What you’ll learn in this article…
- Community counseling became clinical mental health counseling nearly two decades ago.
- From first credit to LPC takes four to five years, half post-graduation.
- LPC licensure requires a master's, not a bachelor's in community counseling.
At 60 credit hours, tuition for a fully online master's in this field runs about $25,700 at $429 per credit and about $40,800 at $680 per credit. Program names are the other thing that set them apart. Most schools no longer offer a degree called "community counseling." They call it clinical mental health counseling, so searching by the old title misses most of them. The ranking here resolves that, and every program is delivered online with no hybrid format.
The coursework is the easy part. Practicum and internship still happen in person at an approved site near you, and your state board decides whether the degree counts toward LPC licensure.
Community Counseling vs. Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Why the Degree Got Renamed
If you search for a community counseling master's and keep landing on pages for clinical mental health counseling, that is not a glitch. The two names describe the same accredited pathway, and the change happened nearly two decades ago.
What CACREP Changed, and When
CACREP's board adopted revised standards on July 19, 2008, and they took effect July 1, 2009, running through June 30, 2016.1 Those 2009 standards folded two separate specialty areas, Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling, into a single entry-level specialty: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, or CMHC.
Programs did not all flip titles on the same day. The transition was tied to each program's own accreditation review cycle, so a department stayed accredited under the older standards until it reapplied. Credit requirements rose on a published schedule as well: CMHC applicants needed at least 54 semester hours (81 quarter hours) starting July 1, 2009, and at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) starting July 1, 2013.1 The 2016 standards kept CMHC as the entry-level specialty rather than restoring Community Counseling, and carried the 60 semester hour minimum forward for applications postmarked after June 30, 2016.
What This Means for Your Application
A degree labeled "community counseling," "clinical mental health counseling," or simply "mental health counseling" can all lead to the same licensed professional counselor path. What state boards actually scrutinize is the accreditation status of the program, the total credit hours on your transcript, and the supervised practicum and internship hours you complete. The diploma title is the least important variable.
Practical advice: run both search terms when you compare schools, and search both when you use the CACREP directory. Some universities kept the community counseling name for marketing reasons even after aligning the curriculum to CMHC standards, and some renamed everything. If a program's title and its accreditation listing do not match, ask the admissions office directly which specialty area the accreditation covers.
"Community" Still Describes the Work
The word did not disappear from the profession, only from the accreditation taxonomy. Graduates still fill the same roles: community mental health agencies, nonprofit behavioral health centers, county and state-funded clinics, and integrated care settings serving uninsured and Medicaid populations.
Best 100% Online Community Counseling Programs for 2027
Every program below is delivered fully online: hybrid formats and programs built around required in-person components were excluded from this list. Order reflects a mixed quality composite that weighs graduate tuition, an institution-wide graduation rate, and federal program-level earnings and debt where those figures are published. The graduation rate is institution-wide rather than program-specific, so treat it as the share of all students the school graduates, and program-level earnings appear only where the federal data set reports them.
Factors considered
- Earnings four years after graduation
- Graduate tuition and total program cost
- Institution-wide graduation rates
- Federal program-level debt levels
- CACREP accreditation status
- Program-level records maintained in house
- Original research on individual programs — cacrep.org
- National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) covering graduate tuition — nces.ed.gov
- Federal College Scorecard outcomes data — collegescorecard.ed.gov
- CACREP accreditation directories — cacrep.org
University of the Cumberlands
A private Kentucky university whose counseling faculty frame the degree around community and human-services practice rather than private-practice prestige. The online Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling runs 60 credits through assessment, diagnosis, crisis intervention, and specialized work in marriage and family and child and adolescent therapy. Tuition is locked for the life of the program, which matters for students paying out of pocket while working, and a practicum plus two internships supply the supervised hours licensure requires.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 total credit hours
- $449 per credit with a locked tuition rate
- Practicum plus two internships included
- Comprehensive exam (CPCE) required
- 3.0 GPA minimum for admission
- Electives in private practice, marriage and family, child and adolescent therapy
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Valdosta State University
A public Georgia university whose counselor education department runs a clinical mental health track alongside school counseling, so students see both community agency and K-12 settings modeled by the same faculty. Practicum and internship placements draw on agency partnerships across South Georgia, and the university's regional impact center keeps the department connected to surrounding communities. Summer and fall start dates suit working adults already living in the region.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 total credit hours
- Clinical mental health and school counseling tracks
