Best Counseling Schools Near Bradenton, FL (2026)

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

Bradenton, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $6,410 to $24,904 per year for indexed programs. Bradenton has a population of about 56,289. Median household income is $60,964 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Marriage and Family Therapist at a median $76,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Bradenton

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

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 19.9 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 31.6 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 40.7 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Trinity College of Florida

Trinity, FL 49.1 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
22.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,465
Avg net price $20,297/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,300
Out‑of‑state$16,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 22%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:Accreditor: Association for Biblical Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Pasco-Hernando State College

New Port Richey, FL 54.4 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,903
Avg net price $5,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 77.4 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,421
Avg net price $7,247/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 86.4 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,560
Avg net price $12,568/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,118
Out‑of‑state$25,162
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL 103.3 miles from Bradenton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Avg net price $19,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Bradenton

Bradenton is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metro area (BLS area code 35840). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $61,200 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $59,766
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $61,670 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $60,225
Marriage and Family Therapist $76,910 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $75,107
Rehabilitation Counselor $45,680 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $44,609
Counselor, All Other $45,880 FL statewide $44,805
Social and Community Service Manager $73,810 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $72,080

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.

Bradenton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 56,289 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,964 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Manatee County 3,965 workers, 604 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Bradenton-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Bradenton, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Bradenton. The closest is St Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, FL (19.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pasco-Hernando State College (54.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Bradenton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Bradenton are: Marriage and Family Therapist ($76,910), Social and Community Service Manager ($73,810), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($61,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sarasota instead of Bradenton?

Sarasota, FL is 10.6 miles from Bradenton 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 Bradenton an affordable place to study counseling?

Bradenton’s median household income of $60,964 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bradenton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Bradenton

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

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 Florida: Online Programs (2026)