Best Affordable Online Master’s in School Counseling Programs of 2025

Does a career guiding students through the challenges of school and growing up appeal to you? School counselors help students face their mental health challenges and achieve academic success, while also assisting them to improve their personal well-being from elementary to high school.

You’ll need a master’s degree to work as a school counselor. A master’s in school counseling program may also help prepare you for licensure by connecting you with practicum and internship experiences.

We’ve picked the most affordable online master’s in school counseling programs so you can return to school and earn your graduate degree without taking on much debt. Keep reading to learn more.

Before you apply to any master’s in school counseling programs, carefully consider the cost and length of your program. Also, look into accreditation and careers you can pursue once you graduate.

According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data, a two-year master’s degree in the social sciences costs around $24,200. Fortunately, financial aid, which includes grants and scholarships, can reduce this amount.

With financial aid, master’s degrees in social science cost around $21,800, reducing the average tuition by over $2,000. This shows how much financial aid can reduce the cost of tuition. Fill out the FAFSA to see if you qualify for grants, scholarships, or student loans.

Most master’s in school counseling programs require two years of study. You’ll typically need to complete 60 credits to earn your degree, or around 30 credits per year.

Accelerated programs, like the one at the University of North Carolina, can reduce the time to completion to just a year. You’ll still earn 60 credits, though. These fast-paced programs follow the same curriculum as on-campus programs.

Programmatic accreditation matters because it ensures that your program is legitimate and meets rigorous standards for quality education.

Before applying to any online master’s in school counseling programs, ensure that they are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

You can verify the accreditation of the master’s in school counseling programs you’re applying to by using the CACREP’s directory of accredited programs.

School counselors are projected to grow at 4% by 2023, which is as fast as average for all occupations, per the BLS. These professionals, who help students navigate school and plan their careers, earn around $65,140 annually.

Outside educational settings, you can find roles as a mental health counselor in a hospital, private practice, or treatment center, earning around $59,190 annually. You could also work as a training and development manager, which pays a high median salary of around $127,090 annually.

School and career counselors working in local, public K-12 schools tend to earn more ($76,960), on average, than counselors working at private K-12 institutions ($62,090), per BLS.

A master’s in school counseling is worth it if you want to work with students to improve their mental health and reach their academic and social goals.

Counseling is a community and social services profession. You can make a meaningful change in students’ lives while achieving job security and earning a liveable salary. And an accredited program will prepare you for licensure.

According to the National Association for Colleges and Employers, the mean starting salary for master’s in counseling graduates was nearly $51,680 for the class of 2023. However, the BLS reports that school and career counselors earn over $65,000 annually, on average.

One major drawback you may consider is that even the cheapest and quickest programs require time and financial investments. You might also consider that once you start your role, you can experience high caseloads, which can lead to high stress and career burnout.

A master’s in school counseling will make you eligible to earn a terminal degree, such as a Ph.D. in counselor education, which takes around four years to complete. With this degree, you can apply for leadership positions in academia and research.

Rayelle Davis, a licensed clinical professional counselor, shared: “A master’s degree is considered the terminal degree to work as a counselor. Pursuing a doctoral degree would be beneficial if you wanted to work in higher education, do research, or if it was a personal goal.”

You could also work in advanced clinical roles. Our 2025 Online Education Trends Report findings show that 45% of online psychology, education, and social sciences students and graduates say their online classes included assignments they could use to explore future career options.