Most Affordable School Counseling Programs (2026)
Wayne State College is the lowest-priced public program outside our online list at $15,714 in total tuition. Alfred University is the lowest-priced private program at $26,700. Fees aren’t included, and Wayne State’s are heavy. The 20 programs we ranked run from $15,714 to $37,800. Confirm current rates with each university before you apply.
Priya works as a paraprofessional in a school district and lives forty minutes from two state universities. She wants a program she can drive to, and she wants to know what that actually costs. The answer depends on whether she picks a public or a private university. The gap between the cheapest and the priciest options is enormous.
This page ranks the most affordable school counseling programs that aren’t on our list of the most affordable online school counseling programs. Our online list covers the programs whose online delivery we’ve confirmed through CACREP’s directory. The programs here are the rest, and format varies. Some meet on campus, some are hybrid, and some describe themselves as online. We rank public and private programs separately, so each one compares with its own kind. It’s a cost list, not a quality ranking.
How Much Does a School Counseling Master’s Cost?
Among the 216 programs we rank outside our online list, the average public university charges $59,851 in total tuition for an out-of-state student. The average private university charges $57,099. Those averages cover 157 public programs and 59 private ones, and the spread is wide. The most expensive public program costs $173,640, and the most expensive private program costs $149,520.
The programs on this page cost far less. The 10 lowest public programs run from $15,714 to $26,726, and the 10 lowest private programs run from $26,700 to $37,800. The two groups also overlap. Alfred University, the cheapest private program at $26,700, costs $26 less than Eastern Illinois, the tenth-cheapest public program at $26,726.
What This List Leaves Out
Every figure on this page is tuition only. Mandatory, technology, activity and program fees are excluded so programs compare on the same basis. That choice has a side effect. It favors universities that keep tuition low and carry more of the cost in fees. A program near the top can cost more than its rank suggests. Wayne State College ranks first among public programs at $15,714 because it charges $261.90 per credit in tuition. Fees come on top, and they vary by delivery mode. Online credits carry $165.55 per credit in fees, and on-campus credits carry $78.35. The university currently estimates the full program at about $23,554.20 including fees. Ask each university for its full fee schedule before you compare.
One program works the other way. Western New Mexico publishes a single combined tuition and fee rate, so its total already includes mandatory fees. Its row says so.
Format is the other thing to watch. Each profile says what we know about how the program is delivered. Where it says “Ask the program,” we don’t know, so ask whether classes meet on campus, how often, and at what times.
Most Affordable Public School Counseling Programs
Programs are ranked by the total tuition an out-of-state student pays, lowest first. The last column shows how much less each program costs than the average public program outside our online list.
| Rank | Program | State | Total tuition | Less than the public average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne State College | NE | $15,714 | $44,137 less |
| 2 | Western Illinois University, Quad Cities | IL | $23,634 | $36,217 less |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | IL | $23,843 | $36,008 less |
| 4 | Southeast Missouri State University | MO | $24,600 | $35,251 less |
| 5 | Governors State University | IL | $25,260 | $34,591 less |
| 6 | New Mexico Highlands University | NM | $25,659 | $34,192 less |
| 7 | University of West Alabama | AL | $25,740 | $34,111 less |
| 8 | Emporia State University | KS | $25,780 | $34,071 less |
| 9 | Western New Mexico University | NM | $26,255 | $33,596 less |
| 10 | Eastern Illinois University | IL | $26,726 | $33,125 less |
1. Wayne State College: School Counseling (M.S.E.)
Total tuition: $15,714
Versus the average public program: $44,137 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want the lowest tuition rate on this list and can make a few campus trips a year
Location: Wayne, NE | Type: Public
Format: Hybrid/low-residency. Coursework includes online instruction and required on-campus residency weekends in Wayne. The college says the low-residency model requires four campus visits per year.
CACREP: Accredited through March 31, 2033 (graduates counted since 2023)
Cost note: Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format.
Wayne State sets the low mark among public programs. The residencies include Saturday and Sunday sessions, and the college says students can start in 8-week or 16-week terms.
A teaching certificate isn’t presented as a universal requirement for earning the degree. Eligibility for school counselor certification depends on the state, so confirm the requirements for the state where you plan to practice.
