Best Online Counseling Programs in Saint Joseph, MO (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Saint Joseph, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Saint Joseph has a population of about 71,542. Median household income is $55,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $63,850 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Saint Joseph

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

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 Saint Joseph. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

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

Counseling Wages Near Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 41140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor	$51,070	St. Joseph, MO-KS	$59,109
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor	$55,830	St. Joseph, MO-KS	$64,618
Marriage and Family Therapist	$60,440	MO statewide	$69,954
Rehabilitation Counselor	$49,420	St. Joseph, MO-KS	$57,199
Counselor, All Other	$43,680	MO statewide	$50,556
Social and Community Service Manager	$63,850	St. Joseph, MO-KS	$73,900

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.

Saint Joseph at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	71,542	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$55,578	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	22.7%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	86.4 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Buchanan County	1,771 workers, 620 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Saint Joseph-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Leavenworth, KS – 30.7 mi away (46,445 pop)
Gladstone, MO – 40.2 mi away (27,114 pop)
Liberty, MO – 41.9 mi away (30,614 pop)
Kansas City, KS – 44.2 mi away (151,709 pop)
Kansas City, MO – 46.2 mi away (1,590,762 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Saint Joseph, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Saint Joseph. The closest is University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, KS (33.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ottawa University-Kansas City (58.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Saint Joseph?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Saint Joseph are: Social and Community Service Manager ($63,850), Marriage and Family Therapist ($60,440), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($55,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Leavenworth instead of Saint Joseph?

Leavenworth, KS is 30.7 miles from Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph an affordable place to study counseling?

Saint Joseph’s median household income of $55,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Joseph while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Saint Joseph

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

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.

Back to Best Online Counseling Programs in Missouri (2026)

Return to Best Online Counseling Programs in Missouri (2026)