Best Online Counseling Programs in Winston-Salem, NC (2026)

Winston-Salem, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $64,758 to $82,818 per year for indexed programs. Winston-Salem has a population of about 250,887. Median household income is $57,673 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Winston-Salem, NC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,720 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Winston-Salem

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

#1

Carolina University

Winston-Salem, NC 1.2 miles from Winston-Salem BOC Score26.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC 2.3 miles from Winston-Salem BOC Score78.9
Published tuition$64,758 - $82,818
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 2.3 miles from Winston-Salem BOC Score52.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC 16.9 miles from Winston-Salem BOC Score51.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Guilford Technical Community College

Jamestown, NC 20.5 miles from Winston-Salem BOC Score35.3
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 Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is part of the Winston-Salem, NC metro area (BLS area code 49180). 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$47,620Winston-Salem, NC$51,761
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$55,790Winston-Salem, NC$60,641
Marriage and Family Therapist$50,640Winston-Salem, NC$55,043
Rehabilitation Counselor$43,280Winston-Salem, NC$47,043
Counselor, All Other$52,280NC statewide$56,826
Social and Community Service Manager$79,720Winston-Salem, NC$86,652

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.


Winston-Salem at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population250,887Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,673Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Forsyth County4,872 workers, 558 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Winston-Salem-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Winston-Salem, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Winston-Salem. The closest is Carolina University in Winston-Salem, NC (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Guilford Technical Community College (20.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Winston-Salem?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Winston-Salem are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,720), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($55,790), Counselor, All Other ($52,280). 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 Clemmons instead of Winston-Salem?

Clemmons, NC is 8.5 miles from Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem an affordable place to study counseling?

Winston-Salem’s median household income of $57,673 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem

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

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.