Best Online Counseling Programs in Boston, MA (2026)

Boston, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Boston has a population of about 663,972. Median household income is $94,755 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $85,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Boston

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Boston. Distances are calculated from Boston city center.

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

Counseling Wages Near Boston

Boston is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

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.

Boston at a Glance

Other Boston-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Cambridge, MA – 4.3 mi away (110,651 pop)
• Somerville, MA – 5.0 mi away (81,322 pop)
• Quincy, MA – 5.7 mi away (93,688 pop)
• Chelsea, MA – 5.9 mi away (39,699 pop)
• Watertown, MA – 5.9 mi away (35,025 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Boston, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Boston. The closest is Northeastern University in Boston, MA (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Inc (2.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Boston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Boston are: Social and Community Service Manager ($85,430), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($80,760), Marriage and Family Therapist ($69,830). 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 Cambridge instead of Boston?

Cambridge, MA is 4.3 miles from Boston 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 Boston an affordable place to study counseling?

Boston’s median household income of $94,755 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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

• Counseling accreditation: what to look for
• Counseling concentrations and specializations
• Is a Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Counseling degree guide
• Online Counseling programs in Massachusetts
• Counseling programs by state

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Data verified: June 11, 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.