Best Counseling Schools Near Merced, CA (2026)

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

Merced, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Merced has a population of about 89,766. Median household income is $59,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor at a median $83,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Merced

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

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA 25.6 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,188
Avg net price $6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 37.7 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,368
Avg net price $2,818/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 52.9 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
41.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,361
Avg net price $8,069/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 52.9 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

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

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#5

Agape College of Business and Science

Fresno, CA 54.5 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
52.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Avg net price $17,755/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 57.3 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 65.3 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,445
Avg net price $25,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 77.1 miles from Merced
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Merced

Merced is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). 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 $60,780 Merced, CA $61,831
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $83,020 Merced, CA $84,456
Marriage and Family Therapist $67,300 CA statewide $68,464
Rehabilitation Counselor $39,640 Merced, CA $40,326
Counselor, All Other $48,850 CA statewide $49,695
Social and Community Service Manager $76,760 Merced, CA $78,087

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.

Merced at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 89,766 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,938 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 18.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Merced County 5,379 workers, 4,144 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Merced-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Merced, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Merced. The closest is California State University-Stanislaus in Turlock, CA (25.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Agape College of Business and Science (54.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Merced?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Merced are: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($83,020), Social and Community Service Manager ($76,760), Marriage and Family Therapist ($67,300). 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 Atwater instead of Merced?

Atwater, CA is 7.4 miles from Merced 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 Merced an affordable place to study counseling?

Merced’s median household income of $59,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merced 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 Merced

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

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)