, but independent professional counseling requires the appropriate graduate preparation and licensing steps. A clinical counseling master's can lead toward professional counselor roles after applicable supervision and examination requirements; school counseling and marriage and family therapy have distinct routes (Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board; Ohio Department of Education and Workforce).

Further study may make sense for someone drawn to counselor education, supervision, or research. It is less compelling if the immediate goal is an entry-level clinical role and a qualifying master's already addresses that goal. Before choosing a doctorate or a second specialty, check which credential the actual job posting requires.

National employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That signals demand across the occupation, but it does not measure openings in your Ohio county or guarantee a position after graduation.

For a more useful local test, review current openings in the part of Ohio where you intend to work. Note the exact license requested, whether employers accept an applicant still completing supervision, and the setting and schedule offered. Then ask prospective programs whether recent students obtained placements in comparable settings. That evidence is more actionable than a national growth figure alone.

Investing in a counseling education is a consequential decision. Research.com's team uses institutional and program data to make its rankings more credible and useful, while recognizing that a ranking cannot determine whether a program meets an individual student's licensing or financial needs.

Research.com evaluates counseling programs using graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam pass rates, accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. Its Best ranking first combines completion (40%), employment or doctoral admission (20%), applicable exam results (20%), CACREP accreditation (16%), and Title IV eligibility (4%); inapplicable criteria are renormalized. Cost contributes about 7% of the final Best score. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles, so readers should not interpret a popularity ranking as a licensure or value ranking. The approach applies to online and campus programs.

The team draws on the following databases to check program and institutional information:

• IPEDS database - institutional enrollment, awards, and cost reporting.
• Peterson's database - program and institutional information.
• College Scorecard database - federal institutional data and available outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

Use the ranking to build a shortlist, then confirm current tuition, clinical placements, accreditation, and Ohio eligibility directly with each program. Research.com explains its broader process in its methodology.

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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/
• Xavier University - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.xavier.edu/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• Kent State University at Kent - Clinical Mental Health Counseling - M. Ed.
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.kent.edu/ehs/ldes/ces/clinical-mental-health-counseling-med
• University of Akron Main Campus - Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.uakron.edu/soc/masters/cmhc/
• Wright State University-Main Campus - Master of Science in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Concentration
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://health-education-human-services.wright.edu/human-services/master-of-science-in-counseling-clinical-mental-health-concentration
• Youngstown State University - M.S. Ed. in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.ysu.edu/graduate/graduate-programs/master-science-education-counseling/