Good to know: Fees vary by delivery mode, with $165.55 per credit for online credits and $78.35 for on-campus credits. The university estimates the full program at about $23,554.20 including fees. Request the full fee schedule, and ask what four campus visits a year cost in travel and time off.
2. Western Illinois University, Quad Cities: School Counseling (M.S.Ed.)
Total tuition: $23,634
Versus the average public program: $36,217 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students in the Quad Cities area who want a local campus program near $24,000
Location: Moline, IL | Type: Public
Format: Campus. CACREP lists Moline, IL.
CACREP: Accredited through April 30, 2033 (graduates counted since 1985)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2025-26 rate. A newer rate may now be published. The program is based at the WIU Quad Cities campus in Moline, which has consolidated into Riverfront Hall. Some department pages still list the former building. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Western Illinois runs this program from its Quad Cities campus in Moline, and CACREP lists Moline as the program’s location. It’s a local option for students in that area. Its CACREP record is the longest on the public list, with graduates counted since 1985.
The rate comes from a plan for graduate students first enrolled in Fall 2025 or later. That’s worth confirming, because a newer rate may now apply.
Good to know: Department pages may still list the old building, so confirm where classes meet. Ask which rate plan you’d fall under.
3. Northern Illinois University, College of Education: School Counseling (M.S.Ed.)
Total tuition: $23,843
Versus the average public program: $36,008 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want an in-person program with full-time and part-time options
Location: De Kalb, IL | Type: Public
Format: In person, full or part time, with a fall start, per the university
CACREP: Accredited (Reaffirmation in Process), through October 31, 2027 (graduates counted since 1987)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. This program’s CACREP accreditation cycle ends October 31, 2027. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Northern Illinois is one of the few programs on this list that describes itself as fully in person. The university says students can attend full time or part time and start in the fall semester.
Good to know: CACREP lists the program as Reaffirmation in Process, with the current cycle ending October 31, 2027. Check the CACREP directory for its status before you apply.
4. Southeast Missouri State University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $24,600
Versus the average public program: $35,251 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Missouri students with a teaching background, or willing to complete two education courses
Location: Cape Girardeau, MO | Type: Public
Format: Ask the program
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2030 (graduates counted since 2004)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Southeast Missouri State’s admission page sets a clear entry rule. Applicants either hold a valid professional teaching certification at the appropriate level or show competency in Missouri’s required areas. The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sets those areas. The university says applicants show that competency by completing two specific education courses.
So a career changer can apply, but the path includes extra coursework.
Good to know: The two education courses may add cost or time beyond the total shown. Find out what they cost and when you’d take them. See Missouri’s school counselor certification process for the state’s requirements.
5. Governors State University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $25,260
Versus the average public program: $34,591 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want in-person core classes with a hybrid school counseling track
Location: University Park, IL | Type: Public
Format: In person on campus, with hybrid school counseling courses, per the university. CACREP lists University Park, IL.
CACREP: Accredited (Progress Report Required), through March 31, 2031 (graduates counted since 1989)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Governors State says its counseling courses are offered in person on campus. It says the specialty courses in the school counseling track are offered in a hybrid format. That mix can cut commuting without moving the whole program online.
Good to know: Hybrid can mean different things. Find out how much of the school counseling track is online and how the sessions are scheduled.
6. New Mexico Highlands University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $25,659
Versus the average public program: $34,192 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want a low public price and online delivery, as the university describes it
Location: Rio Rancho, NM | Type: Public
Format: Online, as described by the university
CACREP: Accredited (Progress Report Required), through March 31, 2029 (graduates counted since 2019)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
New Mexico Highlands offers school counseling as one of several concentrations in its Master of Arts in counseling. The university says each concentration is accredited through March 31, 2029, which matches CACREP’s record.
Good to know: The cycle ends March 31, 2029, and the program carries Progress Report Required. The university’s description is the main source for format here, so confirm how the program is delivered.
