Key Takeaways
- Texas requires a 60-credit-hour master's degree, a national exam, and 3,000 supervised hours for LPC licensure.
- Lamar University and Texas A&M Commerce rank among the most affordable online counseling programs in the state.
- BLS data shows strong demand for counselors in Texas, driven by population growth and rural provider shortages.
- CACREP-accredited programs streamline the licensure process, though non-CACREP graduates can still qualify with additional documentation.
Texas is adding licensed professional counselors faster than almost any other state, and much of that growth is concentrated in child and adolescent mental health services. Schools, community clinics, and private practices across the state are actively recruiting counselors trained to work with young people navigating trauma, family transitions, and developmental challenges. The 29 programs ranked below represent the most accessible, affordable, and outcome-focused master's options in Texas for 2026, with the majority offering online or hybrid delivery so working professionals can complete their degrees without relocating.
The practical tension for prospective students is balancing cost, format, and licensure alignment. In-state tuition at public universities can run as low as $6,650 per year, while some private programs exceed $15,000. CACREP accreditation simplifies the path to LPC licensure but is not universally required by the state, and schools differ significantly in how they structure clinical placements, child-focused electives, and school counselor certification tracks. Students considering a child counselor degree should pay close attention to whether a program embeds that specialization or requires additional certificate coursework.
Texas currently requires 60 graduate credits, 3,000 hours of supervised practice, and a passing score on the National Counselor Examination to earn an LPC, though legislative proposals circulating in 2026 may adjust supervision requirements for telehealth providers working in rural counties.
Top 10 Master's in Counseling Programs in Texas
These 2026 rankings weight affordability, graduate outcomes, and online availability so you can zero in on the Texas counseling master's programs that offer the best combination of value and flexibility. Whether you plan to pursue clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, marriage and family therapy, or addiction counseling, the programs below have been evaluated with working professionals in mind. A full breakdown of our ranking methodology appears later in this guide.
- Net price and affordability
- Graduate earnings and outcomes
- Online or hybrid availability
- Institutional graduation metrics
- Program accreditation status
- Independent program research
- NCES-IPEDS federal institutional data — nces.ed.gov
- Internal program database
- College Scorecard graduate earnings — collegescorecard.ed.gov
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley delivers a CACREP-accredited M.Ed. in Counseling with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration and an optional School Counselor Certification pathway. The hybrid format spreads coursework across campuses in Edinburg, Brownsville, and Laredo, making it accessible to students across South Texas. With one of the lowest net prices of any public university in the state and a strong emphasis on multicultural competence, UTRGV stands out for students who want high-quality training without heavy debt.
- CACREP-accredited program meeting Texas LPC requirements
- Hybrid format with courses in three South Texas locations
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration included
- Optional pathway to School Counselor Certification
- Emphasis on advocacy, leadership, and multicultural skills
- Prepares graduates for diverse community mental health roles
- Fully online undergraduate addiction studies major
- 120 total credit hours with practicum experiences
- Leads to professional licensure eligibility
- Requires minimum 2.4 GPA in major coursework
- Comprehensive substance abuse counseling curriculum
- Criminal background check required for admission
Master of Education in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Hybrid
Bachelor of Science in Addiction Studies — Online
Texas A & M International University
Texas A&M International University offers a fully online M.S. in School Counseling that can be completed in just 16 months. The 48-credit-hour program is structured around flexible seven-week course blocks with six annual start dates, making it one of the most schedule-friendly options in the state. It prepares graduates for Texas School Counselor Certification with a curriculum grounded in crisis intervention, multicultural counseling, and ethical practice.
- Fully online, 16-month program with six start dates
- 48 credit hours with flexible 7-week course blocks
- Prepares for Texas School Counselor Certification
- In-state tuition estimated at roughly $17,616 total
- Culturally responsive counseling focus throughout
- Requires valid Texas teaching certificate for admission
- No thesis requirement; practicum and internship included
Master of Science in School Counseling — Online
The University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP's M.Ed. in School Counseling prepares K-12 counselors through a flexible mix of online, in-person, and hybrid coursework. The program is backed by nationally recognized faculty, and graduates consistently perform well on the state certification exam. Located in a major border community, UTEP provides unique clinical exposure to bilingual and multicultural student populations, a real advantage for counselors who plan to work in diverse school districts.
