by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 13,858 people earned their degree in student counseling, making the major the 72nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, student counseling graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $44,291 and had an average of $0 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 12,244 student counseling graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major” ranking analyzed 465 colleges that offered a degree in student counseling. That schools that top this list have a program in student counseling in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree student counseling students.
Out of the 465 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Southwest landed the #1 spot on the list. University of the Southwest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hobbs, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 77 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Student Counseling at University of the Southwest
Out of the 465 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Buena Vista University landed the #2 spot on the list. BVU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Storm Lake, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 80 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend America Evangelical University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major. America Evangelical University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Student Counseling at America Evangelical University
Out of the 465 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Salem College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 20 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 465 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Stephens College landed the #5 spot on the list. Stephens is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 17 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of St. Thomas landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. University of St. Thomas is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 94 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Student Counseling at University of St. Thomas
Concordia University, Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking, coming in at #7. Concordia University, Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 masters’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Student Counseling at Concordia University, Irvine
Prescott College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. Prescot College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Prescott, Arizona. It awarded 25 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
With a ranking of #9, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. Angelo State is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 139 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Bonaventure University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. St. Bonaventure University is located in Saint Bonaventure, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 masters’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is located in Durant, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 masters’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Student Counseling at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
University of La Verne came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. University of La Verne is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in La Verne, California. It awarded 146 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Student Counseling at University of La Verne
Bushnell University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. Bushnell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Eugene, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, University of West Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. Livingston, Alabama is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s student counseling degrees to 109 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Student Counseling at University of West Alabama
Indiana Wesleyan University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. IWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Marion, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Student Counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University
New Mexico Highlands University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking, coming in at #16. Las Vegas, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s student counseling degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Student Counseling at New Mexico Highlands University
Missouri Baptist University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. MBU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
La Sierra University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. Located in Riverside, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified masters’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. Edinboro is a small public school situated in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. It awarded 73 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Amberton University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. This small school is located in Garland, Texas, and it awarded 17 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
Loras College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 21 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Ottawa University - Phoenix came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. This small school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 18 masters’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Student Counseling at Ottawa University - Phoenix
With a ranking of #23, North American University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. Located in Stafford, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Read full report on Student Counseling at North American University
University of Montevallo came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major ranking. University of Montevallo is a public institution located in Montevallo, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Student Counseling at University of Montevallo
With a ranking of #25, California Lutheran University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Student Counseling Major list. Located in Thousand Oaks, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 63 degrees to qualified masters’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Concordia University, Wisconsin | Mequon, WI |
| 52 | Bayamon Central University | Bayamón, PR |
| 53 | Cambridge College | Boston, MA |
| 54 | New Jersey City University | Jersey City, NJ |
| 55 | Indiana University - South Bend | South Bend, IN |
| 56 | Loyola University Maryland | Baltimore, MD |
| 57 | Eastern University | Saint Davids, PA |
| 58 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | Magnolia, AR |
| 59 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 60 | Whitworth University | Spokane, WA |
| 61 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL |
| 62 | Montana State University - Billings | Billings, MT |
| 63 | University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO |
| 64 | Rivier University | Nashua, NH |
| 65 | Kean University | Union, NJ |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Mississippi College | Clinton, MS |
| 67 | Gwynedd Mercy University | Gwynedd Valley, PA |
| 68 | Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, CT |
| 69 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown, PA |
| 70 | Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock, TX |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
