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CIP 51.1508 Health Professions

Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

11,114

2025 · 286 schools

International share

2.2%

240 international students

Bachelor's degrees

13

0.0% international

Master's degrees

10,921

2.1% international

Overview

Mental Health Counseling is a vital profession focused on helping individuals cope with emotional, psychological, and social challenges. This field equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to assess and treat various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship problems.

Programs in Mental Health Counseling typically combine theoretical coursework with practical training, emphasizing counseling techniques, ethics, and human development. Students learn to utilize various therapeutic modalities, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), person-centered therapy, and solution-focused therapy, to support clients in achieving their mental health goals.

In addition to classroom instruction, aspiring counselors gain hands-on experience through supervised internships, allowing them to apply their skills in real-world settings under the guidance of licensed professionals. This practical experience is crucial for developing competence and confidence in their counseling abilities.

Upon completion of a degree in Mental Health Counseling, graduates often pursue licensure to practice professionally. This may involve passing a national examination and completing a specified number of supervised practice hours. Licensed counselors can work in diverse settings, including private practices, schools, hospitals, and community organizations.

Overall, the field of Mental Health Counseling is essential for promoting mental well-being and providing support to those in need. Counselors play a critical role in helping individuals navigate life's challenges, fostering resilience, and improving overall quality of life. The demand for skilled mental health professionals continues to grow, making this an increasingly important and rewarding career path.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates grew 5,875% and the international share went from 0.0% to 2.2%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
58.8%
Asian
3.3%
Hispanic
13.5%
Black
13.5%
Other
8.8%
Intl.
2.2%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 286 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 13 0
#34 University of Florida Florida 40 2
#34 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois 3 3
#49 University of Rochester New York 18 6
#55 University of Miami Florida 25 6
#59 George Washington University D.C. 39 4
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 26 2
#59 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pennsylvania 24 1
#72 Syracuse University New York 23 4
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 37 3
#80 Drexel University Pennsylvania 1 0
#85 Fordham University New York 40 5
#85 University at Buffalo New York 17 2
#85 Southern Methodist University Texas 72 0
#90 Yeshiva University New York 45 4
#90 Marquette University Wisconsin 95 4
#100 University of Iowa Iowa 15 1
#109 Fairfield University Connecticut 23 0
#116 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Oklahoma 111 0
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 23 1
#121 Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois 11 2
#121 SUNY at Albany New York 33 1
#121 University of Dayton Ohio 25 0
#137 St John's University (NY) New York 31 0
#137 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Pennsylvania 26 0
#148 Mercer University Georgia 66 0
#156 The University of Alabama Alabama 17 0
#156 California State University-Fullerton California 1 0
#156 Seton Hall University New Jersey 43 0
#156 CUNY--City College New York 26 2
#169 Bradley University Illinois 56 2
#169 Monmouth University New Jersey 37 0
#169 Touro College New York 26 2
#179 CUNY Hunter College New York 62 2
#179 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Ohio 20 2
#191 Rowan University New Jersey 8 0
#191 Adelphi University New York 35 1
#202 Sacred Heart University Connecticut 33 0
#202 University of Massachusetts-Boston Massachusetts 43 0
#202 East Carolina University North Carolina 37 1
#202 Ohio University-Main Campus Ohio 16 1
#202 University of St. Thomas (TX) Texas 30 1
#208 Xavier University Ohio 26 0
#208 Belmont University Tennessee 31 0
#219 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indiana 9 1
#219 New York Institute of Technology New York 1 0
#219 Gannon University Pennsylvania 10 3
