Best Online Counseling Programs in Princeton, NJ (2026)

Princeton, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Princeton has a population of about 30,451. Median household income is $184,113 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 84.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Counselor, All Other at a median $107,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Princeton

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Princeton. Distances are calculated from Princeton 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 Princeton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ 4.6 miles from Princeton BOC Score64.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, NJ 8.2 miles from Princeton BOC Score77.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Raritan Valley Community College

Branchburg, NJ 17.6 miles from Princeton BOC Score69.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Cairn University-Langhorne

Langhorne, PA 18.4 miles from Princeton BOC Score41.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Middlesex College

Edison, NJ 19.0 miles from Princeton BOC Score61.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Counseling Wages Near Princeton

Princeton is part of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area (BLS area code 45940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$65,940Trenton-Princeton, NJ$63,895
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$77,320Trenton-Princeton, NJ$74,922
Marriage and Family Therapist$92,150Trenton-Princeton, NJ$89,293
Rehabilitation Counselor$69,740Trenton-Princeton, NJ$67,578
Counselor, All Other$107,330Trenton-Princeton, NJ$104,002
Social and Community Service Manager$96,650Trenton-Princeton, NJ$93,653

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.


Princeton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,451Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$184,113Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+84.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Mercer County7,260 workers, 1,290 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Princeton-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Princeton, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Princeton. The closest is Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Middlesex College (19.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Princeton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Princeton are: Counselor, All Other ($107,330), Social and Community Service Manager ($96,650), Marriage and Family Therapist ($92,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Trenton instead of Princeton?

Trenton, NJ is 10.4 miles from Princeton 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 Princeton an affordable place to study counseling?

Princeton’s median household income of $184,113 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Princeton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Princeton

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

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.