7. University of West Alabama: School Counseling (M.Ed./M.S.)
Total tuition: $25,740
Versus the average public program: $34,111 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Teachers who hold a certificate, and applicants without one who’ll take the parallel M.S. route
Location: Livingston, AL | Type: Public
Format: Online coursework with a required residency in Livingston, Alabama
CACREP: Accredited (Progress Report Required), through March 31, 2032 (graduates counted since 2022)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. The M.Ed. requires an existing teaching certificate. Applicants without one use the parallel 60-credit M.S. in Guidance and Counseling at the same rate. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
West Alabama says the program can be completed in about three years, with online coursework plus a required residency. The university offers two routes at one rate. The M.Ed. is for students who already hold a teaching certificate, and a parallel M.S. in Guidance and Counseling is for those who don’t.
That second route matters for career changers, because it removes the teaching certificate from the admission path.
Good to know: The residency means travel, so budget for it. Which degree fits depends on your background, so confirm which one your state accepts for school counselor certification. See Alabama’s certification requirements for school counselors for the state side.
8. Emporia State University: School Counseling (M.S.)
Total tuition: $25,780
Versus the average public program: $34,071 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Career changers and working adults who want live early-evening classes
Location: Emporia, KS | Type: Public
Format: Online, as described by the university, with synchronous early-evening classes
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2030 (graduates counted since 1996)
Cost note: Contact the program for its current cost. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format.
Emporia State says its 60-hour program is offered completely online. It designed the program for candidates with and without a teaching license and offers synchronous classes in the early evenings for working professionals. Neither the GRE nor the MAT is required for admission.
Emporia says the program prepares graduates to pursue two Kansas credentials. One is school counselor licensure through the Kansas State Department of Education. The other is LPC licensure through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Each has additional Kansas-specific application, examination or supervised-experience requirements.
Good to know: The cost note says to contact the program, so get the current rate in writing. Those two licenses come from different agencies, and Emporia’s claim covers Kansas.
9. Western New Mexico University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $26,255
Versus the average public program: $33,596 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want one published, all-in rate
Location: Silver City, NM | Type: Public
Format: Online, as described by the university
CACREP: Accredited through April 30, 2033 (graduates counted since 2023)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. The total includes mandatory fees, because the figure used is the university’s combined tuition and fee rate. The university charges a flat or banded rate rather than a per-credit rate, so the total is calculated from its published schedule for the standard plan of study. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Western New Mexico publishes one combined tuition and fee rate for its counseling program, so this total already includes mandatory fees. Most programs on this page don’t. The university describes a three-year online program and says its CACREP accreditation began February 6, 2023.
Good to know: Because the total includes fees, it isn’t directly comparable with the tuition-only totals around it. Ask other programs for their fee schedules before you compare.
10. Eastern Illinois University: School Counseling (M.S.)
Total tuition: $26,726
Versus the average public program: $33,125 less than the $59,851 average (157 public programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students from Illinois and border states, and students from elsewhere who want to check a lower rate
Location: Charleston, IL | Type: Public
Format: Campus. CACREP lists the Charleston campus.
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2030 (graduates counted since 1996)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Eastern Illinois charges students from non-border states less than Illinois and border-state residents. The figure shown is the higher Illinois and border-state rate of $445.43 per credit. Students from other states pay $356.34 per credit. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Eastern Illinois prices by where you live, and not in the usual direction. The figure here is the higher rate of $445.43 per credit, which Illinois and border-state residents pay. Students from other states pay $356.34 per credit.
That means the rate we rank isn’t the lowest an out-of-state student could pay here.
Good to know: Which rate applies depends on where you live. If you’re from a non-border state, your total may be lower than the one shown.
Most Affordable Private School Counseling Programs
Private programs are ranked the same way, and each is measured against the average private program outside our online list. The average covers nonprofit and for-profit universities together.
