Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $81,650 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Amherst
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Amherst, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Amherst 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 Amherst.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,124
Avg net price
$23,274/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,036
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,036
Avg net price
$30,587/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,383
Avg net price
$14,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,346
Avg net price
$16,721/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,651
Avg net price
$28,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,624
Avg net price
$13,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,895
Avg net price
$29,498/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Amherst
Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $58,810 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $58,693 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $67,180 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $67,046 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $67,370 | MA statewide | $67,236 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,590 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $46,497 |
| Counselor, All Other | $58,240 | MA statewide | $58,124 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $81,650 | Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $81,487 |
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.
Amherst at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 100.2 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Hampshire County | 574 workers, 1,078 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Amherst-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Northampton, MA – 9.0 mi away (28,483 pop)
- Holyoke, MA – 12.5 mi away (40,280 pop)
- Chicopee, MA – 13.4 mi away (55,991 pop)
- Springfield, MA – 17.3 mi away (625,300 pop)
- Westfield, MA – 20.2 mi away (41,552 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Amherst, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Amherst. The closest is Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, MA (13.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Springfield College-Regional, Online, and Continuing Education (18.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Amherst?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Amherst are: Social and Community Service Manager ($81,650), Marriage and Family Therapist ($67,370), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($67,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?
Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.
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
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Data verified: August 31, 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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