Cuyahoga Community College District
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Cleveland, OH (2026)
Cleveland, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $37,860 to $62,943 per year for indexed programs. Cleveland has a population of about 367,523. Median household income is $39,187 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $77,200 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Cleveland
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Cleveland. Distances are calculated from Cleveland 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 Cleveland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
John Carroll University
Published tuition$49,100 - $62,943
Online programsYes
Ursuline College
Published tuition$37,860 - $49,537
Online programsYes
Stautzenberger College-Brecksville
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Lorain County Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Ohio schools on the Ohio counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Cleveland
Cleveland is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $59,630 | Cleveland, OH | $63,504 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $61,620 | Cleveland, OH | $65,623 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $41,840 | Cleveland, OH | $44,558 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $40,130 | Cleveland, OH | $42,737 |
| Counselor, All Other | $52,140 | Cleveland, OH | $55,527 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $77,200 | Cleveland, OH | $82,215 |
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.
Cleveland at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 367,523 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $39,187 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 21.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Cuyahoga County | 21,602 workers, 1,852 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Cleveland-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Garfield Heights, OH – 5.6 mi away (27,905 pop)
- Lakewood, OH – 6.2 mi away (50,279 pop)
- Cleveland Heights, OH – 6.5 mi away (44,633 pop)
- Shaker Heights, OH – 6.8 mi away (27,448 pop)
- Parma, OH – 6.9 mi away (79,425 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Cleveland, OH?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Cleveland. The closest is Cuyahoga Community College District in Cleveland, OH (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lorain County Community College (20.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Cleveland?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Cleveland are: Social and Community Service Manager ($77,200), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($61,620), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($59,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Garfield Heights instead of Cleveland?
Garfield Heights, OH is 5.6 miles from Cleveland 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 Cleveland an affordable place to study counseling?
Cleveland’s median household income of $39,187 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cleveland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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
- Counseling accreditation: what to look for
- Counseling concentrations and specializations
- Is a Counseling degree worth it?
- Main Counseling degree guide
- Online Counseling programs in Ohio
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in Cleveland
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cleveland:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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.