Best Online Counseling Programs in Sunnyvale, CA (2026)

Sunnyvale, California has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Sunnyvale has a population of about 153,455. Median household income is $181,862 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $98,030 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Sunnyvale

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

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

Sort:
#1

Palo Alto University

Palo Alto, CA 8.8 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
92.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,187
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland, CA 32.8 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
99.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,238
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

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

#3

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 34.0 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 35.3 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

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

#5

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 35.9 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA 56.7 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Modesto Junior College

Modesto, CA 58.7 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 130.1 miles from Sunnyvale
  • 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: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale is part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area (BLS area code 41940). 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$72,550San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$65,716
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$95,390San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$86,404
Marriage and Family Therapist$95,110San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$86,150
Rehabilitation Counselor$60,450San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$54,755
Counselor, All Other$83,930San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$76,024
Social and Community Service Manager$98,030San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$88,795

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.


Sunnyvale at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population153,455Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$181,862Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+69.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)110.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Santa Clara County56,229 workers, 31,805 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Sunnyvale-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Sunnyvale, CA?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Sunnyvale are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Sunnyvale?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Sunnyvale are: Social and Community Service Manager ($98,030), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($95,390), Marriage and Family Therapist ($95,110). 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 Mountain View instead of Sunnyvale?

Mountain View, CA is 3.1 miles from Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale an affordable place to study counseling?

Sunnyvale’s median household income of $181,862 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.