Council Bluffs, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $9,903 to $23,531 per year for indexed programs. Council Bluffs has a population of about 62,564. Median household income is $64,092 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Omaha, NE-IA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Council Bluffs
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Council Bluffs, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Council Bluffs 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Council Bluffs.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,494
Avg net price
$31,320/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 58
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,156
Avg net price
$18,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 59
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,901
Avg net price
$29,127/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 80
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,824
Avg net price
$21,774/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
80%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,802
Avg net price
$25,907/yr
TuitionIn‑state$36,710
Out‑of‑state$36,710
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
93%
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,177
Avg net price
$15,901/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Key stats
- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 116
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,787
Avg net price
$20,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,762
Avg net price
$22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 199
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Council Bluffs
Council Bluffs is part of the Omaha, NE-IA metro area (BLS area code 36540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor |
$60,650 |
Omaha, NE-IA |
$65,996 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor |
$65,330 |
Omaha, NE-IA |
$71,088 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist |
$72,020 |
Omaha, NE-IA |
$78,368 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor |
$37,850 |
Omaha, NE-IA |
$41,186 |
| Counselor, All Other |
$61,080 |
IA statewide |
$66,464 |
| Social and Community Service Manager |
$75,510 |
Omaha, NE-IA |
$82,165 |
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.
Council Bluffs at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
62,564 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$64,092 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
21.7% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
91.9 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Pottawattamie County |
1,291 workers, 193 establishments |
BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Council Bluffs-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Bellevue, NE – 7.2 mi away (53,505 pop)
- Omaha, NE – 10.2 mi away (792,463 pop)
- Fremont, NE – 35.9 mi away (27,598 pop)
- Lincoln, NE – 52.3 mi away (280,741 pop)
- Columbus, NE – 79.2 mi away (22,846 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Council Bluffs, IA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Council Bluffs. The closest is Creighton University in Omaha, NE (5.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Nebraska at Omaha (8.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Council Bluffs?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Council Bluffs are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,510), Marriage and Family Therapist ($72,020), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($65,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Bellevue instead of Council Bluffs?
Bellevue, NE is 7.2 miles from Council Bluffs 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 Council Bluffs an affordable place to study counseling?
Council Bluffs’s median household income of $64,092 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Council Bluffs while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Council Bluffs
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Council Bluffs:
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- General Studies programs in Council Bluffs, IA
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- Industrial Design programs in Council Bluffs, IA
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- Instructional Design programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Higher Education Administration programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Global Health programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Art History programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Creative Writing programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Environmental Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Nutrition programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Theology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Library Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Medical Assistant programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Health Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Entrepreneurship programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Interior Design programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Photography programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Sustainability Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Journalism programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Public Relations programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Communication Disorders programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Speech Pathology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Technical Communication programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Professional Writing programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Strategic Communications programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Business Development programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Construction Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Economics programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Financial Technology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Health Information Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Hospitality Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- International Business programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Management Information Systems programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Operations Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Public Administration programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Real Estate programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Recreation Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Retail Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Risk Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Statistics programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Taxation programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Corrections programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Crime Analysis programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Criminology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Cybercrime programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Emergency Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Fire Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Forensic Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Legal Services programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Legal Studies programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Paralegal programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Security Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Cloud Computing programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Computer Engineering programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Innovation programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Mobile App Development programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Software Development programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- User Experience programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Web Development programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Machine Learning programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Data Analytics programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Public Health programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Human Resources programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Project Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Special Education programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Homeland Security programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Marketing programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Finance programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Kinesiology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Sports Management programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Elementary Education programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Biology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Communications programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Graphic Design programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Human Services programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- MBA programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Criminal Justice programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Nursing programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Business Administration programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Computer Science programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Psychology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Education programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Engineering programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Technology programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Liberal Arts programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Healthcare programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Cybersecurity programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Accounting programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Council Bluffs, IA
- Social Work programs in Council Bluffs, IA
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.
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