Best Counseling Schools Near Scottsdale, AZ (2026)

Scottsdale, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $19,281 per year for indexed programs. Scottsdale has a population of about 242,169. Median household income is $107,372 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 61.5% 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 Scottsdale

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Scottsdale, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale. 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

Phoenix Seminary

Scottsdale, AZ 7.8 miles from Scottsdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Scottsdale Community College

Scottsdale, AZ 12.2 miles from Scottsdale
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 17%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,905
Avg net price $13,336/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ 15.8 miles from Scottsdale
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Scottsdale

Scottsdale 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.


Scottsdale at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 242,169 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $107,372 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 61.5% 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 Scottsdale-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Scottsdale, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Scottsdale. The closest is Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, AZ (7.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is GateWay Community College (18.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Scottsdale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Scottsdale 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 Fountain Hills instead of Scottsdale?

Fountain Hills, AZ is 9.1 miles from Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale an affordable place to study counseling?

Scottsdale’s median household income of $107,372 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Scottsdale 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 Scottsdale

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

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.