Best Counseling Schools Near Jacksonville, NC (2026)

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

Jacksonville, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,578 to $14,929 per year for indexed programs. Jacksonville has a population of about 73,507. Median household income is $54,069 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jacksonville, NC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Jacksonville

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

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 50.3 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 60.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 88.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 102.4 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, NC 102.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,407
Avg net price $10,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Wake Forest, NC 106.9 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Avg net price $13,090/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 120.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 123.9 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Jacksonville

Jacksonville is part of the Jacksonville, NC metro area (BLS area code 27340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $52,620 Jacksonville, NC $57,134
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $55,970 Jacksonville, NC $60,771
Marriage and Family Therapist $48,100 NC statewide $52,226
Rehabilitation Counselor $47,370 Jacksonville, NC $51,433
Counselor, All Other $52,280 NC statewide $56,764
Social and Community Service Manager $75,400 Jacksonville, NC $81,868

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.

Jacksonville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 73,507 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $54,069 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Onslow County 1,633 workers, 206 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Jacksonville-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Jacksonville, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Jacksonville. The closest is Lenoir Community College in Kinston, NC (36.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Mount Olive (50.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Jacksonville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Jacksonville are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,400), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($55,970), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($52,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Havelock instead of Jacksonville?

Havelock, NC is 30.7 miles from Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville an affordable place to study counseling?

Jacksonville’s median household income of $54,069 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville

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

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.

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