Best Online Counseling Programs in Cape Coral, FL (2026)

Cape Coral, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,682 to $10,634 per year for indexed programs. Cape Coral has a population of about 206,387. Median household income is $76,062 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Cape Coral

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

#1

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 9.2 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 66.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 18.5 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 68.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 32

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

#3

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 87.2 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 74.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 93.6 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 61.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 95.9 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 32.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 39

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

#6

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 101.3 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 63

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

#7

South University-West Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach, FL 111.0 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 27.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $20,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL 114.1 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,315
Avg net price $3,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 125

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Cape Coral

Cape Coral is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area (BLS area code 15980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$54,630Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$53,402
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$56,760Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$55,484
Marriage and Family Therapist$48,690Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$47,595
Rehabilitation Counselor$51,460Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$50,303
Counselor, All Other$45,880FL statewide$44,848
Social and Community Service Manager$76,760Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$75,034

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.


Cape Coral at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population206,387Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,062Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Lee County2,555 workers, 1,134 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cape Coral-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Cape Coral, FL?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Cape Coral 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 Cape Coral?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Cape Coral are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,760), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($56,760), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($54,630). 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 Fort Myers instead of Cape Coral?

Fort Myers, FL is 10.4 miles from Cape Coral 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 Cape Coral an affordable place to study counseling?

Cape Coral’s median household income of $76,062 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Coral 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 Cape Coral

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

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 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.