Master’s in School Counseling: Degree and Program Guide

Written by School-Counselor.org Editorial Staff, Last Updated: October 6, 2026

Fact-checked by Scott Wilson

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Nearly every state requires a master’s degree, or an equivalent approved graduate program, before you can work as a certified school counselor. Most programs combine graduate coursework with supervised fieldwork in a real school. This guide covers what the degree involves, how to compare programs, what it costs, and whether the investment makes sense for you.

What a Master’s in School Counseling Involves

You have more than one route to the same job. These degree titles can all lead to school counselor certification, depending on the state:

• Master of School Counseling
• Master of Human Service Counseling
• Master of Counseling, School Counseling track
• Master of Educational Psychology
• Master of Counseling Psychology, School Counseling track

The title matters less than what’s inside the program and whether your target state accepts it. Coursework usually covers counseling theories and techniques, human development, group counseling, career development, assessment, crisis intervention, and the ethics and law of working with minors. Most programs also teach the ASCA National Model, the framework many schools use to organize their counseling programs.

Some states add requirements on top of the degree. California’s PPS Credential requirement is the clearest example. Public school counselors there need a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential in School Counseling, which California programs usually build into the master’s. If you studied out of state, you can apply directly to California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing. If your preparation falls short on units or fieldwork, you may qualify for a two-year preliminary credential while you finish the rest.

Why CACREP Accreditation Matters

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits counseling programs that meet national preparation standards. For school counseling, those standards set a minimum of 60 semester credits (or 90 quarter credits) and specific fieldwork hours.

How much CACREP matters depends on your state. Louisiana requires a CACREP-accredited program for its school counselor certificate. New Jersey, Utah, Oregon and Maryland name CACREP in at least one route to certification. Many other states only require a program that’s approved by the state, accredited or not.

So CACREP is a strong signal, not a universal requirement. If you’re choosing between two otherwise similar programs, CACREP accreditation gives you more room to move if you later work in another state. You can check any program’s status in the CACREP program directory. Moving to another state usually depends on the credential you already hold and the new state’s rules, not on CACREP alone.

What to Expect from Fieldwork

Programs leading to school counselor certification generally require supervised fieldwork in a school setting. CACREP-accredited programs have specific practicum and internship requirements. Taking your classes online doesn’t change that.

CACREP’s 2024 Standards split fieldwork into two phases. First comes a practicum of at least 100 hours over a full academic term of at least eight weeks, with at least 40 hours spent counseling actual students. Then comes a 600-hour internship, with at least 240 of those hours in direct service.

Programs outside CACREP set their own hours to match their state. Eastern New Mexico University’s program includes a 300-hour school internship. Azusa Pacific’s California program includes more than 800 hours of supervised fieldwork. Check the hours against your state’s rules before you enroll.

Most students spend a full academic year in their internship, often in the district where they hope to work. That’s a real advantage. You’re building relationships with the people who might hire you while you finish your hours. For a closer look at what the fieldwork actually looks like, see our full internship overview.

What “Online” Means Now

Online programs let you study without moving, but “online” doesn’t mean entirely self-paced anymore. For students entering a CACREP-accredited program on or after July 1, 2026, CACREP requires at least two live (synchronous) assessments of your counseling skills and professional dispositions, with one before practicum. Since February 2026, those sessions can happen by live video, so you won’t necessarily need to travel to campus.

Many programs build in more live time than that, and some still require campus visits. Azusa Pacific’s hybrid track runs live online classes plus one required in-person Saturday each semester. Seton Hall’s online program includes two weekend-long residencies on campus. Read each program’s format details closely, and ask how often you’ll need to be online at a set time or on campus.

Admissions and How Long It Takes

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. Most programs accept any major, so social work, communications, biology and business graduates all get in. Expect to submit transcripts, recommendation letters and a personal statement. Some programs set a minimum GPA (often 3.0), and some ask for a background check before fieldwork. A few states and programs add prerequisites for applicants who aren’t certified teachers, so check both.

