2027 Most Popular Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in South Dakota

Pay depends on occupation, credential, employer, experience, and location. The figures below are U.S. occupational medians, not South Dakota graduate salaries. They are useful for comparing career directions, but not for forecasting a particular job offer (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 wages).

This comparison pairs the national median for each occupation with its national employment projection. Use the occupation closest to your intended credential when assessing the potential return on a program.

A higher occupational median does not automatically make one degree the better investment. Compare likely local openings and your eligibility for them against borrowing, time out of work, and the supervised experience you may need after graduation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).

The clearest differences among the listed options are their stated counseling pathways, not a presumed difference in graduate success. Use these program-level distinctions to identify which departments to contact; confirm current credits, delivery, fieldwork, and outcomes with each one before applying (Northern State University; South Dakota State University; University of South Dakota).

• Northern State University - counseling master's: Its program is presented as a counseling master's degree rather than one of South Dakota State University's separately titled specialty pages. It is a useful starting point if you want to discuss how one degree's available coursework matches your intended credential; obtain a written plan for that pathway (Northern State University).
• South Dakota State University - school counseling: This explicitly named specialization gives prospective school counselors a clearer initial match than a program described only as general counseling. Check its current school-placement arrangements and South Dakota educator-credential alignment before committing (South Dakota State University; South Dakota Department of Education).
• South Dakota State University - marriage and family counseling: Its named pathway makes relational counseling the central comparison point, unlike the university's school or rehabilitation options. Ask how its curriculum and supervision map to the license and practice setting you want (South Dakota State University; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).
• South Dakota State University - rehabilitation counseling: This specialization is the clearest fit in the listed group for students focused on counseling related to disability and rehabilitation services. Compare its field-site options with the population and employers you hope to serve (South Dakota State University).
• South Dakota State University - clinical mental health counseling: Its explicitly clinical pathway gives applicants seeking mental health practice a more direct curriculum to evaluate than a school-focused option. Request the current course and supervised-training map against South Dakota's licensing requirements (South Dakota State University; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).
• Northern State University - counseling master's: For working applicants, the practical question is how the degree's required courses and placements can be scheduled, rather than whether its broad title sounds flexible. Compare the school's written study plan with the specialty-specific plans above before assuming either is faster (Northern State University).
• University of South Dakota - catalog-listed graduate program: The university's catalog provides an official program entry to use when checking current academic requirements. Its value in this comparison is as a third institution to investigate: verify the exact credential, specialty, and applicable catalog year rather than inferring them from the university name (University of South Dakota).

These are distinctions in published program descriptions, not claims that one school has better placement or licensure results. Ask each program for outcomes reported for your specific track and graduating cohort before using those measures in a decision.

A counseling master's typically takes about two to three years full-time; part-time study can take longer. The actual timeline depends on required credits, when courses are offered, and whether practicum and internship can be completed on your schedule. Ask for a term-by-term plan based on your entry date rather than relying on a general completion estimate (institutional program requirements).

Time to graduation and time to independent practice are different. Clinical applicants may need board-approved supervised experience and examinations after the degree; school applicants must check educator-credential rules separately. Plan for those stages before estimating when you can enter your target role (South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists; South Dakota Department of Education).

An online format can reduce routine travel for a student outside a campus community, but it does not eliminate clinical placements or necessarily eliminate scheduled meetings. On-campus study may simplify access to faculty and nearby placements, yet commuting can raise costs. The better format is the one in which you can complete the required approved fieldwork without interrupting employment or moving unexpectedly.

Before choosing an online program based outside South Dakota, get written confirmation that it accepts South Dakota residents, can support placements where you live, and meets the educational requirements relevant to your intended state credential. Institutional accreditation and online delivery alone do not establish licensure eligibility (South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists; South Dakota Department of Education).

There is no single dependable price for a "South Dakota counseling degree": costs vary by institution, residency, program length, fees, and whether a student can keep working. Published institutional tuition averages also may not represent the price of a particular graduate counseling track. For a useful comparison, request each school's current graduate tuition schedule and program-specific credit requirements (National Center for Education Statistics/IPEDS; institutional tuition schedules).

Calculate a comparable total that includes tuition, required fees, books or materials, placement travel, and income you might forgo. Then subtract aid you actually qualify for - not advertised aid that depends on limited awards. The most affordable counseling programs can help build a shortlist, but a lower tuition rate can lose its advantage if completion takes longer or placements require extensive travel.

Graduate applicants should complete the FAFSA and compare each school's offer of federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, assistantships, scholarships, and any employer tuition assistance. Check eligibility and award conditions individually; aid offered for one academic year should not be assumed to continue for the entire program (Federal Student Aid; institutional financial aid offices).

Graduate PLUS requires particular care for a 2027 start. Under federal changes effective for new graduate borrowers beginning July 1, 2026, new borrowers generally cannot take out Graduate PLUS loans. A limited transition exception may apply to qualifying students who received a Direct Loan for the same program before that date, subject to time limits. Ask your aid office to confirm your status and the available borrowing limits before accepting a program you cannot otherwise finance (Federal Student Aid).

To reduce borrowing, ask whether paid work can coexist with internship hours, whether assistantships cover tuition or provide a stipend, and when scholarships are renewable. Do not assume that working full-time during clinical placement will be feasible.

