Best Counseling Schools Near Hot Springs, AR (2026)

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

Hot Springs, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $8,674 to $22,808 per year for indexed programs. Hot Springs has a population of about 38,023. Median household income is $46,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hot Springs, AR metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor at a median $65,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Hot Springs

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

Henderson State University

Arkadelphia, AR 25.1 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,459
Avg net price $23,405/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 43.4 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,265
Avg net price $17,248/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Central Arkansas

Conway, AR 52.6 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,938
Avg net price $16,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Arkansas Tech University

Russellville, AR 55.8 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,766
Avg net price $12,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,674
Out‑of‑state$14,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, AR 61.2 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
38.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,550
Avg net price $12,653/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,412
Out‑of‑state$17,992
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Magnolia, AR 83.6 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,386
Avg net price $14,027/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Harding University

Searcy, AR 91.4 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,876
Avg net price $22,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR 126.3 miles from Hot Springs
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,191
Avg net price $18,209/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,104
Out‑of‑state$29,966
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Hot Springs

Hot Springs is part of the Hot Springs, AR metro area (BLS area code 26300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $48,220 Hot Springs, AR $56,266
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $65,790 Hot Springs, AR $76,768
Marriage and Family Therapist $64,340 AR statewide $75,076
Rehabilitation Counselor $35,210 AR statewide $41,085
Counselor, All Other $49,310 AR statewide $57,538
Social and Community Service Manager $51,780 Hot Springs, AR $60,420

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.

Hot Springs at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 38,023 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $46,441 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Garland County 2,079 workers, 202 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Hot Springs-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Hot Springs, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Hot Springs. The closest is Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR (25.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (61.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Hot Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Hot Springs are: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($65,790), Marriage and Family Therapist ($64,340), Social and Community Service Manager ($51,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Benton instead of Hot Springs?

Benton, AR is 27.8 miles from Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs an affordable place to study counseling?

Hot Springs’s median household income of $46,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hot Springs while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 Hot Springs

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

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 Arkansas: Online Programs (2026)