| Rank | Program | State | Total tuition | Less than the private average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfred University | NY | $26,700 | $30,399 less |
| 2 | Evangel University | MO | $30,000 | $27,099 less |
| 3 | Lincoln Memorial University | TN | $30,300 | $26,799 less |
| 4 | Quincy University | IL | $32,400 | $24,699 less |
| 5 | Carson-Newman University | TN | $33,600 | $23,499 less |
| 6 (tie) | Liberty University | VA | $36,000 | $21,099 less |
| 6 (tie) | Mississippi Christian University | MS | $36,000 | $21,099 less |
| 8 | MidAmerica Nazarene University | KS | $36,270 | $20,829 less |
| 9 (tie) | Gardner-Webb University | NC | $37,800 | $19,299 less |
| 9 (tie) | University of Lynchburg | VA | $37,800 | $19,299 less |
1. Alfred University: School Counseling (M.S.Ed.)
Total tuition: $26,700
Versus the average private program: $30,399 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want a hybrid private program at the lowest private price on this list
Location: Alfred, NY | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Hybrid
CACREP: Accredited (Progress Report Required), through October 31, 2032 (graduates counted since 2013)
Cost note: The university’s rate page does not state an academic year. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Alfred is the lowest-priced private program outside our online list. Its total sits within $26 of the tenth-cheapest public program, so a private degree here doesn’t have to cost more than a public one.
The university says its coursework covers CACREP’s eight common core areas plus specialty areas. Those include foundations of school counseling, exceptionality, mental health and disability, evidence-based interventions in schools, and consultation and prevention.
Good to know: The rate page doesn’t state an academic year, though it lists a September 2027 cohort deadline. Ask for the current rate and what the hybrid format means for travel.
2. Evangel University: School Counseling (M.S.)
Total tuition: $30,000
Versus the average private program: $27,099 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want a private Missouri program with a clear semester-by-semester plan
Location: Springfield, MO | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Per the university, with school counseling specialty courses that may be offered in synchronous online modality depending on enrollment
CACREP: Accredited (Reaffirmation in Process), through October 31, 2027 (graduates counted since 2018)
Cost note: This figure is a rate derived from the university’s 2026-27 rate. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. This program’s CACREP accreditation cycle ends October 31, 2027. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Evangel says students can earn the degree within nine semesters. The program begins with a seven-week summer session that includes a mandatory evening orientation, and fall and spring courses run 15 weeks. Specialty courses may be offered synchronously online, depending on enrollment.
The university also says its counseling students can take the National Counselor Exam and the Missouri Content Assessment before they graduate.
Good to know: CACREP lists the program as Reaffirmation in Process through October 31, 2027. Confirm its status in the CACREP directory before you apply, and find out which format your cohort would use.
3. Lincoln Memorial University: School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Total tuition: $30,300
Versus the average private program: $26,799 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: East Tennessee students who want a hybrid private program
Location: Harrogate, TN | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Hybrid
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2030 (graduates counted since 2012)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Lincoln Memorial says its counseling master’s uses a combination of delivery formats. The school counseling program is based at its Cedar Bluff site in Knoxville, according to the university. Students complete a common counseling core plus coursework specific to their concentration.
Good to know: The university describes a mix, so find out which sessions are online and which are on site.
4. Quincy University: School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Total tuition: $32,400
Versus the average private program: $24,699 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want a private Illinois program under $33,000
Location: Quincy, IL | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Ask the program
CACREP: Accredited (Reaffirmation in Process), through October 31, 2027 (graduates counted since 2016)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. This program’s CACREP accreditation cycle ends October 31, 2027. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
At $32,400, Quincy is one of four private programs on this list under $33,000, and it’s the only private program from Illinois.
Good to know: CACREP lists the program as Reaffirmation in Process, with the current cycle ending October 31, 2027. Confirm its status in the CACREP directory, and find out how classes are scheduled and where they meet.
5. Carson-Newman University: School Counseling (M.S.C.)
Total tuition: $33,600
Versus the average private program: $23,499 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want evening classes, or a path that covers school and clinical counseling
Location: Jefferson City, TN | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Hybrid, online and on site, as described by the university
CACREP: Accredited through March 31, 2032 (graduates counted since 2014)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Carson-Newman says its program is completed in a hybrid format. It also says traditional classes meet on campus in the late afternoon and evening.
The university offers a dual degree that pairs the master’s with an Education Specialist degree. It says that lets students complete the requirements for both school counseling and clinical mental health counseling, and both degrees must be completed there.
Good to know: The dual route adds an Education Specialist degree, so get the combined total and timeline before you commit.
