Best Online Counseling Programs in Matthews, NC (2026)

Matthews, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,792 to $47,866 per year for indexed programs. Matthews has a population of about 29,959. Median household income is $105,579 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Matthews

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Matthews, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Matthews 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 Matthews. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 13.1 miles from Matthews BOC Score 72.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,289
Avg net price $15,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Catawba College

Salisbury, NC 41.5 miles from Matthews BOC Score 52.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,793
Avg net price $17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 54.6 miles from Matthews BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Hickory, NC 55.4 miles from Matthews BOC Score 41.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 85%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,543
Avg net price $20,689/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Carolina University

Winston-Salem, NC 71.7 miles from Matthews BOC Score 26.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,864
Avg net price $20,828/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Salem College

Winston-Salem, NC 71.9 miles from Matthews BOC Score 48.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,640
Avg net price $18,277/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC 74.0 miles from Matthews BOC Score 79.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,158
Avg net price $28,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, NC 82.7 miles from Matthews BOC Score 59.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,160
Avg net price $10,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Matthews

Matthews is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$56,130Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$57,688
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$59,530Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$61,182
Marriage and Family Therapist$48,100NC statewide$49,435
Rehabilitation Counselor$48,290Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$49,630
Counselor, All Other$56,350Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$57,914
Social and Community Service Manager$79,990Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$82,210

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.


Matthews at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,959Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,579Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Mecklenburg County18,715 workers, 2,248 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Matthews-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Matthews, NC?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Matthews are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Matthews?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Matthews are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,990), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($59,530), Counselor, All Other ($56,350). 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 Indian Trail instead of Matthews?

Indian Trail, NC is 5.0 miles from Matthews 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 Matthews an affordable place to study counseling?

Matthews’s median household income of $105,579 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Matthews 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 Matthews

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.