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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student/teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire a master’s in counseling, but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best master’s in counseling programs.

What institution did we forget? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

1. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, IL

The University of Illinois system’s leading campus has all the resources and supports necessary to produce highly skilled professionals in the field. Upon completion of the school’s master of counseling, future professionals can become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and, after that, enter the field with the necessary licensure to council in the state of Illinois, one of the most highly populated states in the country. Learners normally finish the degree program in four semesters.

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s School of Education has an online master’s in counseling (MEd, school counseling) that learners generally finish in 14 months. The degree program is cohort-based and may be pursued without completion of the GRE (to be exempt, candidates must hold either a 3.5 GPA or already have a master’s degree). Due to the degree program’s short length, the degree program is intensive and highly concentrated, and the degree program includes extensive fieldwork. UNC-Chapel Hill is the leading institution of the University of North Carolina system. UNC-Chapel Hill maintains regional accreditation from SACS.

3. Columbia University, New York, NY

Columbia University has a masters of counseling (MEd) degree program that has two separate paths: a concentration in mental health counseling and another in school counseling. Both prepare learners for futures in the field by providing all preparation necessary for licensure. Columbia’s degree program places particular emphasis on racial-cultural focuses and social justice, highlighting the necessity of ethics and consideration of systemic problems. Columbia University is regionally sanctioned by MSCHE.

4. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

The University of Kansas has a master’s in counseling in two paths: a terminal MS path and a PhD aspirant path. The school designs the terminal path for learners who intend to enter the field upon completion (and seek licensure), whereas the PhD aspirant path allows learners to continue to the PhD level. Learners generally finish the degree in about two years. The University of Kansas holds regional accreditation from the HLC.

5. University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA

The state’s leading institution, the University of Iowa, offers learners a master’s in school counseling. The counseling degree program is designed to meet all state requirements and provide learners with the foundation necessary to move forward in the field in the state of Iowa. But learners accepted into the degree program by UI without teaching licensure will need to finish additional classwork before graduation. The University of Iowa holds regional accreditation from the HLC.

6. Temple University, Philadelphia, PA

Temple University has an on-campus masters of education in counseling psychology. Temple restricts its classes to small sizes (for example, the school limits its clinical classes to 15 learners), and the degree program ends with a year-long practicum and internship. The school makes the degree program available in two concentrations: agency counseling and school counseling. The first concentration offers training and background for clinical environments, whereas the second path enables learners to focus on school counseling. Temple maintains regional accreditation from the MSCHE.

7. New York University, New York, NY

New York University — Steinhardt has an online master’s in mental health counseling and wellness. The NYU Steinhardt’s degree program does not require learners to finish the GRE before applying.

During the degree program, learners finish over 600 internship hours, 100 hours of practicum, a counseling lab, and 60 graduate-level credits. Learners may begin the degree program at three points across the year and may finish the degree program in as little as 21 months. NYU Steinhardt is regionally sanctioned by the MSCHE.

8. University of Missouri at Columbia, Columbia, MO

Learners at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) may select from several options in the master’s degree in counseling. For example, at Mizzou, learners can pursue focused paths in counseling psychology, career counseling, school counseling, and sports psychology. Additionally, the school has a graduate minor in multicultural psychology. According to the school, its counseling psychology degree program was one of the first to be sanctioned by the American Psychological Association (APA). Mizzou maintains regional accreditation from the HLC.

9. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has a master’s degree in counseling. The school does not offer a terminal degree and designs the degree program to lead to a PhD degree in general psychology. VCU’s degree program focus is multidisciplinary and presents learners with an array of theoretical models while providing generalist training appropriate for the field. In turn, the degree program emphasizes diversity as a central component. VCU’s degree program has held accreditation from the APA since 1984, and VCU maintains regional accreditation from SACS.