2027 Most Valuable Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Tennessee

National occupational medians are useful benchmarks, not Tennessee salary offers or estimates of what new graduates earn. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the following May 2025 median annual wages and 2025-2035 national employment projections. Occupational categories do not map perfectly onto degree titles, and wages reflect workers at different career stages.

The difference between these occupations makes specialization an economic decision as well as an academic one. Compare the occupation you actually intend to enter with local job postings, likely starting pay, and your expected debt; a national median cannot account for a specific Tennessee employer, region, or level of licensure.

The clearest differences among these Tennessee options are the professional pathways they identify, not a claim that one school produces a guaranteed outcome. Use these program-specific distinctions to decide which schools deserve a closer review of curriculum, placements, accreditation, and current results.

• Lincoln Memorial University - professional counseling: Its graduate program is presented as professional counseling rather than as a school-only degree. It warrants a closer look if you want to compare the available professional pathways before committing to a particular credential; confirm the exact track and its current Tennessee licensure alignment with the university.
• Carson-Newman University - MS in Counseling: The MS designation gives applicants a specific graduate counseling degree to compare with the MSEd routes offered elsewhere in this group. If your goal is clinical practice or school counseling, ask which concentrations and supervised experiences are currently available rather than treating the degree title as proof of eligibility for either route.
• University of Memphis - school counseling MS: This is an explicitly school-focused degree, unlike the university's clinical mental health and clinical rehabilitation options. It is the more relevant Memphis program to investigate if your intended workplace is a school; verify its fit with Tennessee's school-services requirements.
• University of Memphis - clinical rehabilitation counseling MS: This distinct clinical rehabilitation pathway merits attention from applicants interested in disability-related counseling and rehabilitation settings. Compare its curriculum and intended credential outcomes with the university's general clinical mental health route before deciding which best matches your planned work.
• University of Memphis - clinical mental health counseling MS: Its stated focus is clinical mental health, rather than school or rehabilitation counseling. That makes it the Memphis option to examine first if you intend to pursue a clinical counseling license; obtain the current course and fieldwork requirements before applying.
• University of Tennessee at Martin - school counseling MSEd: The program identifies both an education degree and a school-counseling focus. It is a practical comparison point for applicants considering school-based work who want to evaluate an MSEd route alongside the Memphis MS.
• University of Tennessee at Martin - clinical mental health counseling MSEd: This MSEd has a clinical mental health focus, distinguishing it from UT Martin's school-counseling pathway. It may suit applicants comparing clinical preparation across degree labels, provided the current coursework and supervised training meet their intended licensing board's rules.
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville - MS in Counseling: The MS in Counseling provides another named graduate counseling option in the state's eastern region. For applicants who need a Knoxville-area program, the deciding questions are which current concentration they can enter and where required placements can be completed - not the university's name alone.

These highlights identify what to investigate, not verified claims about comparative pass rates, fieldwork hours, or total prices. Request the current student handbook and program outcome disclosures from each finalist so that you compare like with like.

A counseling master's commonly takes about 2-3 years full time; part-time enrollment can take longer. The calendar depends on course sequencing and when you can complete a practicum and internship, not just how quickly you can finish classroom credits. Ask whether field placements run during normal business or school hours before assuming you can maintain your current work schedule.

Graduation and independent practice are separate milestones. Tennessee's clinical licensing process can require examinations and supervised experience beyond the degree, while school-based roles follow a different state credential route. If speed matters, compare the earliest realistic date you could meet your intended credential's requirements - not only the advertised graduation date.

Online study changes where you take courses; it does not remove supervised, in-person training or Tennessee credential requirements. Campus study may simplify access to nearby faculty and placement networks, while online coursework can reduce commuting for working adults or students living far from a university. Either format can be a poor fit if its placement arrangements conflict with your location or schedule.

Before enrolling online, ask the program to confirm in writing whether it accepts students living in your state, helps approve local supervisors, and has determined how its curriculum relates to the credential you want. If you may move, ask about the destination state too. A program's delivery format alone does not establish licensure eligibility.

There is no single average price that reliably describes every Tennessee counseling master's: public resident and nonresident rates, private-university pricing, credit requirements, and time to completion differ. An annual graduate tuition figure is also not the full degree cost. NCES IPEDS publishes institutional tuition information, but applicants should request a program-specific, current estimate before comparing offers.

Add mandatory fees, books, travel to placements, any unpaid fieldwork, and earnings you may forgo. At a public university, check whether you qualify for Tennessee resident tuition rather than assuming that living near campus is sufficient. Use the most affordable counseling programs as a starting point, then compare each finalist's net cost after aid and the number of terms you expect to enroll.

Eligible graduate students may be able to use federal unsubsidized loans, institutional scholarships, assistantships, and employer tuition benefits; availability and terms vary. Federal Student Aid determines federal eligibility, while the university determines its own awards and how those awards apply to a particular program. Complete the FAFSA if you want to be considered for applicable federal aid, then request a written funding offer from each school.

Do not assume an undergraduate state scholarship carries over to a master's degree. Also compare aid across the entire expected enrollment period: an assistantship that covers one year may not cover a later internship term. Ask whether changing to part-time status affects eligibility before building a budget around an award.

Master's applicants generally need a bachelor's degree, transcripts, and the materials specified by the university, which may include recommendations, a statement of purpose, an interview, or prerequisite coursework. A psychology major is not automatically required at every school. Admissions criteria and application deadlines are program-specific, so check the current departmental page rather than relying on a general graduate-admissions checklist.