- Summer and fall start dates
- Practicum and internship placements through regional agency partners
- Newly developed CACREP-accredited clinical mental health track
Master of Education in Counselor Education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Midwestern State University
A public Texas university in Wichita Falls with a clinical mental health program built tightly around Licensed Professional Counselor licensure in the state. Coursework emphasizes diagnosis and treatment, multiculturalism, advocacy, and research-informed practice, and graduates head into community agencies, hospitals, and private practice. Two synchronous intensives break up the online coursework and give students live skill practice with faculty.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 semester credit hours
- Prepares for Texas LPC licensure
- Fully online option available
- Two mandatory synchronous intensives, one in each fall term
- Emphasis on multiculturalism, advocacy, and ethical practice
- $50 application fee and three letters of recommendation
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Bellevue University
A private Nebraska university that built its clinical mental health master's for working adults, with a personal student coach assigned from enrollment through graduation. The curriculum threads addictions, trauma, and couples and family therapy through the standard counselor education core. Graduates are prepared to sit for licensure in Nebraska or their home state, which suits students who expect to relocate.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 credits delivered fully online
- $680 per credit
- 100 practicum hours and 600 clinical internship hours
- Coursework in addictions, trauma, and couples and family therapy
- Personal student coach from enrollment to graduation
- Prepares for the licensure exam in Nebraska or the student's home state
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Cambridge College
A Boston institution offering a clinical mental health master's with an unusually wide menu of concentration options, from advanced trauma-informed counseling to school adjustment. Courses are predominantly asynchronous, with a few synchronous meetings for group supervision and skill demonstration. The program maps to Massachusetts LMHC licensure and to parallel credentials such as the Connecticut LPC.
- Five concentration options, including advanced trauma-informed counseling
- 100% online and predominantly asynchronous
- Synchronous meetings for group supervision
- Prepares for Massachusetts LMHC licensure
- Parallel LPC pathway in Connecticut
- Institutionally accredited by NECHE
- CACREP status not verified in available records
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Western Kentucky University
A public Kentucky university with a long-running counselor education department and a clinical mental health master's that prepares graduates for LPCC licensure in the state. Students choose between a clinical mental health track and a marriage, couple and family counseling track, and the department reported adding 14 new placement sites in a 2026 program review. Admission is holistic and includes a faculty interview.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 credit hours including practicum and internship
- Concentrations in clinical mental health or marriage, couple and family counseling
- Prepares for LPCC licensure in Kentucky
- Faculty interview required for admission
- Comprehensive exam required for graduation
- Department reported 14 new placement sites in a 2026 program review
Master of Arts in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Houston Christian University
A faith-connected Houston university whose counseling master's integrates spirituality and theology into clinical training. The program offers several concentration paths, including grief and loss counseling and marriage and family counseling, and requires supervised practicum plus two internship semesters. Graduates pursue Texas LPC licensure and work in hospitals, clinics, private practice, or doctoral study.
- Concentration in grief and loss counseling
- 60 total credit hours
- Supervised practicum plus two internship semesters
- Faith-connected approach integrating spirituality and theology
- Prepares for Licensed Professional Counselor licensure in Texas
- Electives in crisis care and marriage and family counseling
- CACREP status not verified in available records
- Concentration in marriage and family counseling
- 60 total credit hours, completable in about two to three years
- Prepares students for the National Counselor Exam
- Practicum and internship included
- Scholarships and financial aid available
- Active alumni network and community partnerships
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Grief and Loss Counseling — Online
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Counseling — Online
University of West Alabama
A public Alabama university that markets its online counseling master's on affordability and scheduling flexibility, with 8-week terms and a personal success coach for each student. The CACREP-accredited curriculum covers psychopathology, crisis intervention, group counseling, and work with multicultural populations. Transfer credit and financial aid are built into the plan, and the program states that graduates meet the core educational requirements for licensure in most states.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 credit hours delivered in 8-week terms
- $429 per credit
- Completable in two to three years
- Transfer up to 9 credits
- Personal success coach provided
- About 80% of students receive financial aid
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Fitchburg State University
A public Massachusetts university with a clinical mental health master's aimed squarely at LMHC licensure in the state. The 20-course curriculum pairs 150 practicum hours with a 600-hour internship, and evening scheduling keeps the degree open to working adults. Rolling admissions and part-time options make it one of the more flexible regional routes into community agency work.
