University of Florida
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Gainesville, FL (2026)
Gainesville, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $58,300 to $72,790 per year for indexed programs. Gainesville has a population of about 143,611. Median household income is $45,611 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Gainesville, FL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Gainesville
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Gainesville. Distances are calculated from Gainesville 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 Gainesville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
University of North Florida
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Stetson University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Daytona State College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Rollins College
Published tuition$58,300 - $72,790
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Gainesville
Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, FL metro area (BLS area code 23540). 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 | $51,280 | Gainesville, FL | $53,030 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $47,600 | Gainesville, FL | $49,224 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $56,400 | FL statewide | $58,325 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $37,920 | Gainesville, FL | $39,214 |
| Counselor, All Other | $43,780 | Gainesville, FL | $45,274 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $76,800 | Gainesville, FL | $79,421 |
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.
Gainesville at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 143,611 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $45,611 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 51.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Alachua County | 1,412 workers, 479 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Ocala, FL – 36.6 mi away (165,111 pop)
- Lake City, FL – 39.5 mi away (26,128 pop)
- Palatka, FL – 41.1 mi away (23,740 pop)
- Jacksonville, FL – 60.3 mi away (1,141,459 pop)
- Saint Augustine, FL – 63.9 mi away (76,129 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Gainesville, FL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Gainesville. The closest is University of Florida in Gainesville, FL (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rollins College (96.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Gainesville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Gainesville are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,800), Marriage and Family Therapist ($56,400), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($51,280). 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 Ocala instead of Gainesville?
Ocala, FL is 36.6 miles from Gainesville 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 Gainesville an affordable place to study counseling?
Gainesville’s median household income of $45,611 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville 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
- Counseling accreditation: what to look for
- Counseling concentrations and specializations
- Is a Counseling degree worth it?
- Main Counseling degree guide
- Online Counseling programs in Florida
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in Gainesville
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gainesville:
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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.