Entry requirements are not the same as licensing requirements. Before applying, obtain the program's current curriculum and ask its adviser which Tennessee credential the selected track is designed to support. If you have previous graduate credits, request a written transfer-credit evaluation: accepting a course for degree credit does not necessarily mean it satisfies a required counseling competency or field experience.

Students can generally expect work in counseling skills, human development, assessment, ethics, group counseling, research, and supervised practice. The concentration changes the emphasis: school counseling examines student support in educational settings, clinical mental health programs emphasize assessment and treatment, and rehabilitation programs address disability and related service systems. Course names alone are insufficient evidence of credential alignment; boards and employers may examine content and supervised training.

For a useful comparison, place two programs' current course maps side by side. Check when the practicum and internship occur, whether courses are offered every term, and what happens if a required class or placement is delayed. Those details can change both your graduation date and total cost.

The options represented among Tennessee programs include school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, and clinical rehabilitation counseling. Some students may also investigate marriage and family or addiction-focused preparation, but they should not assume those are available as concentrations at every school. A concentration is a curriculum pathway, not a license issued upon graduation.

Choose by intended work rather than by the most appealing course title. School counseling fits applicants who want to support pupils within schools; clinical mental health fits those pursuing a therapy-oriented route; rehabilitation fits those interested in disability and functioning. If you remain undecided, ask how early you must select a track and whether changing tracks would add courses or delay fieldwork.

Start with the credential required for your target job, then compare programs that plausibly prepare students for it. CACREP programmatic accreditation is a distinct question from a university's institutional accreditation or federal-aid eligibility; verify current accreditation status with the accreditor and ask the relevant Tennessee licensing authority how it evaluates your proposed degree. Tennessee's clinical counseling board and Department of Education oversee different professional routes.

Before accepting an offer, put these questions to each finalist and request answers tied to your specific track:

1. Which Tennessee license or school credential is this track designed to support, and what requirements remain after graduation?
2. Where do students complete required placements, and can I do so near my home or current workplace?
3. What is my estimated total cost after aid, including the terms when I will complete fieldwork?
4. What are the program's recent completion and applicable licensure-exam results, and what period do they cover?

Compare those answers with the most popular counseling programs if you want another perspective on your shortlist. Popularity, institutional type, and ranking position are not substitutes for fit. To judge return on investment, consider your current earnings, likely post-degree opportunities, aid and debt, completion probability, program length, foregone income, and how long you expect to use the credential.

A relevant master's can be one step toward school counseling, clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or related supervised roles. Independent clinical practice generally involves requirements after graduation; holding a degree and holding a license are different things. Some roles in community services may have different entry requirements, so examine actual Tennessee job descriptions before paying for a credential you may not need.

For career changers, the degree is most defensible when it connects to a clearly identified occupation and a feasible licensing plan. If you primarily want to work in education administration, general human resources, or a nonclinical support role, compare those jobs' stated qualifications first: a counseling master's may be more specialized - and more time-consuming - than your goal requires.

The national outlook differs substantially by occupation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +18% employment growth for the category covering mental health and substance-use counselors over 2025-2035, compared with +3% for school counselors. Those are U.S. projections, not forecasts of Tennessee vacancies or a promise of employment; they suggest that applicants should evaluate demand within their chosen specialty rather than treating "counseling" as one labor market.

For a local reality check, review current postings in the Tennessee areas where you could work. Note the required license, whether the employer accepts candidates under supervision, the setting, and the pay range if listed. A growing national occupation may still offer limited suitable openings in your preferred town, while willingness to work in another part of the state can widen your options.

Investing in a counseling degree is a significant decision, particularly when tuition, time away from work, and licensure requirements all affect its value. Research.com's team assesses program data to make comparisons more credible and useful, while recognizing that a ranking cannot replace a check of your intended program's current requirements and costs.

Research.com's counseling rankings consider graduate outcomes - including completion and employment or doctoral admission - licensure exam pass rates where applicable, CACREP programmatic recognition, federal Title IV eligibility, and program cost. For the Best ranking, the initial outcomes-and-accreditation score weights completion at 40%, employment or doctoral admission at 20%, applicable licensure exam pass rates at 20%, CACREP recognition at 16%, and Title IV eligibility at 4%. Weights are adjusted when a measure does not apply; cost then accounts for approximately 7% of the final Best score. The same approach applies to online and on-campus programs, while other named rankings emphasize the dimension indicated by their names.

The team used the following sources to build and check the rankings:

• 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.

The ranking can help you create a shortlist, but program-level outcomes and prices may have different reporting periods or may not capture every student's circumstances. See Research.com's methodology for more information about how the rankings are created, then confirm current details directly with each school.

• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Kentucky
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Alabama
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Georgia
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in North Carolina
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Virginia
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Indiana
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Illinois
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Ohio
• 2027 Most Valuable Online Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Florida

• 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/
• O*NET OnLine - Mental Health Counselors (21-1014)
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/21-1014.00
• Lincoln Memorial University - M. Ed. in Professional Counseling - PreK-12 School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.lmunet.edu/school-of-education/graduate/masters/professional-counseling/
• Carson-Newman University - M.S. in Counseling - Professional School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.cn.edu/graduate-studies/programs/ms-in-counseling/
• University of Memphis - M.S. in School Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.memphis.edu/cepr/counseling/degrees_and_certificates/school_counseling_ms.php
• University of Memphis - Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (M.S.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.memphis.edu/cepr/counseling/degrees_and_certificates/clinical_rehab_counseling_ms.php
• University of Memphis - Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.)
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.memphis.edu/cepr/counseling/degrees_and_certificates/clinical_mental_health_counseling_ms.php