Best Counseling Schools Near Dodge City, KS (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Dodge City, Kansas has 3 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,970 to $18,672 per year for indexed programs. Dodge City has a population of about 27,652. Median household income is $67,958 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kansas, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,260 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Dodge City

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

Fort Hays State University

Hays, KS 85.1 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,928
Avg net price $12,569/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Friends University

Wichita, KS 145.0 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 149.0 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 210.5 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Emporia State University

Emporia, KS 213.6 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,601
Avg net price $16,261/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Washburn University

Topeka, KS 249.7 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,774
Avg net price $15,280/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 271.4 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS 292.2 miles from Dodge City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,579
Avg net price $15,784/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Dodge City

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Kansas, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $59,470
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $56,590
Marriage and Family Therapist $68,710
Rehabilitation Counselor $41,980
Counselor, All Other N/A
Social and Community Service Manager $79,260

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.

Dodge City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,652 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,958 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Counseling-related employment in Ford County 118 workers, 32 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Dodge City-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Dodge City, KS?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Dodge City. The closest is Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS (85.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwestern Oklahoma State University (99.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles in Kansas?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles in Kansas are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,260), Marriage and Family Therapist ($68,710), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($59,470). Wages for Dodge City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Garden City instead of Dodge City?

Garden City, KS is 48.2 miles from Dodge 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 Dodge City an affordable place to study counseling?

Dodge City’s median household income of $67,958 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dodge City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Dodge City

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

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.

Back to Best Counseling Schools in Kansas: Online Programs (2026)