Best Online Counseling Programs in Lake City, FL (2026)

Lake City, Florida has 4 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $11,640 to $26,189 per year for indexed programs. Lake City has a population of about 12,404. Median household income is $51,175 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,050 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Lake City

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

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 41.6 miles from Lake City BOC Score 93.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Florida College

Madison, FL 50.1 miles from Lake City BOC Score 67.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,929
Avg net price $804/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL 68.1 miles from Lake City BOC Score 72.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,343
Avg net price $10,154/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 99.6 miles from Lake City BOC Score 86.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,675
Avg net price $11,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Stetson University

DeLand, FL 113.6 miles from Lake City BOC Score 56.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,642
Avg net price $19,372/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,410
Out‑of‑state$57,410
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 23

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

#6

Daytona State College

Daytona Beach, FL 117.2 miles from Lake City BOC Score 59.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,096
Avg net price $7,177/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pasco-Hernando State College

New Port Richey, FL 134.7 miles from Lake City BOC Score 65.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rollins College

Winter Park, FL 135.2 miles from Lake City BOC Score 53.3
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,295
Avg net price $34,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Lake City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Florida, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$56,790
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$53,140
Marriage and Family Therapist$56,400
Rehabilitation Counselor$45,990
Counselor, All Other$45,880
Social and Community Service Manager$76,050

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.


Lake City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population12,404Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,175Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Counseling-related employment in Columbia County102 workers, 124 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lake City-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Lake City, FL?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Lake City 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 in Florida?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles in Florida are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,050), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($56,790), Marriage and Family Therapist ($56,400). Wages for Lake City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Gainesville instead of Lake City?

Gainesville, FL is 39.5 miles from Lake City 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 Lake City an affordable place to study counseling?

Lake City’s median household income of $51,175 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake City 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 Lake City

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

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.