Best Online Counseling Programs in San Clemente, CA (2026)

San Clemente, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $1,354 to $13,997 per year for indexed programs. San Clemente has a population of about 63,510. Median household income is $134,735 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% 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 San Clemente

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near San Clemente. Distances are calculated from San Clemente 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 San Clemente. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Saddleback College

Mission Viejo, CA 7.5 miles from San Clemente BOC Score71.2
Published tuition$1,432 - $13,732
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Massachusetts Global

Irvine, CA 16.9 miles from San Clemente BOC Score44.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Concordia University-Irvine

Irvine, CA 18.3 miles from San Clemente BOC Score59.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

InterCoast Colleges-Santa Ana

Santa Ana, CA 22.5 miles from San Clemente
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 32.3 miles from San Clemente BOC Score55.8
Published tuition$1,354 - $13,997
Online programsYes

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


Counseling Wages Near San Clemente

San Clemente 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.

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


San Clemente at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population63,510Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$134,735Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.7%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 County80,716 workers, 40,645 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other San Clemente-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near San Clemente, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near San Clemente. The closest is Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Palomar College (32.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near San Clemente?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near San Clemente 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 San Juan Capistrano instead of San Clemente?

San Juan Capistrano, CA is 4.4 miles from San Clemente 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 San Clemente an affordable place to study counseling?

San Clemente’s median household income of $134,735 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Clemente 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 San Clemente

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

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.