2026 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Maryland

Mental Health Counseling/Counselor degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best mental health counseling/counselor schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Maryland

Best Schools for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor in Maryland

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall mental health counseling/counselor education in Maryland.

Top Schools in Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

1

Hood College
Frederick, MD

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

28 Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Degrees Awarded

$56,107 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Hood College, our #1 school for mental health counseling/counselor. Hood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Frederick. Hood College graduates 57% of students within six years. About 28 mental health counseling/counselor degrees were awarded at Hood College in the most recent year. Students who receive their mental health counseling/counselor degree from Hood College earn around $56,107 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,703. Get the full mental health counseling/counselor details for Hood College

2

Bowie State University
Bowie, MD

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

14 Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Degrees Awarded

$58,606 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes Bowie State University one of the top schools for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the suburb of Bowie, Bowie State University is a moderately-sized public university. Roughly 38% of students complete a degree within six years here. Bowie State University awarded about 14 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the mental health counseling/counselor program make about $58,606 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $28,474 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in mental health counseling/counselor from Bowie State University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.