2026 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in North Carolina
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their mental health counseling/counselor programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for mental health counseling/counselor students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor in North Carolina
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
East Carolina University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in mental health counseling/counselor. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 63%. About 35 mental health counseling/counselor degrees were awarded at East Carolina University in the most recent year. Graduates of the mental health counseling/counselor program make about $47,542 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,747.
Read more about the mental health counseling/counselor program at East Carolina University
Catawba College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best mental health counseling/counselor schools. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Salisbury. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 18 mental health counseling/counselor students who graduated with this degree at Catawba College in the most recent data year. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Catawba College earn a median of $37,894 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,667 to complete this degree.
Read more about the mental health counseling/counselor program at Catawba College
Students looking for a strong mental health counseling/counselor program will find one at Lenoir Rhyne University, which ranked #3. Lenoir Rhyne University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Hickory. Lenoir Rhyne University graduates 48% of students within six years. There were roughly 57 mental health counseling/counselor students who graduated with this degree at Lenoir Rhyne University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the mental health counseling/counselor program make about $42,066 in their early career. Lenoir Rhyne University graduates carry a median of $26,900 in student loans.
See the full mental health counseling/counselor program report for Lenoir Rhyne University
Gardner Webb University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, ranking #4. Gardner Webb University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Boiling Springs. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. Gardner Webb University awarded about 12 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their mental health counseling/counselor degree from Gardner Webb University earn around $47,147 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,033 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in mental health counseling/counselor from Gardner Webb University
Montreat College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Montreat, Montreat College is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 48%. Montreat College awarded about 12 mental health counseling/counselor degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their mental health counseling/counselor degree from Montreat College earn around $29,234 in the first couple years of their career. Montreat College graduates carry a median of $24,168 in student loans.
See the full mental health counseling/counselor program report for Montreat College
North Carolina Central University landed the #6 spot for mental health counseling/counselor this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Durham. The six-year graduation rate is 42%. There were roughly 28 mental health counseling/counselor students who graduated with this degree at North Carolina Central University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from North Carolina Central University generally make around $50,121. North Carolina Central University graduates carry a median of $31,173 in student loans.
More information about a degree in mental health counseling/counselor from North Carolina Central University
More Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, 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.
