2027 Most Valuable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in San Antonio

National occupational medians provide a benchmark, not a San Antonio starting-salary estimate. These May 2025 figures describe people already working in the occupations, including workers at different career stages and, where applicable, with different credentials (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Use the row matching your intended occupation when assessing debt, and seek current offers for comparable roles in San Antonio before committing. Employer type, supervised status, workload, and eventual licensure can all affect what an individual is paid. The figures above are not interchangeable estimates of what every counseling master's graduate will make.

The clearest difference among these options is the professional route each program names, not a claim that one university is best for every applicant. Compare the published curriculum and current admissions materials against your intended Texas credential before treating any program as a match.

• UTSA - Master's in School Counseling: This is a dedicated school-counseling option rather than UTSA's separate clinical mental health degree (UTSA program pages). It is the more relevant UTSA starting point for applicants seeking a school-based career; confirm its current Texas certification alignment and field-placement requirements.
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - M.A. in Counseling and Guidance, School Counseling: The catalog identifies school counseling within a counseling-and-guidance degree (Texas A&M University-San Antonio graduate catalog). Compare its school-counseling course sequence and placement arrangements directly with UTSA's dedicated school degree if you need to balance graduate study with work in the area.
• UTSA - Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Unlike the two school-focused options above, this degree explicitly centers clinical mental health counseling (UTSA program page). It warrants closer consideration if your goal is Texas professional-counselor licensure rather than school certification; verify the current curriculum and supervised-training provisions with the program and licensing board.
• St. Mary's University - Master's in Counseling: This offers a private-university counseling option in San Antonio alongside the public-university programs (St. Mary's University program page). Its value depends on the specific credential pathway, current fieldwork arrangements, and your aid offer, so request a written curriculum and total-cost comparison before deciding.

Do not read a degree name as proof of licensure eligibility. Program requirements and state rules can change, and similarly named degrees may prepare students for different roles (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

Plan on roughly two to three years of graduate study for a counseling master's, depending on course load, required supervised training, and when courses are offered. Part-time enrollment can take longer. Treat that range as planning guidance, not a published completion time for any of the San Antonio programs; obtain each school's current full-time and part-time course sequence.

The scheduling constraint is often fieldwork rather than classroom study. A working applicant should ask when placements occur, how many daytime hours they require, and whether the program helps identify approved sites. For clinical practice, also budget time after graduation for any supervised experience and examinations required for licensure (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council).

Online delivery can reduce commuting, but it does not remove supervised practice or state credential rules. Campus study may make in-person collaboration easier; an online or hybrid format may better accommodate a job. Neither format alone establishes program quality or Texas eligibility. Research.com applies the same ranking method to online and on-campus programs, but applicants still need to examine each program's delivery and placements.

Before choosing an online option, ask whether it enrolls Texas residents, where required fieldwork can be completed, how placements are approved, and whether any campus visits are mandatory. If you may move, get written guidance on the state where you expect to seek a license or certificate. A flexible course schedule is a poor trade if suitable supervised training is unavailable near you (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

There is no single reliable citywide price that describes these degrees: graduate charges vary by institution, residency, course load, fees, and time to completion. Published tuition is also different from the amount you will pay after aid. Compare each school's total program cost, not just its per-credit rate, and consult the most affordable counseling programs as a starting point for further checks.

Request a current estimate showing tuition for the full required curriculum, mandatory fees, likely placement-related costs, and any extra term caused by course scheduling. Texas residency can affect public-university tuition, while an individual grant offer can narrow or reverse a sticker-price difference (institutional tuition and financial-aid offices). Compare net cost with expected time out of work and the credential you can pursue - not with an assumed salary increase.

Start with each institution's graduate scholarships, assistantships, and payment options, then complete the FAFSA to establish eligibility for federal aid. Eligible graduate students may use Direct Unsubsidized Loans, subject to federal limits; grants common at the undergraduate level should not be assumed available for a master's (Federal Student Aid). Employed applicants should also ask whether their employer offers education assistance, especially if the degree supports an existing behavioral-health or school role.

Do not budget on unrestricted Graduate PLUS availability. Under rules taking effect July 1, 2026, new graduate borrowers generally cannot take out Graduate PLUS loans. Certain continuing students who meet the prior-enrollment and borrowing conditions may retain temporary access for their existing program; confirm individual eligibility and the remaining period directly with the school's aid office and Federal Student Aid. Ask for an aid estimate before paying a deposit, then calculate the borrowing you would need each term.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and the materials specified by the program, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview. Do not assume a psychology major is required - or that every San Antonio program has identical prerequisites. Check the current catalog for minimum academic standards, prerequisite courses, deadlines, and any requirements tied to field placement (institutional admissions and graduate-catalog pages).