A counseling master's ordinarily requires a completed bachelor's degree and an application reviewed under that program's current standards. Schools may specify prerequisite coursework, references, a statement of purpose, an interview, or background-related requirements for placements; these details must be checked with the program rather than treated as statewide admissions rules (institutional admissions requirements).

If your undergraduate degree is in another field, ask admissions which prerequisites can be completed before enrollment and whether any prior graduate courses will transfer. Get a written credit evaluation: transferable coursework does not automatically replace specialty courses or supervised training required for a credential (institutional program requirements; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).

Expect coursework in counseling theories and techniques, human development, assessment, research, ethics, and work with diverse clients, followed by supervised practicum or internship. Specialty coursework should change the comparison: a school counselor needs preparation for educational settings, while a clinical mental health applicant needs to examine diagnosis, treatment, and clinical supervision requirements (institutional program descriptions; South Dakota Department of Education; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).

When comparing catalogs, look beyond similar course titles. Ask which courses satisfy the educational rules for your intended credential, which are offered every term, and whether required fieldwork can be completed near home.

South Dakota State University identifies school counseling, marriage and family counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and clinical mental health counseling specializations within its graduate counseling offerings. Their names are a useful first filter, but students should compare the actual curriculum and placement requirements for the credential they want (South Dakota State University).

Choose school counseling if your goal is a school-based role and its educator requirements; choose a clinical pathway if your goal is mental health practice under the applicable licensing board. Marriage and family counseling merits separate consideration for relational practice, while rehabilitation counseling is more closely aligned with disability-related services. Do not choose a specialty solely because another counseling occupation has a higher national median wage (South Dakota Department of Education; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Start with the job title and credential you want, then eliminate programs that cannot document an appropriate educational path. Use the best counseling programs as one comparison tool - not as evidence that every listed specialty serves your goal.

Before paying an application deposit, resolve these questions with each program and the relevant credentialing authority:

1. Which specific South Dakota license or school credential does this curriculum prepare me to pursue, and what additional steps remain after graduation?
2. What is the current accreditation status of the institution and, where relevant, the counseling program? Verify any claimed CACREP recognition directly with CACREP.
3. How many terms will my individual study plan require, and where can I complete approved fieldwork?
4. What will the full program cost after confirmed aid, fees, travel, and any reduction in work hours?
5. What completion, exam, and employment outcomes can the department document for my specific pathway and reporting period?

Common red flags include treating accreditation as automatic licensure, assuming an online degree permits placements anywhere, and comparing tuition without time-to-completion. A degree is more likely to be the right investment when its verified credential path, feasible placement plan, and total cost all support your career goal.

A bachelor's degree can support entry into related human-services work, but it should not be confused with qualification for independent counseling practice. A relevant master's can lead toward school counseling, clinical mental health, addiction services, marriage and family counseling, or rehabilitation roles, depending on the program and subsequent credential requirements (South Dakota Department of Education; South Dakota Board of Examiners for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists).

For an established professional, the investment question is whether the new credential opens a role you cannot reasonably reach through a shorter route. Compare the most valuable counseling programs alongside your current earnings, expected time in school, likely debt, probability of completion, and post-degree supervised-work period. Evaluate future earnings over a realistic career horizon rather than treating a national occupational median as your starting salary.

The national outlook differs substantially by specialty: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 18% employment growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3% for school and career counselors. These are national occupational projections, not a count of South Dakota vacancies. They suggest why a student should investigate demand for the specific credential rather than counseling jobs as a single market (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

In South Dakota, the practical job search may span school districts, health systems, community providers, and smaller communities. Compare postings in the places where you can actually live; note the required license, supervision status, and whether an employer supports early-career supervised practice. That local check is more informative than assuming strong national growth will produce an opening in your preferred town.

Investing in a counseling education is a consequential decision. Research.com developed its rankings to help readers compare programs using documented measures rather than promotional claims. Its team reviews source data and the applicability of each measure; readers should still verify current program requirements directly with schools.

Research.com's counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes, applicable licensure-exam results, accreditation, federal aid eligibility, and cost. For its Best ranking, the graduate-outcomes-and-accreditation component weights program completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure-exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP programmatic accreditation at 16%, and institutional Title IV eligibility at 4%. Inapplicable criteria are excluded and the remaining weights adjusted; cost contributes about 7% of the final Best score. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in their titles. Do not interpret a "most popular" label as a licensure or employment guarantee.

The ranking draws on these sources, which help readers assess programs from more than one angle:

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

These measures offer a starting point for a shortlist, not a substitute for checking your intended specialty, field placement, and state credential requirements. See Research.com's methodology for more on how its rankings are created.

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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
• Northern State University - M. Ed. in Counseling - Clinical Mental Health Pathway
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://northern.edu/degrees/counseling-masters-degree
• South Dakota State University - Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.S.) - School Counseling Specialization
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.sdstate.edu/programs/graduate/counseling-human-resource-development-ms-school-counseling-specialization
• South Dakota State University - Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.S.) - Marriage and Family Counseling Specialization
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.sdstate.edu/programs/graduate/counseling-human-resource-development-ms-marriage-family-counseling
• South Dakota State University - Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.S.) - Rehabilitation Counseling Specialization
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.sdstate.edu/programs/graduate/counseling-human-resource-development-ms-rehabilitation-counseling-specialization
• South Dakota State University - Counseling and Human Resource Development (M.S.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.sdstate.edu/programs/graduate/counseling-human-resource-development-ms-clinical-mental-health-counseling