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
- 31
- Annual completions
- 137
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler-Gilbert Community College | Chandler, AZ | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| Highline College | Des Moines, WA | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Community College of Denver | Denver, CO | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Mesa Community College | Mesa, AZ | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Skagit Valley College | Mount Vernon, WA | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Sinte Gleska University | Mission, SD | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia, PA | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale, AZ | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Phoenix College | Phoenix, AZ | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Mt Hood Community College | Gresham, OR | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Related majors to explore
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician
1,773 completions/yr
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
1,708 completions/yr
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling
1,429 completions/yr
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions, Other
977 completions/yr
Clinical/Medical Social Work
264 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