Best Online Counseling Programs in Iowa City, IA (2026)

Iowa City, Iowa has 4 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $10,964 to $48,380 per year for indexed programs. Iowa City has a population of about 75,264. Median household income is $57,533 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning counseling-related role is Marriage and Family Therapist at a median $67,180 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Iowa City

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

#1

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 1.8 miles from Iowa City BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Iowa City

Iowa City is part of the Iowa City, IA metro area (BLS area code 26980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$66,810Iowa City, IA$73,016
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$59,850Iowa City, IA$65,410
Marriage and Family Therapist$67,180IA statewide$73,421
Rehabilitation Counselor$38,640Iowa City, IA$42,230
Counselor, All Other$61,080IA statewide$66,754
Social and Community Service Manager$66,420Iowa City, IA$72,590

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.


Iowa City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population75,264Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,533Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Johnson County3,530 workers, 370 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Iowa City-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Iowa City, IA?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Iowa City are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Iowa City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Iowa City are: Marriage and Family Therapist ($67,180), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($66,810), Social and Community Service Manager ($66,420). 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 Coralville instead of Iowa City?

Coralville, IA is 4.5 miles from Iowa City 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 Iowa City an affordable place to study counseling?

Iowa City’s median household income of $57,533 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Iowa City 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 Iowa City

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.