Ottawa University-Surprise
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Surprise, AZ (2026)
Surprise, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $34,697 to $50,950 per year for indexed programs. Surprise has a population of about 149,519. Median household income is $93,371 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% 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 Surprise
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Surprise. Distances are calculated from Surprise city center.
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 Surprise. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Estrella Mountain Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Arizona Christian University
Published tuition$34,697 - $50,950
Online programsYes
Glendale Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Grand Canyon University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Surprise
Surprise 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.
Surprise at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 149,519 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $93,371 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 31.0% | 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 Surprise-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- El Mirage, AZ – 9.5 mi away (35,043 pop)
- Peoria, AZ – 11.4 mi away (164,173 pop)
- Glendale, AZ – 14.8 mi away (245,895 pop)
- Buckeye, AZ – 20.4 mi away (64,629 pop)
- Avondale, AZ – 21.7 mi away (214,235 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Surprise, AZ?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Surprise. The closest is Ottawa University-Surprise in Surprise, AZ (5.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Grand Canyon University (21.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Surprise?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Surprise 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 El Mirage instead of Surprise?
El Mirage, AZ is 9.5 miles from Surprise 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 Surprise an affordable place to study counseling?
Surprise’s median household income of $93,371 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Surprise 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
- Counseling accreditation: what to look for
- Counseling concentrations and specializations
- Is a Counseling degree worth it?
- Main Counseling degree guide
- Online Counseling programs in Arizona
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in Surprise
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Surprise:
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Data verified: June 11, 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.