- Flexible hybrid and online course delivery options
- Focused on K-12 academic, career, and social-emotional counseling
- Nationally recognized faculty with strong exam pass rates
- Modern counseling skills lab for hands-on training
- Personalized learning with small graduate cohorts
- Comprehensive training across elementary through high school settings
School Counseling M.Ed. — Hybrid
North American University
North American University, a private institution in the Houston suburb of Stafford, offers a fully online M.Ed. in School Counseling at a competitive total cost. The 48-credit-hour program covers individual and group counseling theories, developmental guidance strategies, and legal and ethical issues in K-12 settings. It is designed for educators with prior teaching experience who want to transition into school counseling roles.
- 100% online format with flexible scheduling
- 48 credit hours covering K-12 counseling competencies
- Competitive total resident tuition of roughly $14,880
- Multicultural and special populations counseling coursework
- Career development and ethical practice components
- Practicum experience integrated into the curriculum
- Admission requires minimum 2.5 GPA and teaching experience
Master of Education in School Counseling — Online
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center brings a clinical edge to its counseling offerings, with a fully online M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling that integrates telehealth training and a separate M.S. in Addiction Counseling. Both 60-credit-hour programs are CACREP-accredited and prepare graduates for LPC licensure and national certification. The institution's 7-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and health sciences focus position it well for students drawn to evidence-based, clinically rigorous training.
- 60-credit CACREP-accredited online program
- Telehealth training integrated throughout the curriculum
- Prepares graduates for LPC licensure and national certification
- 12 credits of practicum and internship hours required
- Addresses critical Texas mental health workforce shortages
- Eligible for Board Certified TeleMental Health credential
- 60-credit CACREP-accredited fully online program
- Neurobiology of addiction included in coursework
- Includes embedded telehealth certificate training
- Prepares for LPC licensure in substance use settings
- Multicultural counseling and evidence-based practices emphasized
- Flexible format designed for working professionals
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Online
Master of Science in Addiction Counseling — Online
The University of Texas at San Antonio
UTSA's CACREP-accredited M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60-credit-hour program that emphasizes diagnosis, assessment, and therapeutic interventions across diverse populations. Delivered in a hybrid format, the program combines strong academic rigor with practical multicultural training in one of Texas's largest metropolitan areas. Graduates are prepared for state licensure and careers in a wide range of clinical settings.
- 60-credit CACREP-accredited hybrid program
- Admission requires minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
- Emphasis on multicultural competence and creative approaches
- State licensure preparation for Professional Counselor credential
- Diverse clinical training opportunities in San Antonio area
- Evidence-based assessment and diagnosis coursework included
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Hybrid
Sul Ross State University
Sul Ross State University, based in the small West Texas town of Alpine, offers both a School Counseling and a Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration under its M.Ed. in Counseling. The school counseling track is fully online at 48 credit hours, while the clinical mental health track is a 60-credit-hour hybrid. Both tracks are taught by licensed professional counselors, and the 11-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures close mentorship throughout the program.
- Fully online, 48-credit-hour school counseling track
- Requires Texas teaching certification and two years experience
- Supervised by licensed and state-certified counselors
- Designed for K-12 educational settings
- Small cohort sizes with close faculty mentorship
- Prepares for Texas School Counselor Certification
- 60-credit-hour hybrid Clinical Mental Health track
- Flexible enrollment with online and campus components
- Faculty are Licensed Professional Counselors
- Multiple career pathway options upon graduation
- Practicum and internship embedded in curriculum
- Addresses rural and underserved community mental health needs
Master of Education in Counseling, School Counseling — Online
Master of Education in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health — Online
University of Houston-Clear Lake
University of Houston-Clear Lake offers a 48-credit-hour M.S. in Counseling with School Counselor Certification, preparing graduates to work across K-12 settings in the greater Houston area. The hybrid program emphasizes experiential learning and readies students for the School Counselor State Assessment. For those who want to broaden their scope, the program also provides optional coursework toward Professional Counselor licensure.