Timelines vary more than most people expect. Full-time students in a 48- to 60-credit program usually finish in about two years. Part-time students often take three. Programs that run 90 quarter credits, like two on our list below, take longer. Your internship year sets the pace more than anything else, because those 600 hours have to fit around the school calendar.

Where the Degree Leads

A school counseling master’s prepares you for K-12 school counselor roles. That’s the main path.

College counseling is a different track. Clinicians in college and university counseling centers usually hold a state mental health license, such as licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor (LPC or LMHC), or licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). They don’t typically hold K-12 school counselor certification. (Admissions counselors and academic advisors are a separate group again, and usually aren’t licensed.) If you want options in both settings, look at programs that combine school counseling with clinical mental health counseling. They take longer, but they open more doors.

Job Outlook for School Counselors

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports school counselors under Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors, a group that also includes career counselors and academic advisors. BLS projects employment in that group to grow 2.9% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. That still works out to about 27,800 openings a year, most of them created when counselors retire or move on.

Staffing is the bigger story. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends one counselor for every 250 students. The national ratio was 372 to 1 in the 2024-25 school year. That gap is real, and it’s why many districts keep hiring. The honest counterweight: when budgets tighten, counseling positions are sometimes among the first cut.

Is a Master’s in School Counseling Worth It?

For most people who want this work, yes, as long as the program’s cost fits the pay where you plan to live. A master’s costs real money and real time, so it’s worth doing the math before you commit. Money shouldn’t be your only reason, but knowing the numbers helps you pick a program you won’t regret.

The logic is simple: you want your earnings over a career to far outweigh what you paid for the degree.

Determining the Cost of School

Costs vary more than most people expect. Among the programs on this page with a published total, tuition runs from $25,740 at the University of West Alabama to $63,360 for Seton Hall’s online program. That’s a difference of more than $37,000 for the same credential.

Look at full program cost, not cost per year. A program with low annual tuition can still cost more overall if it requires more credits or takes longer. Scholarships, assistantships and employer tuition benefits can change the picture, but you won’t know your offer until you apply. Run your estimate on the published price, then recalculate when the offers come in.

Determining Your Anticipated Salary

The national median salary for Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors was $64,330 in May 2025, according to the BLS. That’s slightly lower than the year before, so don’t plan around rising pay. Geography matters most. You can explore how much school counselors earn by state and metro area in our full salary guide.

Here are May 2025 median salaries for the five states that employ the most counselors in this group:

Nationally, the 90th percentile reached $104,770 in May 2025, usually reflecting experienced counselors in higher-paying districts. Treat that as a ceiling, not an expectation.

Put cost and pay side by side. A $25,740 program costs about 40% of one year’s national median pay. A $63,360 program costs nearly a full year’s. Neither is automatically a bad choice, but the second needs a stronger reason, like a state where pay is higher or a program built for the credential you need.

One part of the picture people forget: most school counselor jobs come with health insurance, retirement benefits and pension eligibility. That adds real value beyond the base salary.

How to Choose a Program

Before you compare names and prices, check these:

• Your state’s rules. Confirm the program leads to certification in the state where you plan to work, including any added credential like California’s PPS.
• Accreditation and approval. CACREP accreditation, state approval or both. Know which one your state requires.
• Format and live time. How often you’ll need to log in at a set time, and whether any campus visits are required.
• Fieldwork support. Whether the program helps you find a placement near home, and how many hours it requires.
• Full program cost. Per-credit rate times total credits, plus fees.
• Credits and timeline. A 48-credit program and a 90-quarter-credit program aren’t the same commitment.

A Shortlist of School Counseling Master’s Programs

The programs below are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Five are CACREP-accredited. Four are not, but each is approved or accredited for school counselor preparation in its own state, and each is labeled.