Before applying, match the program to the post-degree requirements as carefully as you match its admissions criteria. Texas professional-counselor licensure and school-counselor certification are administered through different state processes (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency). If you have prior graduate credits, ask for a written transfer-credit evaluation; acceptance toward the degree does not necessarily establish that those courses satisfy a credential requirement.

Core coursework commonly covers counseling skills and theories, human development, assessment, ethics, research, and counseling across diverse communities, followed by supervised practicum or internship. The decisive courses differ by goal: a clinical mental health curriculum may emphasize diagnosis and treatment planning, while a school curriculum may emphasize student development, school systems, and services delivered on campus (UTSA program pages; Texas A&M University-San Antonio graduate catalog).

Read the course sequence rather than relying on its title. Ask which courses meet the applicable Texas requirements, which must be taken before fieldwork, and whether an elective advertised as a specialty is offered often enough to fit your graduation plan. That check is particularly important if you must attend part time.

The most consequential local distinction is school counseling versus clinical mental health counseling. Both involve counseling skills, but they prepare students for different settings and Texas credential processes. Addiction, couples and family work, and rehabilitation may also interest applicants; do not assume a related elective or placement changes the license for which a degree prepares you (Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council; Texas Education Agency).

If you are undecided, compare actual curriculum maps and ask programs whether changing direction would require additional courses or another degree. Reviewing the most popular counseling programs may show which options attract interest, but popularity cannot resolve a credential mismatch.

Choose backward from the job and state credential you want. The best counseling programs can narrow your search, but your final comparison should test fit as well as rank.

1. Identify the intended role - such as school counselor or clinical mental health counselor - and check its current Texas requirements with the relevant state agency.
2. Ask each program to identify, in writing, the credential its current curriculum supports and how it arranges and supervises fieldwork.
3. Compare full-program net costs, aid, course schedules, and the income you may give up during study or placement; request a transfer-credit review if applicable.
4. Ask for program-specific completion, placement, and applicable exam results with their reporting periods, and note when comparable results are unavailable.

A useful return-on-investment comparison also considers the chance of finishing, expected debt, your current earnings, plausible post-degree earnings, the time horizon, and the value of money over time. Avoid the common mistake of choosing the lowest tuition or highest-ranked program before checking whether it supports the credential you need.

A school-focused degree most directly supports a school-counseling path, subject to Texas certification. A clinical mental health degree can support a path from supervised clinical work toward professional-counselor licensure, subject to state approval, examinations, and experience requirements (Texas Education Agency; Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council). Relevant employers may include school districts, community behavioral-health providers, hospitals, and nonprofit service organizations; the available role depends on the credential held, not simply the master's diploma.

For someone already working in education, a school pathway may align better with existing professional experience. Someone who wants to treat clients outside schools should scrutinize clinical licensure alignment instead. If your goal is primarily to enter a support role without pursuing a license, compare that role's actual hiring requirements before paying for a clinical master's.

National projections point to different levels of demand across counseling occupations: employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3% for school and career counselors and advisors (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Those are U.S. occupational projections, not forecasts of San Antonio vacancies or of a new graduate's chances of being hired.

For a local decision, review current postings from the types of employers where you want to work and separate fully licensed jobs from supervised or certification-dependent positions. Ask placement coordinators which San Antonio sites currently accept students and whether their hours fit your schedule. Strong national growth is encouraging only if the program, credential timeline, and local entry-level opportunities align with your plan.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com created its counseling rankings to help readers compare programs using documented outcomes, credentials, and costs rather than reputation alone. The team draws on the following data sources and checks the measures used in its rankings for quality, credibility, and accuracy:

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

Research.com scores counseling programs on graduate outcomes, licensure-exam pass rates where applicable, accreditation, federal Title IV eligibility, and cost. For its Best ranking, an initial outcomes-and-accreditation score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure-exam results at 20%, CACREP programmatic accreditation at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%. Weights are adjusted when a measure does not apply; program cost then contributes about 7% of the final score. The same approach covers online and campus programs, while rankings named for another dimension order programs by that dimension.

The ranking offers a starting point, not a substitute for confirming your intended Texas credential, placement arrangements, and personal net cost. See Research.com's methodology for more detail on how the 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
• The University of Texas at San Antonio - M. Ed. in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://future.utsa.edu/programs/master/school-counseling/
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio - M.A. in Counseling & Guidance: School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.tamusa.edu/graduate/education-human-development/counseling-health-kinesiology/counseling-guidance-ma-school/
• The University of Texas at San Antonio - Master of Science (MS) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://future.utsa.edu/programs/master/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
• St. Mary's University - M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.stmarytx.edu/academics/programs/master-counseling/