Best Online Counseling Programs in Forest Lake, MN (2026)

Forest Lake, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,682 to $16,110 per year for indexed programs. Forest Lake has a population of about 20,678. Median household income is $89,879 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $89,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Forest Lake

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

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

Counseling Wages Near Forest Lake

Forest Lake is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota 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.

Forest Lake at a Glance

Other Forest Lake-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Lino Lakes, MN – 8.5 mi away (21,018 pop)
• White Bear Lake, MN – 13.3 mi away (25,634 pop)
• Blaine, MN – 13.5 mi away (62,892 pop)
• Shoreview, MN – 14.6 mi away (26,548 pop)
• New Brighton, MN – 17.7 mi away (22,496 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Forest Lake, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Forest Lake. The closest is Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School in Center City, MN (12.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bethel University (22.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Forest Lake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Forest Lake are: Social and Community Service Manager ($89,990), Marriage and Family Therapist ($73,370), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($64,600). 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 Lino Lakes instead of Forest Lake?

Lino Lakes, MN is 8.5 miles from Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake an affordable place to study counseling?

Forest Lake’s median household income of $89,879 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Forest Lake 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

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