- 48-semester-hour hybrid program for K-12 certification
- Prepares students for School Counselor State Assessment
- Experiential learning approach with practicum hours
- Optional preparation for Professional Counselor licensure
- Located in the Houston metro for diverse clinical exposure
- Supports academic, career, and personal student development
Counseling M.S. with School Counselor Certification — Hybrid
Texas Woman's University
Texas Woman's University provides two distinct counseling pathways: a COAMFTE-accredited M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy delivered in a hybrid format and a fully online M.Ed. in School Counseling. The MFT program fulfills Texas licensure requirements and typically takes about three years, while the school counseling track uses a cohort model that can be completed in two years. With campuses in Denton, Dallas, and Houston, TWU offers geographic flexibility along with smaller class sizes and strong faculty mentorship.
- COAMFTE-accredited hybrid program across three campuses
- Fulfills Texas licensure requirements for marriage and family therapy
- Thesis option available; most finish in about three years
- No GRE or letters of recommendation required
- On-campus interview is part of the admission process
- Prepares graduates for the national licensure exam
- Fully online coursework with asynchronous and synchronous classes
- Two-year program with cohort learning model
- Eligibility for K-12 School Counselor Certification in Texas
- Smaller class sizes with dedicated faculty mentoring
- Requires bachelor's degree and minimum 3.0 GPA
- Growing career field with strong demand across Texas
Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy — Hybrid
Master of Education in School Counseling — Online
The University of Texas Permian Basin
The University of Texas Permian Basin offers a 60-credit-hour M.A. in Counseling with a School Counseling concentration delivered in a hybrid format. The program meets Texas Education Agency requirements for Professional School Counselor certification and includes 9 hours of supervised clinical experience. Situated in West Texas, it serves a region where school counselors are in particularly high demand, giving graduates strong local employment prospects.
- Hybrid program meeting TEA certification requirements
- 51 credit hours of core coursework plus 9 clinical hours
- Practicum and internship provide supervised field experience
- Comprehensive exam required for degree completion
- Supports K-12 academic, personal, and career development
- 3.0 GPA recommended for admission
- Designed for aspiring Professional School Counselors
Master of Arts in Counseling, School Counseling — Hybrid
Tuition, Debt, and ROI: Which Programs Deliver the Best Value?
The table below compares institution-level net price, median graduate debt at completion, median earnings ten years after enrollment, and a simple ROI ratio (earnings divided by debt) for each of our featured programs. Note that net price figures are institution-wide averages and will vary based on your residency status, financial aid package, and program-specific fees. Where available, College Scorecard reports program-level (CIP-specific) earnings, which give a more accurate picture than institution-wide medians. For these programs, program-level earnings data is not yet available, so the earnings column reflects institution-wide figures. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center stands out with the lowest median debt ($12,268) and an ROI ratio above 7.5, while UT Rio Grande Valley and Texas A&M International University also deliver strong value thanks to very low net prices and modest debt loads.
| School | Net Price (Avg.) | Median Graduate Debt | Median Earnings (10 Yr) | ROI Ratio (Earnings / Debt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Tech University HSC | N/A | $12,268 | $92,348 | 7.53 |
| UT Rio Grande Valley | $4,831 | $12,950 | $49,620 | 3.83 |
| UT Arlington | $13,951 | $17,527 | $63,199 | 3.61 |
| University of Houston, Clear Lake | $15,563 | $17,831 | $59,004 | 3.31 |
| Texas A&M International University | $3,637 | $15,000 | $48,386 | 3.23 |
| UT Permian Basin | $12,723 | $17,750 | $56,073 | 3.16 |
| University of St. Thomas | $19,359 | $19,928 | $59,224 | 2.97 |
| Texas Woman's University | $11,963 | $19,218 | $56,544 | 2.94 |
| UT El Paso | $9,403 | $18,000 | $50,923 | 2.83 |
| UT San Antonio | $10,836 | $20,500 | $57,131 | 2.79 |
Questions to Ask Yourself
Online vs. On-Campus Counseling Programs in Texas
One of the biggest decisions you will face when choosing a master's in counseling program in Texas is the delivery format. The programs ranked on this page are online or hybrid, but many Texas schools also offer traditional on-campus options. Here is a practical breakdown of how these formats compare across the dimensions that matter most. Keep in mind that salary outcomes in Texas are consistent regardless of program format: for example, the 2024 BLS annual median for mental health counselors in Texas was $67,920 whether the degree was earned online or on campus. Employers generally evaluate licensure credentials, not delivery format.
