Best Online Counseling Programs in Portland, ME (2026)

Portland, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $6,720 to $22,877 per year for indexed programs. Portland has a population of about 68,505. Median household income is $76,174 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $74,650 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Portland

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

#1

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 1.0 miles from Portland BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,958
Avg net price $13,596/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Portland

Portland is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (BLS area code 38860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$62,300Portland-South Portland, ME$61,138
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$61,130Portland-South Portland, ME$59,990
Marriage and Family Therapist$71,680ME statewide$70,343
Rehabilitation Counselor$66,480Portland-South Portland, ME$65,240
Counselor, All Other$66,140Portland-South Portland, ME$64,907
Social and Community Service Manager$74,650Portland-South Portland, ME$73,258

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.


Portland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population68,505Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,174Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+59.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Cumberland County1,929 workers, 911 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Portland-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Portland, ME?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Portland 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 Portland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Portland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($74,650), Marriage and Family Therapist ($71,680), Rehabilitation Counselor ($66,480). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maine statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in South Portland instead of Portland?

South Portland, ME is 3.3 miles from Portland 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 Portland an affordable place to study counseling?

Portland’s median household income of $76,174 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maine 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 Portland

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

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.