6 (tie). Liberty University, Counselor Education & Family Studies: School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Total tuition: $36,000
Versus the average private program: $21,099 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want an online-style program with no standardized test for admission
Location: Lynchburg, VA | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Online with two required intensives, as described by the university
CACREP: Accredited through March 31, 2032 (graduates counted since 2014)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Liberty describes its program as online with two required intensives. The university’s admission page lists no standardized testing for admission.
Good to know: Required intensives mean time away from work, so find out where they’re held, how long they last, and what attending costs.
6 (tie). Mississippi Christian University: School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Total tuition: $36,000
Versus the average private program: $21,099 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Mississippi students who want preparation aimed at school counselor and LPC licensure
Location: Clinton, MS | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Ask the program
CACREP: Accredited through April 30, 2033 (graduates counted since 1999)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. The number of credits used to calculate this total is taken from the program’s published plan of study and has not been confirmed with the university. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Mississippi Christian University was known as Mississippi College until June 1, 2026, so some pages and documents may still use the old name. The university says completing the degree will help graduates apply for school counselor licensure, National Counselor Certification and licensure as a professional counselor (LPC).
It frames that as help with applying, not a guarantee.
Good to know: Mississippi authorities determine the state school counselor and LPC credentials, and the National Board for Certified Counselors administers NCC certification. Completing the degree doesn’t by itself guarantee any of them. Request the plan of study, since the cost note says the credit count isn’t confirmed.
8. MidAmerica Nazarene University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $36,270
Versus the average private program: $20,829 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want classes that meet on site and synchronously online
Location: Olathe, KS | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Meets on site and synchronously online, per the university
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2033 (graduates counted since 2009)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. This figure is for the 62-credit track. The university also offers a 64-credit track, and which one you enter depends on your background. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
MidAmerica Nazarene says its program meets on site and synchronously online and takes about 33 months. The total here is for the 62-credit track.
The university offers a 64-credit track too, and your background decides which you enter.
Good to know: Your background decides the track, so confirm which one you’d enter and what the 64-credit track costs.
9 (tie). Gardner-Webb University: School Counseling (M.A.)
Total tuition: $37,800
Versus the average private program: $19,299 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Students who want online coursework that mixes live and self-paced learning
Location: Boiling Springs, NC | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Online, as described by the university, with synchronous and asynchronous learning
CACREP: Accredited through April 30, 2033 (graduates counted since 2006)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2026-27 rate. The number of credits used to calculate this total is taken from the program’s published plan of study and has not been confirmed with the university. Online delivery is as described by the university. CACREP’s record does not confirm the format. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Gardner-Webb says its CACREP-accredited program prepares students for licensure as professional school counselors. The university describes it as online, with a combination of live and self-paced learning.
Good to know: Confirm whether the program requires any campus visits, and request the plan of study, since the credit count isn’t confirmed.
9 (tie). University of Lynchburg: School Counseling (M.Ed.)
Total tuition: $37,800
Versus the average private program: $19,299 less than the $57,099 average (59 private programs outside our online list)
Best for: Virginia students who are comfortable with a rate published for next year
Location: Lynchburg, VA | Type: Private nonprofit
Format: Ask the program
CACREP: Accredited through October 31, 2031 (graduates counted since 1990)
Cost note: This figure is the university’s published 2027-28 rate. The number of credits used to calculate this total is taken from the program’s published plan of study and has not been confirmed with the university. This total has not been fully verified against the program’s own cost page. Confirm the current cost with the university before you enroll.
Lynchburg’s total uses its 2027-28 rate, because that’s the only rate the university currently publishes. Its CACREP record is the longest among the private programs here, with graduates counted since 1990.
Good to know: The rate you’d pay if you start now may differ, so ask for it. The cost note also says the total hasn’t been fully verified.
CACREP lists these programs as Accredited (Progress Report Required): Governors State University, through March 31, 2031. New Mexico Highlands University, through March 31, 2029. University of West Alabama, through March 31, 2032. Alfred University, through October 31, 2032. It lists Northern Illinois University, Evangel University and Quincy University as Accredited (Reaffirmation in Process), through October 31, 2027.
