South Suburban College
Published tuition$5,093 - $12,683
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in East Chicago, IN (2026)
East Chicago, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $12,683 per year for indexed programs. East Chicago has a population of about 26,158. Median household income is $41,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 9.9% 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 East Chicago
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near East Chicago. Distances are calculated from East Chicago 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 East Chicago. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Indiana University-Northwest
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Chicago State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Chicago
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near East Chicago
East Chicago 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 Indiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $61,600 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,459 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $64,730 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $62,481 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $61,360 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,228 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $49,350 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $47,635 |
| Counselor, All Other | $49,320 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $47,606 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $79,150 | Chicago-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.
East Chicago at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,158 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $41,071 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 9.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Lake County | 6,170 workers, 532 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other East Chicago-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Hammond, IN – 2.9 mi away (77,134 pop)
- Calumet City, IL – 5.6 mi away (36,732 pop)
- Gary, IN – 6.8 mi away (76,424 pop)
- Highland, IN – 6.9 mi away (22,737 pop)
- Munster, IN – 7.5 mi away (22,825 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near East Chicago, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near East Chicago. The closest is South Suburban College in South Holland, IL (8.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College (13.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near East Chicago?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near East Chicago 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 Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Hammond instead of East Chicago?
Hammond, IN is 2.9 miles from East Chicago 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 East Chicago an affordable place to study counseling?
East Chicago’s median household income of $41,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Chicago while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Indiana
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in East Chicago
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for East Chicago:
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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.