Best Counseling Schools Near Elkhart, IN (2026)

Elkhart, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $31,200 to $45,218 per year for indexed programs. Elkhart has a population of about 53,726. Median household income is $47,885 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $69,870 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Elkhart

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Elkhart, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Elkhart 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 Elkhart. 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

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 13.5 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 15.3 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,354
Avg net price $25,292/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Grace College and Theological Seminary

Winona Lake, IN 33.1 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $19,932/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,200
Out‑of‑state$31,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 57.9 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,191
Avg net price $18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN 59.4 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
40.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,872
Avg net price $13,171/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,532
Out‑of‑state$22,887
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Huntington University

Huntington, IN 59.9 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,672
Avg net price $19,310/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,870
Out‑of‑state$31,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Indiana Institute of Technology

Fort Wayne, IN 61.0 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,327
Avg net price $23,206/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,361
Out‑of‑state$31,361
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 78.4 miles from Elkhart
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,318
Avg net price $6,079/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,675
Out‑of‑state$16,094
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Elkhart

Elkhart is part of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area (BLS area code 21140). 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 $60,830 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $67,364
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $59,060 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $65,404
Marriage and Family Therapist $56,810 IN statewide $62,913
Rehabilitation Counselor $43,660 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $48,350
Counselor, All Other $45,360 IN statewide $50,233
Social and Community Service Manager $69,870 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $77,375

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.


Elkhart at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 53,726 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $47,885 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Elkhart County 2,169 workers, 162 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Elkhart-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Elkhart, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Elkhart. The closest is Indiana University-South Bend in South Bend, IN (13.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Michigan University (44.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Elkhart?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Elkhart are: Social and Community Service Manager ($69,870), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($60,830), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($59,060). 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 Goshen instead of Elkhart?

Goshen, IN is 10.6 miles from Elkhart 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 Elkhart an affordable place to study counseling?

Elkhart’s median household income of $47,885 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elkhart 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

Other Programs Available in Elkhart

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

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.