How this ranking was built. Every program here is accredited by CACREP as a School Counseling program, verified against the CACREP register on September 30, 2026. Any program whose CACREP status shows a teach-out, closure, show-cause or withdrawal is excluded, because a reader cannot reliably enroll in it. This page covers programs that aren’t on our online list, which includes only programs whose online delivery we’ve confirmed through CACREP’s directory. Public and private programs are ranked separately, and we show the 10 lowest in each group. Programs are ranked on the total tuition an out-of-state student pays. 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. 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. Mandatory fees are excluded so programs compare on the same basis, with this exception, noted on its row: where a university publishes a combined tuition and fee rate, the combined total is used. 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. Some totals are estimates and are labeled as such, and some rank on a prior or forward academic year because that is the only rate published. Where the published rate cannot be tied to this specific program, the program is held off the ranking rather than estimated. 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 your own state’s requirements.
How the average comparison works. Each program’s total is compared with the average total of programs of the same type outside our online list, public or private. The public average is $59,851 across 157 programs. The private average is $57,099 across 59 programs, nonprofit and for-profit together. The averages cover every ranked program in each group, including those not shown here. That makes them higher than an average of the programs on this page. Every figure uses the out-of-state basis described above. The comparison shows where a price sits among programs of its kind. It doesn’t measure quality, and the averages move whenever a university changes its rate.
What to Check Before You Enroll
Confirm the format before you assume campus or online
Format varies on this page. Universities describe some programs as online, some as hybrid and some as in person, and a few say nothing we can verify. Where a profile says “Ask the program,” ask how often classes meet on campus and at what times. If you want a program whose online delivery we’ve confirmed through CACREP, see our ranking of the most affordable online programs.
CACREP accreditation isn’t state approval
A CACREP-accredited program meets the accrediting body’s standards. It doesn’t guarantee that your state’s education or educator certification agency will accept the degree. Check your state’s school counselor certification rules before you pay a deposit, and confirm any program’s current status in the CACREP directory.
Your internship placement matters
The supervised internship takes place in a real school, and it usually has to be completed during the school day. Ask each program how its students arrange that alongside a job, and whether it helps with placement in your district. Here’s what a school counselor internship involves.
Ways to Lower the Cost Further
Sticker price isn’t always what you pay. Three places to start:
- District support: Ask whether your district offers tuition reimbursement or support for staff moving into counseling roles.
- Assistantships: Check each program’s page for graduate assistantships.
- FAFSA: File it, since federal loan eligibility is often the first thing a financial aid office asks about.
Our guide to paying for a school counseling master’s degree covers the options in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the cheapest school counseling programs accredited?
Every program on this list is accredited by CACREP as a School Counseling program, verified against the CACREP register on September 30, 2026. Price doesn’t change that. Several programs on the list are in a renewal cycle, so each profile gives the exact status and end date. Accreditation isn’t the same as state approval, so confirm your state’s requirements separately.
Why are public and private programs ranked separately?
Public and private universities price differently, so ranking them together would be unfair to both. Each group is measured against its own average. That way a saving means the program costs less than others of its kind.
Do I pay in-state tuition?
It depends on the university. This list uses the out-of-state rate for public universities, so residents of a university’s state usually pay less than the figure shown. Eastern Illinois is a different case. It charges students from non-border states less than Illinois and border-state residents, so check which rate applies to you.
Is online cheaper than campus?
Neither wins automatically. Wayne State, the lowest-priced program on this page at $15,714, describes a hybrid, low-residency program with required campus weekends. The lowest-priced program on our online list costs $18,540. Fees can change the order, so compare the total cost for the format you’d actually use.
- Lowest cost, public: Wayne State College at $15,714 in total tuition. Fees bring the university’s own estimate for the full program to about $23,554.
- Lowest cost, private: Alfred University at $26,700, which is within $26 of the tenth-cheapest public program.
- Fees aren’t included: Tuition only, except Western New Mexico, which publishes one combined rate. Ask for each university’s full fee schedule.
- Check format and accreditation: Format varies across these programs, and accreditation isn’t state approval.
If you’re comparing master’s programs, start with the state where you plan to practice. Licensing requirements vary, and your program should line up with your state’s credentialing process before you enroll.
