Best Online Counseling Programs in Forest City, NC (2026)

Forest City, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,650 to $15,451 per year for indexed programs. Forest City has a population of about 7,368. Median household income is $35,897 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,590 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Forest City

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

#1

Isothermal Community College

Spindale, NC 2.5 miles from Forest City BOC Score48.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 13.1 miles from Forest City BOC Score44.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Western Piedmont Community College

Morganton, NC 28.7 miles from Forest City BOC Score58.5
Published tuition$2,650 - $15,451
Online programsYes

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#4

Blue Ridge Community College

Flat Rock, NC 31.2 miles from Forest City BOC Score57.3
Published tuition$2,660 - $13,097
Online programsYes

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#5

Montreat College

Montreat, NC 32.3 miles from Forest City BOC Score26.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Counseling Wages Near Forest City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (North Carolina, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$55,490
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$57,630
Marriage and Family Therapist$48,100
Rehabilitation Counselor$45,890
Counselor, All Other$52,280
Social and Community Service Manager$79,590

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 City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population7,368Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$35,897Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Counseling-related employment in Rutherford County101 workers, 64 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Forest City-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Forest City, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Forest City. The closest is Isothermal Community College in Spindale, NC (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Montreat College (32.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles in North Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles in North Carolina are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,590), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($57,630), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($55,490). Wages for Forest City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Shelby instead of Forest City?

Shelby, NC is 18.8 miles from Forest City 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 City an affordable place to study counseling?

Forest City’s median household income of $35,897 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Forest City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Forest City

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

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.