2026 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in California
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best mental health counseling/counselor schools.
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Best Schools for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the mental health counseling/counselor degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor
Palo Alto University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in mental health counseling/counselor. Set in the rural area of Palo Alto, Palo Alto University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Palo Alto University awarded about 96 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Palo Alto University generally make around $59,295. Palo Alto University graduates carry a median of $20,334 in student loans.
Get the full mental health counseling/counselor details for Palo Alto University
Students looking for a strong mental health counseling/counselor program will find one at San Francisco State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco State University is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 50%. About 12 mental health counseling/counselor degrees were awarded at San Francisco State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their mental health counseling/counselor degree from San Francisco State University earn around $59,756 in the first couple years of their career. San Francisco State University graduates carry a median of $17,024 in student loans.
Read more about the mental health counseling/counselor program at San Francisco State University
Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, ranking #3. Set in the suburb of Aliso Viejo, Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System is a large public institution. Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System awarded about 13 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System earn a median of $65,898 early in their careers. Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System graduates carry a median of $27,471 in student loans.
Get the full mental health counseling/counselor details for Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System
University Of Redlands is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, ranking #4. Set in the city of Redlands, University Of Redlands is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 67%. University Of Redlands awarded about 21 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of Redlands earn a median of $60,273 early in their careers. University Of Redlands graduates carry a median of $27,175 in student loans.
Read more about the mental health counseling/counselor program at University Of Redlands
The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best mental health counseling/counselor schools. The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles awarded about 105 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their mental health counseling/counselor degree from The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles earn around $54,966 in the first couple years of their career. The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles graduates carry a median of $32,107 in student loans.
See the full mental health counseling/counselor program report for The Chicago School Of Professional Psychology At Los Angeles
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
