Ashland, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $8,942 to $21,299 per year for indexed programs. Ashland has a population of about 21,405. Median household income is $52,199 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $64,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Ashland
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Ashland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ashland 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 Ashland.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
61%
Graduation rate
35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,375
Avg net price
$24,038/yr
TuitionIn‑state$26,625
Out‑of‑state$26,625
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,197
Avg net price
$9,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
78%
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,795
Avg net price
$11,040/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,320
Out‑of‑state$21,230
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 72
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
93%
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,025
Avg net price
$18,851/yr
TuitionIn‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 76
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$50,220
Avg net price
$8,191/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,002
Avg net price
$21,311/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,036
Avg net price
$14,107/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Ashland
Ashland is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area (BLS area code 26580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $52,000 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $58,824 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $59,380 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $67,172 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $51,300 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $58,032 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $44,470 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $50,305 |
| Counselor, All Other | $47,340 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $53,552 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $64,240 | Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $72,670 |
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.
Ashland at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,405 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $52,199 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 24.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 88.4 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Boyd County | 1,190 workers, 189 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Ashland-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Huntington, WV – 11.9 mi away (198,419 pop)
- Portsmouth, OH – 26.0 mi away (36,584 pop)
- Charleston, WV – 55.4 mi away (146,462 pop)
- Chillicothe, OH – 63.6 mi away (32,004 pop)
- Athens, OH – 66.8 mi away (30,077 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Ashland, KY?
Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Ashland 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 Ashland?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Ashland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($64,240), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($59,380), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($52,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Huntington instead of Ashland?
Huntington, WV is 11.9 miles from Ashland 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 Ashland an affordable place to study counseling?
Ashland’s median household income of $52,199 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ashland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Ashland
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Ashland:
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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 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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