How this list was built. Programs are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Five are accredited by CACREP as School Counseling programs, verified against the CACREP register on September 30, 2026. Four are not CACREP-accredited. Each of those is approved or accredited for school counselor preparation in its own state, and its entry says so. Programs currently in teach-out, closure or show-cause status are excluded, because a reader cannot reliably enroll in them. Programs that voluntarily withdrew from CACREP may be included as non-CACREP options when the current program remains active and state-approved. Tuition figures come from each university’s own website, never from third-party sites, and each was recorded with the page it came from, a quote containing the rate, and the date checked. Full program tuition is the published per-credit rate multiplied by the credits required, in the program’s own credit unit. For public universities the figure is the rate an out-of-state student pays, because this is a national list. Residents of that state usually pay less. Mandatory fees are excluded so programs compare on the same basis. Where a university’s published rate has no academic year, is set for a future year, is bundled with fees that cannot be separated, or covers a flat full-time charge rather than a per-credit rate, we use it and say so in the note on that row. Where the published rate cannot be tied to the specific program, we show no figure rather than estimate one. Scholarships and discounts are not applied. Tuition changes, so confirm the current rate with the university before you enroll, and remember that CACREP accreditation is not the same as state approval. Check the requirements of the agency that issues school counselor credentials in your state.

School Counseling Programs in Your State

You can find other master’s-level school counseling programs through your state’s education or educator certification agency, or by contacting a certification representative. School counselor certification, exam, coursework, fieldwork and reciprocity requirements vary by state, so check your target state’s current rules before you narrow your list.

Featured Programs:

Sponsored School(s)

Walden University

Featured Program: MS in School Counseling - General Program

Request Info

Grand Canyon University

Featured Program: M. Ed in School Counseling (leads to initial Licensure)

Request Info

University of Denver

Featured Program: MS in School Counseling (no GRE required)

Request Info

Campbellsville University

Featured Program: Master of Arts in Education in School Counseling

Request Info

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a master’s in school counseling take?

Most full-time students finish in about two years, and part-time students often take three. Programs range from about 48 to 60 semester credits, and some run 90 quarter credits. The internship year usually sets the pace, because its hours have to fit around the school calendar.

If I complete my school counseling degree online, do I still need to complete fieldwork in person?

Generally, yes. Programs leading to school counselor certification usually require supervised fieldwork in a school setting, however you take your classes. CACREP-accredited programs require at least a 100-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship, and programs outside CACREP set hours to match their state. Most online programs help you find a placement near home, but expect those hours to fall mostly during the school day.

Do I need an undergraduate degree in psychology or education to apply?

Usually not. Most programs accept a bachelor’s degree in any field, and many school counselors come from social work, communications, biology or business. Some programs and states add prerequisites, especially for applicants who aren’t certified teachers, so check both before you apply.

Do I need a master’s degree to become a school counselor?

In nearly all states, yes, or an equivalent approved graduate program. A few states have exceptions. California defines its credential by graduate units, and New Jersey offers an emergency certificate with less education. The graduate training, especially the supervised fieldwork, is what prepares you to handle mental health disclosures, academic crises, college planning and family conflict.

What’s the difference between a master’s in school counseling and a mental health counseling degree?

A school counseling degree prepares you for K-12 settings and leads to school counselor certification. A clinical mental health counseling degree leads to a state counseling license, which lets you work in private practice, community agencies and college counseling centers. If you want both options, look for a program that combines the two. You’ll spend more time in school, but you’ll have more choices when you finish.

School-Counselor.org Editorial Staff

School-Counselor.org covers school counseling careers, licensing and graduate programs. Program accreditation is checked directly against the CACREP register, licensing requirements against state departments of education and licensing boards, and salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics with the data period stated. Our editorial team drafts and updates articles with help from AI tools, and every article is fact-checked by a person before it’s published. Our fact-checker, Scott Wilson, checks each page against those sources. Licensing rules change often, so confirm current requirements with your state before enrolling. Read our editorial standards. Learn more about our editorial staff.