Best Counseling Schools Near Loves Park, IL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Loves Park, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Loves Park has a population of about 23,185. Median household income is $58,633 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $74,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Loves Park

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 30.2 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
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: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 56.2 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Trinity International University-Illinois

Deerfield, IL 57.9 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,989
Avg net price $2,835/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 5%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 68.0 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.4 BOC Score
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: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 69.1 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 70.0 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 70.3 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
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: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary

Evanston, IL 70.4 miles from Loves Park
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Loves Park

Loves Park is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $53,670 Rockford, IL $58,210
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $62,610 Rockford, IL $67,907
Marriage and Family Therapist $60,970 IL statewide $66,128
Rehabilitation Counselor $51,240 Rockford, IL $55,575
Counselor, All Other $49,360 IL statewide $53,536
Social and Community Service Manager $74,990 Rockford, IL $81,334

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.

Loves Park at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 23,185 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,633 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Winnebago County 3,019 workers, 252 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Loves Park-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Loves Park, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Loves Park. The closest is Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College in Rockford, IL (5.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elgin Community College (41.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Loves Park?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Loves Park are: Social and Community Service Manager ($74,990), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($62,610), Marriage and Family Therapist ($60,970). 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 Machesney Park instead of Loves Park?

Machesney Park, IL is 2.6 miles from Loves Park 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 Loves Park an affordable place to study counseling?

Loves Park’s median household income of $58,633 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Loves Park 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 Loves Park

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Loves Park:

Data verified: September 6, 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 Counseling Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)