Best Counseling Schools Near Peoria, AZ (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Peoria, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $35,098 to $54,792 per year for indexed programs. Peoria has a population of about 194,338. Median household income is $93,403 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Peoria

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Peoria, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Peoria city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Peoria. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Ottawa University-Surprise

Surprise, AZ 11.5 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
27.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $33,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 47%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arizona Christian University

Glendale, AZ 13.0 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
30.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,612
Avg net price $32,839/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,098
Out‑of‑state$35,098
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Glendale Community College

Glendale, AZ 16.1 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $11,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Paradise Valley Community College

Phoenix, AZ 19.0 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,196
Avg net price $12,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 21.1 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ 24.2 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,870
Avg net price $12,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Phoenix Seminary

Scottsdale, AZ 26.4 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

GateWay Community College

Phoenix, AZ 28.9 miles from Peoria
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,147
Avg net price $13,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona counseling page.

Counseling Wages Near Peoria

Peoria is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $66,020 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $63,911
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $60,520 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $58,587
Marriage and Family Therapist $61,850 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $59,874
Rehabilitation Counselor $48,820 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $47,260
Counselor, All Other $56,690 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $54,879
Social and Community Service Manager $79,200 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $76,670

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Peoria at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 194,338 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $93,403 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Maricopa County 78,209 workers, 5,741 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Peoria-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Peoria, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Peoria. The closest is Ottawa University-Surprise in Surprise, AZ (11.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grand Canyon University (21.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Peoria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Peoria are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,200), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($66,020), Marriage and Family Therapist ($61,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Surprise instead of Peoria?

Surprise, AZ is 11.4 miles from Peoria and has its own set of local counseling programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Peoria an affordable place to study counseling?

Peoria’s median household income of $93,403 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peoria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Counseling Programs

Other Programs Available in Peoria

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Peoria:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Counseling Schools in Arizona: Online Programs (2026)