| Dimension | Online or Hybrid | On-Campus |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Coursework is asynchronous or offered in evening live sessions, allowing students to maintain jobs or family commitments. Most programs can be completed in 24 to 36 months at a full-time pace. | Fixed class schedules during weekdays or evenings. The same 24 to 36 month timeline applies, but less scheduling freedom for working professionals. |
| Practicum and Clinical Hours | In-person practicum hours are still required for licensure. Students arrange placements at approved sites near their home, coordinated by the program's field placement office. This satisfies the same CACREP clinical-hour requirements as any on-campus track. | Practicum sites are typically arranged through partnerships with local agencies and school districts near the campus. On-campus students may have a slight edge in the number of pre-established site relationships. |
| Peer Networking and Cohort Experience | Virtual cohort models, discussion boards, and video-based group work create community, though in-person connection is limited. Some hybrid programs include weekend residencies that strengthen peer bonds. | Daily face-to-face interaction with classmates, faculty office hours, and campus counseling clinics foster strong professional networks and mentorship opportunities. |
| Typical Cost Differences | Online programs often (though not always) carry lower total costs because they eliminate commuting, relocation, and some campus fees. Several Texas programs offer a flat online tuition rate regardless of residency status. | Tuition may be lower for in-state residents at public universities, but added costs for parking, campus fees, and commuting can narrow the gap. Out-of-state students generally pay significantly more. |
| Credit Requirements | Typically 60 semester credits for CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling tracks, matching on-campus requirements exactly. | Typically 60 semester credits for the same CACREP-accredited tracks. Curriculum content and rigor are equivalent. |
| CACREP Accreditation Availability | Multiple CACREP-accredited online and hybrid counseling programs operate in Texas. According to CACREP directory data, online mental health counseling programs in the state slightly outnumber on-campus options. | CACREP-accredited on-campus programs are well established across Texas, with several public and private universities holding long-standing accreditation. |
| Licensure Preparation | Graduates are eligible to pursue LPC licensure in Texas on the same terms as on-campus graduates, provided the program is CACREP-accredited or meets Texas BHEC standards. The common concern that online programs fall short on clinical hours is unfounded: practicum and internship requirements are identical regardless of delivery format. | On-campus graduates follow the same LPC licensure pathway. No format-based advantage exists in the eyes of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. |
Child Counseling Specializations and Graduate Certificates in Texas
Texas offers robust pathways for counselors who want to specialize in work with children and adolescents, whether through formal master's degree concentrations, graduate certificates, or carefully curated elective tracks. Understanding the distinction between these options is essential for mapping your training to your career goals.
Master's Concentrations in Child and Adolescent Counseling
Several Texas universities embed child-focused training directly into their CACREP-accredited master's programs. The University of North Texas offers a 60-credit Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Play Therapy, delivered on campus. Sam Houston State University provides a similar 60-credit on-campus Master of Arts in Counseling with a Child/Adolescent/Play Therapy emphasis. Texas Tech University's online 60-credit M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling includes a Play Therapy emphasis, combining flexibility with specialized coursework. Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi offers a 60-credit on-campus M.S. in Professional Counseling with a Child/Adolescent emphasis.
For students seeking fully online options, the University of Texas at San Antonio's 60-credit CACREP-accredited M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is delivered entirely online and allows students to select child-focused electives. University of Houston-Victoria and Texas A&M University-Central Texas also integrate child-focused electives within their 60-credit CACREP-accredited programs, the former online and the latter on campus.
Nationally accredited online programs accessible to Texas residents include Capella University's CACREP-accredited M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a Child and Adolescent Counseling specialization, delivered online with in-person residencies and totaling 90 quarter credits.1
Graduate Certificates: Adding Child Expertise After Your Master's
Graduate certificates serve a distinct purpose: they are not standalone credentials for initial licensure but rather specialized training modules for counselors who already hold a master's degree and want to add child-focused competencies. Typically ranging from 12 to 15 credit hours, these certificates are compact, targeted, and often stackable toward future doctoral work or advanced credentials like Registered Play Therapist (RPT) status. For a broader look at post-master's options across the field, see our guide to graduate certificates in mental health counseling.
The University of North Texas offers a 12-credit Graduate Academic Certificate in Play Therapy, available on campus or in a hybrid format. Texas Tech University provides a 12 to 15-credit Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy, delivered online or hybrid. Sam Houston State University's 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy is similarly flexible, with online or hybrid delivery.