#227 San Francisco State University California 14 0
#227 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 22 0
#227 University of Texas-San Antonio Texas 96 2
#236 University of North Florida Florida 22 2
#236 Stetson University Florida 23 1
#236 Bethel University Minnesota 16 0
#236 Kent State University at Kent Ohio 47 0
#250 Nova Southeastern University Florida 1 0
#250 University of Missouri--Kansas City Missouri 30 0
#250 New Mexico State University-Main Campus New Mexico 11 0
#250 Pace University-New York New York 49 2
#250 Lipscomb University Tennessee 44 0
#262 Suffolk University Massachusetts 23 2
#262 Andrews University Michigan 10 2
#262 Central Michigan University Michigan 35 0
#262 University of Texas--El Paso Texas 38 0
#276 Northern Arizona University Arizona 48 2
#276 Harding University Arkansas 9 0
#276 University of New Haven Connecticut 46 2
#276 Marian University (IN) Indiana 16 1
#276 Western Michigan University Michigan 40 0
#276 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Ohio 20 1
#276 Marymount University Virginia 41 1
#288 University of Indianapolis Indiana 24 2
#299 Southern Connecticut State University Connecticut 18 1
#308 Oakland University Michigan 39 1
#308 North Carolina Central University North Carolina 26 1
#317 Xavier University of Louisiana Louisiana 5 1
#317 Kean University New Jersey 5 1
#317 University of Mary North Dakota 49 0
#317 Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Pennsylvania 34 1
#317 Emory & Henry University Virginia 6 0
#332 Mercy University New York 49 1
#332 Texas A&M University--Kingsville Texas 21 0
#332 Texas Woman's University Texas 36 1
#332 University of Lynchburg Virginia 12 0
#342 Mississippi College Mississippi 14 0
#342 University of Akron Ohio 39 0
#342 Cleveland State University Ohio 60 2
#342 Lincoln Memorial University Tennessee 8 1
#353 University of Louisiana--Lafayette Louisiana 24 0
#353 Plymouth State University New Hampshire 20 0
#353 Youngstown State University Ohio 49 2
#353 University of Houston--Clear Lake Texas 45 0
#353 Pennsylvania Western University Pennsylvania 52 0
#365 University of Central Arkansas Arkansas 12 1
#365 Indiana State University Indiana 6 0
#365 Northern Kentucky University Kentucky 16 0
#365 Gardner-Webb University North Carolina 10 0
#382 Grand Canyon University Arizona 804 2
#382 Post University Connecticut 3 0
#382 Wilmington University Delaware 14 1
#382 Palm Beach Atlantic University Florida 63 4
#382 Southeastern University Florida 22 0
#382 Idaho State University Idaho 40 0
#382 Roosevelt University Illinois 11 0
#382 Wright State University-Main Campus Ohio 44 1
#382 Angelo State University Texas 6 0
#382 Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi Texas 30 2
#382 Houston Christian University Texas 84 3
#382 Lamar University Texas 148 0
#382 Regent University Virginia 45 0
LAC #62 Agnes Scott College Georgia 20 0
LAC #74 Rollins College Florida 28 2
LAC #97 Lewis & Clark College Oregon 63 0
LAC #100 University of Puget Sound Washington 8 0
LAC #138 Truman State University Missouri 7 1
LAC #154 SUNY Old Westbury New York 17 1
LAC #184 Indiana University-Southeast Indiana 12 0
— Walden University Minnesota 953 4
— Capella University Minnesota 621 1
— Southern New Hampshire University New Hampshire 349 0
— Lesley University Massachusetts 205 8
— Colorado Christian University Colorado 197 0
— University of Phoenix Arizona 189 0
— Bellevue University Nebraska 178 0
— Palo Alto University California 121 1
— Antioch University-New England New Hampshire 120 0
— Saint Edward's University Texas 110 4
— CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York 98 8
— Cambridge College Massachusetts 97 5
— Antioch University-Seattle Washington 94 1
— Merrimack College Massachusetts 87 2
— University of West Alabama Alabama 86 0
— Prescott College Arizona 85 0
— The Chicago School at Los Angeles California 79 2
— Divine Mercy University Virginia 78 0
— Richmont Graduate University Tennessee 75 0
— Long Island University New York 71 8
— John Carroll University Ohio 64 0
— Lenoir-Rhyne University North Carolina 60 1
— Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 60 1
— Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Utah 57 0
— Lindenwood University Missouri 56 1
— Adler Graduate School Minnesota 55 0
— John Brown University Arkansas 53 1
— William James College Massachusetts 52 0
— CUNY Brooklyn College New York 49 3
— University of the Southwest New Mexico 46 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2003–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.