by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor covers Mental Health Counseling/counselor. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Provide Evaluations, Referrals, And Short-Term Counseling Services To Help People Prevent Or Remediate Personal Problems, Conflicts, And Emotional Crises. Includes Instruction In Human Development, Psychopathology, Individual And Group Counseling, Personality Theory, Career Assessment, Patient Screening And Referral, Observation And Testing Techniques, Interviewing Skills, Professional Standards And Ethics, And Applicable Laws And Regulations. Read on to learn the key facts every mental health counseling/counselor student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering mental health counseling/counselor programs.
In the U.S., mental health counseling/counselor draws strong interest, with 10,855 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools ranking analyzes these 292 schools to determine the best overall colleges for mental health counseling/counselor students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of mental health counseling/counselor programs later in this article.
Programs in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations mental health counseling/counselor graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a mental health counseling/counselor program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a mental health counseling/counselor major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several mental health counseling/counselor degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 12 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 115 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 22 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 10,656 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 35 |
People currently working in careers related to mental health counseling/counselor tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 89.3% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 7.1% |
| First professional degree | 3.6% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in mental health counseling/counselor careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying mental health counseling/counselor opens doors to a variety of career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to mental health counseling/counselor.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to mental health counseling/counselor.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Health Counselors | 246,978 | 2.8% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of mental health counseling/counselor graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $46,066 |
| 4 years | $46,824 |
| 5 years | $52,641 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for mental health counseling/counselor graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers mental health counseling/counselor grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Counselors | $72,983 |
With 292 different mental health counseling/counselor programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased mental health counseling/counselor school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in mental health counseling/counselor, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
