Best Online Counseling Programs in Crystal Lake, IL (2026)

Crystal Lake, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $3,432 to $14,661 per year for indexed programs. Crystal Lake has a population of about 40,436. Median household income is $105,428 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Crystal Lake

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

#1

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 30.9 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 35.5 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 36.1 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 36.2 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 35.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Park University

Chicago, IL 36.8 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 61.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,572
Avg net price $16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 38.3 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 66.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Institute for Clinical Social Work

Chicago, IL 38.9 miles from Crystal Lake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Moody Bible Institute

Chicago, IL 42.6 miles from Crystal Lake BOC Score 48.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,399
Avg net price $22,221/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$61,600Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$59,459
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$64,730Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$62,481
Marriage and Family Therapist$61,360Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$59,228
Rehabilitation Counselor$49,350Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$47,635
Counselor, All Other$49,320Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$47,606
Social and Community Service Manager$79,150Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$76,400

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.


Crystal Lake at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,428Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in McHenry County1,060 workers, 397 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Crystal Lake-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Crystal Lake, IL?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Crystal Lake are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,150), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($64,730), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($61,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lake in the Hills instead of Crystal Lake?

Lake in the Hills, IL is 3.0 miles from Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake an affordable place to study counseling?

Crystal Lake’s median household income of $105,428 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Crystal Lake while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Crystal Lake

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

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.