Best Online Counseling Programs in Oak Forest, IL (2026)

Oak Forest, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $47,066 per year for indexed programs. Oak Forest has a population of about 26,888. Median household income is $87,941 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.1% 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 Oak Forest

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Oak Forest. Distances are calculated from Oak Forest city center.

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

Counseling Wages Near Oak Forest

Oak Forest 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.

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.

Oak Forest at a Glance

Other Oak Forest-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Tinley Park, IL – 3.8 mi away (56,831 pop)
• Blue Island, IL – 5.2 mi away (23,401 pop)
• Harvey, IL – 5.2 mi away (24,947 pop)
• Orland Park, IL – 5.6 mi away (58,862 pop)
• Oak Lawn, IL – 7.5 mi away (56,257 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Oak Forest, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Oak Forest. The closest is Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL (4.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Governors State University (11.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Oak Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Oak Forest 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 Tinley Park instead of Oak Forest?

Tinley Park, IL is 3.8 miles from Oak Forest 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 Oak Forest an affordable place to study counseling?

Oak Forest’s median household income of $87,941 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Oak Forest 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

• Counseling accreditation: what to look for
• Counseling concentrations and specializations
• Is a Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Counseling degree guide
• Online Counseling programs in Illinois
• Counseling programs by state

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Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Oak Forest:

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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.