Best Online Counseling Programs in South Lake Tahoe, CA (2026)

South Lake Tahoe, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. South Lake Tahoe has a population of about 21,319. Median household income is $73,940 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor at a median $100,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to South Lake Tahoe

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

#1

Lake Tahoe Community College

South Lake Tahoe, CA 1.1 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score20.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

University of Nevada-Reno

Reno, NV 42.3 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score67.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA 70.9 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score51.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

American River College

Sacramento, CA 76.2 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score51.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova

Rancho Cordova, CA 77.4 miles from South Lake Tahoe BOC Score38.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Counseling Wages Near South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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$61,050Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$57,216
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$100,930Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$94,592
Marriage and Family Therapist$75,030Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$70,319
Rehabilitation Counselor$43,880Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$41,125
Counselor, All Other$47,920Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$44,911
Social and Community Service Manager$76,080Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$71,303

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.


South Lake Tahoe at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,319Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$73,940Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in El Dorado County3,033 workers, 1,455 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Lake Tahoe-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near South Lake Tahoe, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near South Lake Tahoe. The closest is Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, CA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova (77.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near South Lake Tahoe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near South Lake Tahoe are: Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($100,930), Social and Community Service Manager ($76,080), Marriage and Family Therapist ($75,030). 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 Carson City instead of South Lake Tahoe?

Carson City, NV is 19.3 miles from South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe an affordable place to study counseling?

South Lake Tahoe’s median household income of $73,940 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for South Lake Tahoe:

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.