Best Counseling Schools Near Costa Mesa, CA (2026)

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

Costa Mesa, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $15,722 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Costa Mesa has a population of about 110,538. Median household income is $110,073 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $87,100 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Costa Mesa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Costa Mesa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 4.3 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 5.9 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,083
Avg net price $28,115/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Chapman University

Orange, CA 9.4 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,070
Avg net price $46,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The Chicago School at Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 9.7 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Daybreak University

Anaheim, CA 11.9 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 12.2 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,703
Avg net price $32,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Touro University Worldwide

Los Alamitos, CA 12.8 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,803
Avg net price $19,058/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Cypress College

Cypress, CA 12.9 miles from Costa Mesa
  • 4 year
49.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,533
Avg net price $4,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Counseling Wages Near Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $51,910 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $45,695
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $79,000 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $69,542
Marriage and Family Therapist $71,110 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $62,597
Rehabilitation Counselor $43,480 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $38,275
Counselor, All Other $48,830 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $42,984
Social and Community Service Manager $87,100 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $76,673

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.

Costa Mesa at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 110,538 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $110,073 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 43.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 113.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Orange County 80,716 workers, 40,645 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Costa Mesa-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Costa Mesa, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Costa Mesa. The closest is University of California-Irvine in Irvine, CA (4.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Daybreak University (11.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Costa Mesa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Costa Mesa are: Social and Community Service Manager ($87,100), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($79,000), Marriage and Family Therapist ($71,110). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fountain Valley instead of Costa Mesa?

Fountain Valley, CA is 3.7 miles from Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa an affordable place to study counseling?

Costa Mesa’s median household income of $110,073 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Costa Mesa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Costa Mesa

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

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 California: Online Programs (2026)