These certificates typically include coursework in play therapy techniques, developmental psychopathology, family systems theory, and trauma-informed interventions. Practicum or supervised clinical hours are often embedded, conducted in settings such as elementary schools, pediatric behavioral health clinics, community mental health centers, or private practices specializing in child and family services.
Child Development Programs: A Non-Clinical Alternative
For those interested in child development from an educational or research perspective rather than clinical licensure, Texas Woman's University offers a 31-credit M.S. in Child Development, delivered fully online.2 Tarleton State University provides a 30-credit online M.S. in Child Development and Family Studies.3 These programs do not lead to LPC licensure but prepare graduates for roles in early childhood education, program administration, or applied developmental research. Students drawn to childhood trauma counseling as a clinical career should pursue a CACREP-accredited counseling degree instead.
Choosing Between a Concentration and a Certificate
If you are starting your counseling education and know you want to work with children, a master's program with a built-in child or play therapy concentration is the most efficient path. You will graduate with both the credential required for licensure and specialized training in one integrated program. If you already hold a master's degree in counseling or a related field and want to pivot into child-focused practice, a graduate certificate allows you to add that expertise without repeating foundational coursework. Many certificate programs are designed to align with the training requirements for national play therapy credentials, making them a strategic investment for counselors seeking to differentiate their practice.
Related Articles
How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas
Earning your LPC in Texas is a structured process that typically takes several years beyond your master's degree. The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC) oversees licensure and requires specific coursework, a national exam, and extensive supervised practice. While CACREP accreditation is not strictly required by the state, graduating from a CACREP-accredited program ensures your coursework aligns with BHEC requirements in areas like diagnosis and treatment planning and marriage and family counseling, and it simplifies the application review process.
Counseling Specialties and Career Paths in Texas
Texas is in the middle of a genuine workforce expansion in behavioral health, driven by population growth, telehealth policy changes, and a long-standing shortage of mental health providers in rural and underserved areas. Choosing the right specialty is not just an academic decision. It shapes which license you pursue, which employers will hire you, and what your earning trajectory looks like over the first decade of practice.
The Four Main Tracks and Their Licensure Pathways
Most master's programs in Texas cluster around four core specializations, each leading to a distinct credential:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Leads to the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential through the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. This is the broadest licensure, covering individual therapy, group work, and crisis intervention across nearly every practice setting. Students exploring this route can compare best clinical mental health counseling programs nationwide to understand how Texas options stack up.
- School Counseling: Graduates pursue a School Counselor Certificate issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rather than a clinical license. Programs typically require 48 semester hours and, at some schools, prior teaching experience.
- Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT): Leads to the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) credential, regulated by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists. Programs accredited by COAMFTE, such as the one at Texas Woman's University, are specifically designed to meet those requirements.
- Child and Adolescent Counseling: This track most often sits within a Clinical Mental Health or MFT program, with coursework and practicum hours concentrated on younger populations. It leads to the same LPC or LMFT license, not a separate credential, though some graduate certificate options exist for practitioners who want to add this focus area.
What the Wage Data Actually Shows
Salary expectations deserve a realistic framing. According to 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics data for Texas, the median annual wage for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in the state was $52,190.1 The range is wide: the bottom 10 percent earned around $35,370, while the top 10 percent reached $79,440.1 Those figures reflect a broad occupational category that includes entry-level community mental health positions alongside experienced licensed clinicians in private practice.
For school counselors and career advisors, the most recent national BLS data shows a median annual wage of $65,140. That figure is national in scope, not Texas-specific, so individual district salaries will vary based on the Texas public school pay structure and years of experience.
Program-level post-graduation earnings for many Texas counseling programs are not yet available through federal reporting systems, which means readers should treat any program-specific income projections cautiously and ask programs directly about outcomes data for recent graduates.
Nationally, the BLS projects 17 percent job growth for mental health and substance abuse counselors through 2034, a rate well above average.2 Growth for educational and career counselors is projected at a more modest 3.5 percent through the early 2030s. For a broader look at the range of counseling careers available, exploring different practice settings early in your program can help clarify which specialty fits.
