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

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

Panama City, Florida has 2 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Panama City has a population of about 34,211. Median household income is $61,125 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $71,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Panama City

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

#1

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 80.7 miles from Panama City BOC Score86.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL 98.7 miles from Panama City BOC Score66.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Counseling Wages Near Panama City

Panama City is part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area (BLS area code 37460). 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$50,580Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$51,984
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$67,200Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$69,065
Marriage and Family Therapist$56,400FL statewide$57,965
Rehabilitation Counselor$38,250Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$39,311
Counselor, All Other$45,880FL statewide$47,153
Social and Community Service Manager$71,610Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$73,597

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.

Panama City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population34,211Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,125Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Bay County1,741 workers, 268 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Panama City-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Panama City. The closest is Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL (80.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of West Florida (98.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Panama City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Panama City are: Social and Community Service Manager ($71,610), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($67,200), 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 Lynn Haven instead of Panama City?

Lynn Haven, FL is 3.0 miles from Panama 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 Panama City an affordable place to study counseling?

Panama City’s median household income of $61,125 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Panama 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 Panama City

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

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)

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