- 60 credits across 20 courses
- 150 practicum hours and a 600-hour internship
- Prepares for LMHC licensure in Massachusetts
- Evening classes meet after 5pm
- Full-time and part-time options with rolling admissions
- CACREP status not verified in available records
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
A public Texas university whose professional counseling master's includes a Hispanic mental health emphasis designed for counselors serving Latine communities. The program runs as a cohort and covers culturally responsive intervention alongside the standard clinical core. Students complete 700 supervised hours and leave prepared for Texas LPC requirements, with a faculty advisor assigned from the start.
- CACREP accredited
- 60 credit hours in a 100% online cohort model
- Hispanic Mental Health Emphasis with culturally responsive coursework
- 700 hours of supervised practicum and internship
- Prepares for Texas LPC licensure
- Four concentration options across the program
- Comprehensive examination required
Master of Science in Professional Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Hispanic Mental Health Emphasis — Online
CACREP Accreditation and LPC Requirements in Six Large States
For anyone choosing a community counseling program, accreditation is the licensure decision hiding inside the school decision. Programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) are built around the graduate coursework state boards look for, and every state in the table below sets its graduate requirement at 60 semester hours. Holding a CACREP degree can also simplify the board application, since reviewers have less need to check your transcript course by course. Some states have moved from preference to mandate. Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio require a CACREP-accredited degree for LPC or equivalent licensure, and Florida's rule took effect July 1, 2025. Texas accepts CACREP or an equivalent program, while California and New York do not require it. Even if you plan to stay in a state without a mandate, an accredited degree keeps your options open if you relocate later. Portability is the other reason accreditation matters. According to the American Counseling Association, the Counseling Compact has been passed by the legislatures of 40 states and jurisdictions, including Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina. Texas, California, and New York are not among them. The Compact expects a 60-hour counseling degree or designated graduate coursework, post-degree supervised experience, a nationally recognized exam, and diagnostic authority, so a program that meets those benchmarks positions you well for multistate practice. Where a cell below reads "Confirm with state board," check that requirement directly with the board. Before you enroll, confirm every requirement with your state counseling board, because these rules change.
| State | Graduate Credit Hours Required | Post-Degree Supervised Hours | Required Exam(s) | CACREP Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 60 semester hours | 3,000 hours, including 1,500 direct-contact hours and 100 supervision hours | NCE; Texas Jurisprudence Exam | No; CACREP or equivalent accepted |
| Florida | 60 semester hours | Two years of post-master's supervised experience | Confirm with state board | Yes, effective July 1, 2025 |
| Ohio | 60 semester hours | Confirm with state board | Confirm with state board | Yes |
| California | 60 semester hours | Confirm with state board | Confirm with state board | No |
| New York | 60 semester hours | Confirm with state board | Confirm with state board | No |
| North Carolina | 60 semester hours | Confirm with state board | Confirm with state board | Yes |
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Questions Applicants Ask About Community Counseling Degrees
- Are community counseling degrees still offered, or have they become clinical mental health counseling programs?
- Most have become clinical mental health counseling programs. CACREP now lists this specialty as Clinical Mental Health Counseling, though some schools still use "community counseling" in a degree title or concentration. The scope is broader than the old name suggests: graduates work in community agencies, hospitals, college counseling centers, and private practice. Names and curricula vary, and a title alone does not establish license eligibility, so compare each program's coursework and credit hours against your state board's rules.
- Do I need a CACREP-accredited program to become a licensed professional counselor?
- Not in every state. Each state sets its own rules, so CACREP accreditation is mandatory in some states and simply an advantage in others. Kentucky requires a CACREP-accredited program and 60 graduate semester hours for its professional clinical counselor license.1 Oklahoma accepts a counseling degree or a substantially equivalent mental health degree of 60 semester hours, and it approves CACREP degrees without additional academic review.2 Every state also expects a practicum or internship, supervised experience after graduation, and a licensing exam.
- Will my counseling license transfer if I move to another state after graduating?
- Not automatically. The new state's board decides whether to grant endorsement or require extra coursework, exams, or supervised hours. The Counseling Compact is not a national license. It lets a counselor with an unencumbered home-state license, a 60-hour degree, supervised experience, a passed national exam, and an FBI background check apply for a practice privilege, including telehealth, in each operational member state.3 As of June 2026, NBCC listed five: Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Ohio. A CACREP degree often simplifies review. Check the destination board first.
How Long a Community Counseling Master's Program Takes
Finishing fast and finishing prepared pull in opposite directions in a community counseling master's, because the calendar is set less by coursework than by supervised clinical hours.
Most CACREP-aligned clinical mental health and community counseling master's programs require about 60 credits. Some older or non-CACREP programs run 48 credits, but state licensing boards may ask for additional coursework or a particular degree structure, so confirm a 48-credit curriculum against your state's rules before enrolling.
