ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Kentucky

1 Colleges in the United States
148 Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Degrees Awarded
$47,313 Avg Early-Career Salary

Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for substance abuse/addiction counseling students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 29
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 51.15), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Addiction Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Grad Cert - Addiction Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Addiction Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Addiction Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Addiction Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Substance Abuse Counseling (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Substance Abuse Counseling (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BA in Psychology - Addictions" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BA in Psychology - Addictions" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Counseling Graduate Certificate Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Counseling Graduate Certificate Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Counseling Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Counseling Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Counseling Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Counseling Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Counseling PhD Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Counseling PhD Programs (I Have a Masters)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Mental Health Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Grad Cert - Mental Health Counseling (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BSW - Social Work (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "BSW - Social Work (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "DSW - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "DSW - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "MSW - Social Work (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "MSW - Social Work (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "PhD - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "PhD - Social Work (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Doctorate Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Doctorate Programs (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Social Work & Social Sciences Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "General Psychology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "General Psychology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "General Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "General Psychology (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "General Psychology (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "General Psychology (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Psychology Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Psychology Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Psychology EdS Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Psychology EdS Programs (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Psychology Graduate Certificate Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Psychology Graduate Certificate Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Psychology PhD Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Psychology PhD Programs (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Psychology PsyD Programs (I Have a Masters)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Psychology PsyD Programs (I Have a Masters)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Science & Engineering Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Science & Engineering Masters Programs (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BS in Criminal Justice - Substance Abuse" with relevance 0.5
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "BS in Criminal Justice - Substance Abuse" REJECTED (relevance 0.5)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 12
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 11 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 11
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 6 offers with relevance >= 1.0

Best Schools for Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling in Kentucky

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the substance abuse/addiction counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

1

Our analysis ranked University Of Kentucky the best school in the country for a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public university. University Of Kentucky graduates 71% of students within six years. About 85 substance abuse/addiction counseling degrees were awarded at University Of Kentucky in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from University Of Kentucky generally make around $49,544. University Of Kentucky graduates carry a median of $24,094 in student loans. Read more about the substance abuse/addiction counseling program at University Of Kentucky

2

Students looking for a strong substance abuse/addiction counseling program will find one at Lindsey Wilson College, which ranked #2. This moderately-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the town of Columbia. The six-year graduation rate is 44%. There were roughly 40 substance abuse/addiction counseling students who graduated with this degree at Lindsey Wilson College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their substance abuse/addiction counseling degree from Lindsey Wilson College earn around $37,808 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,119 to complete this degree. Read more about the substance abuse/addiction counseling program at Lindsey Wilson College

3
Union College Kentucky crest
Union College Kentucky
Barbourville, KY

Union College Kentucky is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. Union College Kentucky is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Barbourville. About 32% of students finish within six years. Union College Kentucky awarded about 23 substance abuse/addiction counseling degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the substance abuse/addiction counseling program make about $54,587 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,852 to complete this degree. Get the full substance abuse/addiction counseling details for Union College Kentucky

ADBLOCK #173
View All Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options