Best Counseling Schools Near Duluth, MN (2026)

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

Duluth, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $6,022 to $17,202 per year for indexed programs. Duluth has a population of about 86,863. Median household income is $66,263 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Duluth, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Duluth

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

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Cloquet, MN 16.3 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,665
Avg net price $12,677/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 44%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School

Center City, MN 102.2 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 128.5 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,813
Avg net price $13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bethel University

Saint Paul, MN 128.8 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,764
Avg net price $28,556/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,226
Out‑of‑state$44,226
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN 133.8 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,705
Avg net price $16,863/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 135.6 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 250

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN 135.7 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
19.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,810
Avg net price $33,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 12%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN 136.0 miles from Duluth
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
29.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,189
Avg net price $17,956/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,400
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 37%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Duluth

Duluth is part of the Duluth, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 20260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $51,170 Duluth, MN-WI $57,624
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $59,280 Duluth, MN-WI $66,757
Marriage and Family Therapist $62,480 Duluth, MN-WI $70,360
Rehabilitation Counselor $43,770 Duluth, MN-WI $49,291
Counselor, All Other $40,790 Duluth, MN-WI $45,935
Social and Community Service Manager $75,410 Duluth, MN-WI $84,921

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.

Duluth at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 86,863 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,263 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in St. Louis County 3,632 workers, 308 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Duluth-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Duluth, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Duluth. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Superior in Superior, WI (4.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwood Technical College (91.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Duluth?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Duluth are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,410), Marriage and Family Therapist ($62,480), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($59,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Superior instead of Duluth?

Superior, WI is 6.4 miles from Duluth 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 Duluth an affordable place to study counseling?

Duluth’s median household income of $66,263 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Duluth while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Duluth

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

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 Minnesota: Online Programs (2026)