Best Online Counseling Programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL (2026)

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

Fort Walton Beach, Florida has 2 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,808 to $18,002 per year for indexed programs. Fort Walton Beach has a population of about 20,956. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Fort Walton Beach

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Fort Walton Beach. Distances are calculated from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL 36.8 miles from Fort Walton Beach BOC Score66.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL 62.0 miles from Fort Walton Beach BOC Score55.6
Published tuition$5,808 - $18,002
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Counseling Wages Near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). 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$55,270Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$56,979
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$60,120Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$61,979
Marriage and Family Therapist$56,400FL statewide$58,144
Rehabilitation Counselor$45,990FL statewide$47,412
Counselor, All Other$45,880FL statewide$47,299
Social and Community Service Manager$76,410Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$78,773

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.

Fort Walton Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population20,956Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,556Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Okaloosa County2,313 workers, 326 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Fort Walton Beach, FL?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Fort Walton Beach. The closest is University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL (36.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia Southern University (62.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Fort Walton Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,410), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($60,120), Marriage and Family Therapist ($56,400). 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 Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?

Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study counseling?

Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:

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.

Back to Best Online Counseling Programs in Florida (2026)

Return to Best Online Counseling Programs in Florida (2026)