Best Online Counseling Programs in Sonora, CA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Sonora, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Sonora has a population of about 4,965. Median household income is $62,621 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning counseling-related role is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor at a median $86,500 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Sonora

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

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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

Counseling Wages Near Sonora

Occupation	Median Annual Wage (California, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor	$59,250
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor	$86,500
Marriage and Family Therapist	$67,300
Rehabilitation Counselor	$44,480
Counselor, All Other	$48,850
Social and Community Service Manager	$83,210

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.

Sonora at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	4,965	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$62,621	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	30.2%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Counseling-related employment in Tuolumne County	799 workers, 504 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Sonora-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Oakdale, CA – 29.5 mi away (22,564 pop)
Riverbank, CA – 35.2 mi away (24,389 pop)
Modesto, CA – 41.4 mi away (377,755 pop)
Ceres, CA – 41.4 mi away (48,278 pop)
Turlock, CA – 42.0 mi away (106,100 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Sonora, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Sonora. The closest is Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA (41.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cosumnes River College (65.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles in California are: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($86,500), Social and Community Service Manager ($83,210), Marriage and Family Therapist ($67,300). Wages for Sonora workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Oakdale instead of Sonora?

Oakdale, CA is 29.5 miles from Sonora 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 Sonora an affordable place to study counseling?

Sonora’s median household income of $62,621 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sonora 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 Sonora

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

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.

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