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.
- Schools offering
- 30
- Annual completions
- 141
- Typical degree level
- Associate's + Bachelor's
- Median earnings (5yr)
- $46k
About this major
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.
Where this major leads
Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.
No federal crosswalk data available for this major yet.
Earnings at a glance
Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.
Median 5-year earnings
$46k
Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings
Associate's
$41k
Bachelor's
$52k
Top colleges for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.
| College | Location | Assoc. | Bach. | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale, AZ | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Mt Hood Community College | Gresham, OR | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Albany Technical College | Albany, GA | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Chandler-Gilbert Community College | Chandler, AZ | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Mesa Community College | Mesa, AZ | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Highline College | Des Moines, WA | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Austin Community College District | Austin, TX | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Phoenix College | Phoenix, AZ | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Sinte Gleska University | Mission, SD | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies | Springfield, MO | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Related majors to explore
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician
1,848 completions/yr
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
1,838 completions/yr
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
1,009 completions/yr
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other
933 completions/yr
Clinical/Medical Social Work
216 completions/yr
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
3 completions/yr
Considering this direction?
We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Mental Health Counseling/Counselor field. Read our verdict before you commit.
Is Mental Health Counseling/Counselor worth it? Read verdict