Full-Time vs. Part-Time Pacing
At 9 to 12 credits per semester, a 60-credit degree commonly takes about 2 years full time. Online programs often report slightly longer timelines:
- Sacred Heart University: about 2.5 years at a traditional pace, about 3 years part time, and about 18 months on its accelerated track.1
- Northwestern University: 2.5 to 3 years full time and 3.5 to 4 years part time.2
- The Chicago School: as little as 30 months, designed for students who work while studying.3
Plan on roughly 2 to 3 years full time and 3 to 4 years part time. Prerequisites, course sequencing, and internship site availability can push you toward either end.
Why Clinical Hours Drive the Calendar
CACREP standards call for a 100-hour practicum, with at least 40 hours of direct client contact and the remainder in supervision, case notes, and related activities. The 600-hour internship follows. Direct-contact requirements within the internship vary by school: Colorado Christian University requires 240 direct hours, including at least 10 of group counseling.4
Together these usually fill the final two to three terms. Programs split the internship differently. John Carroll University spreads its 6 credits over two semesters, while Northwestern allows 600 hours in one. Some programs add more: Commonwealth University and The Chicago School each total 700 clinical hours, and Northwestern totals 800.
What Accelerated Formats Don't Change
An accelerated online format can compress coursework, but the clinical hours stay in place, so the savings come mostly from how coursework is scheduled. After graduation, supervised post-degree practice adds roughly two more years in many states before full licensure. When you compare programs, count the whole path from first credit to independent license, not just the date on your diploma.
From First Credit to LPC: the Clinical Hour Timeline
The path from your first graduate credit to a full LPC license usually takes four to five years, and roughly half of that time comes after graduation. The academic milestones are fairly uniform because CACREP sets minimums for practicum and internship hours, but post-degree supervised hours are set by each state board and commonly range from 2,000 to 4,000, with different rules on direct client contact and supervisor qualifications. Check the state table above for your target state's exact requirements before you commit to a program, since a degree that falls short of one board's coursework rules can add months to your timeline.
Bachelor's vs. Master's in Community Counseling: Which Leads to Licensure?
A bachelor's in community counseling, human services, or psychology opens the door to entry-level support roles and graduate school, but it does not meet the educational requirement for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practice. A master's is the entry degree for professional counseling and the minimum credential for LPC licensure and independent clinical practice. If you start with a bachelor's, treat it as a stepping stone: paid or volunteer work as a case manager, behavioral health technician, or community support worker gives you client-facing experience that strengthens a graduate application and helps you confirm the field fits before committing to a 48 to 60 credit master's.
| Factor | Bachelor's in Community Counseling | Master's in Community (Clinical Mental Health) Counseling |
|---|---|---|
| Typical length and credits | Undergraduate degree, commonly four years of full-time study | 48 to 60 graduate credits; CACREP-accredited clinical mental health programs commonly require 60 semester hours |
| Licensure eligibility | Does not satisfy the educational requirement for LPC licensure | Meets the educational requirement for LPC licensure; prepares graduates for the national counselor exam |
| Common job titles | Case manager, behavioral health technician, community support worker; some substance abuse and rehabilitation support roles | Licensed professional counselor, mental health counselor, clinical mental health counselor, rehabilitation counselor |
| Clinical training | Coursework focus; field experience varies by program | Supervised practicum and internship built into the degree |
| Typical next step | Apply to a master's in clinical mental health counseling | Complete post-degree supervised experience, pass the licensing exam, and apply for the LPC |
| Practice independence | Works under licensed clinicians and cannot offer the full range of counseling services | Independent clinical practice once fully licensed as an LPC |
Questions to Ask Yourself
Does the program's CACREP status match what my target state's licensing board requires?
Will the school place me in practicum and internship sites, or do I secure my own?
Can I realistically log 600 internship hours during weekday business hours while working?
Is a 60-credit program worth the extra cost over a 48-credit option if I may move later?
What Mental Health Counselors Earn Nationally
Licensed community counselors are classified by the federal government as substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.
Additional Fully Online Community Counseling Schools
The schools below extend the fully online directory beyond the main ranking. Each entry gives the degree, location, and graduate tuition listed for the program. Confirm CACREP status directly in the CACREP directory before applying, because accreditation can change.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Professional Clinical Counseling
- M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Science in Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Science in Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
- Counseling: Mental Health Counseling (MA)
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Human Sexuality & Contextual Sex Therapy)
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Best Master's in Counseling by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington DC
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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