High-Demand Settings in Texas
Where counselors work in Texas shapes compensation and day-to-day experience as much as the license itself. Several sectors are actively recruiting:
- Rural community mental health centers in West Texas and the Panhandle face chronic vacancies, and some offer loan repayment incentives through federal shortage-area designations.
- Title I schools across major urban districts and smaller rural systems are expanding counselor-to-student ratios in response to state and federal pressure, creating steady demand for school counseling graduates.
- Pediatric behavioral health settings, including hospital systems and outpatient clinics, seek LPCs and LMFTs with documented child and adolescent training.
- Telehealth platforms expanded dramatically during and after the pandemic, and Texas regulatory changes have made remote counseling more sustainable as a career path, particularly for clinicians serving clients in underserved regions without needing to relocate.
The practical takeaway: your specialty choice, practice setting, and years of supervised experience together determine income far more than any single wage figure. Entering the field with clear expectations about early-career salaries, and a sense of which settings align with your goals, puts you in a much stronger position than relying on median numbers alone.
Most Affordable Online Counseling Master's Programs in Texas
Affordability is a key factor in our rankings, and these six Texas programs stand out for keeping costs low. All offer online or hybrid delivery, making them accessible to working professionals across the state. The chart below pairs each school's average net price with its median graduate debt so you can compare what students actually pay against what they borrow.
How We Ranked These Counseling Programs
Our Data-Driven Approach
We build every ranking on public, verifiable data so you can see where the numbers come from. For this guide we pulled institution-level information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and program-level earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. We then focused the list by applying two filters that matter most to our readers: affordability and online availability.
What Counts Most in the Scoring
Once we have the candidate pool, programs earn points across several dimensions. Because cost is a top concern, we prioritized affordability metrics such as net price and the share of students receiving institutional aid. Graduation and retention rates also contribute to a program's score, with the important caveat that these are reported at the institutional level, not at the program level. Where College Scorecard provides earnings data for the exact program, we incorporate that as a direct signal of career outcomes. Finally, programs that offer a fully online or hybrid pathway receive an additional boost, reflecting the flexibility many working adults need. If you are exploring broader options, our list of best online master's in counseling programs applies the same methodology nationwide.
Why We're Transparent About Our Process
Many rankings never explain how they chose the schools you see. We believe you deserve better. By laying out exactly which data points we use and why, we help you decide whether our priorities align with your own. This transparency is part of our commitment to Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). When you know the method behind the list, you can use it as a starting point for your own research rather than taking it at face value.
How You Can Use This Ranking
Think of this list as a curated shortlist, not a final verdict. Weight the factors that are most important to you: perhaps net price matters more than online availability, or maybe a school's degree completion rate is your top signal. Prospective students interested in a specialized track, such as clinical mental health counseling online programs or best MFT programs in Texas, should cross-reference those program-specific rankings with the schools listed here. Every program profiled meets baseline standards for accreditation and state licensure preparation, but your personal fit depends on goals no formula can capture. Use our methodology notes as a lens to evaluate each option critically.
Frequently Asked Questions About Counseling Programs in Texas
Choosing a counseling master's program in Texas involves questions about cost, accreditation, licensure, and specialization options. Below, we answer the most common questions prospective students ask when evaluating their options in 2026.
More Texas Counseling Programs to Consider
Beyond our top 10, Texas offers many other strong counseling programs. Below is a directory of additional schools organized by region, providing a wider view of your options.
DFW Metroplex
- Counseling (MS) (School Counseling)
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Substance Use & Treatment
East Texas
- Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education
- Master of Arts in Professional Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
- Master of Education in School Counseling
Greater Houston
- School Counselor Education
- Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Grief and Loss Counseling)
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Marriage and Family Counseling)
Southeast Texas
- Program Certificate in Mental Health Counseling
- Master of Education in Counseling and Development (Professional School Counseling)
- Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
South Texas
- Master of Science in Counseling & Guidance (School Counseling Certification)
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (School Counseling)
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Rural Mental Health)
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Sandtray Therapy)
- Master of Science in Professional Counseling (Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Hispanic Mental Health Emphasis)
West Texas
- Texas School Counselor Certification
- Master of Education in School Counseling
- Clinical Counseling & Marriage and Family
- Master of School Counseling
- M.A. School Counseling
- School Counseling M.Ed.
- School Counseling M.Ed. + LPC (Licensed Professional Counseling)
