Chemeketa Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Salem, OR (2026)
Salem, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,040 to $50,556 per year for indexed programs. Salem has a population of about 176,666. Median household income is $71,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salem, OR metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $110,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Salem
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Salem. Distances are calculated from 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 Salem. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Corban University
Published tuition$37,208 - $50,556
Online programsYes
George Fox University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Portland Community College
Published tuition$5,040 - $17,271
Online programsYes
Lewis & Clark College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Oregon schools on the Oregon counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Salem
Salem is part of the Salem, OR metro area (BLS area code 41420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $78,870 | Salem, OR | $76,129 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $75,510 | Salem, OR | $72,886 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $91,520 | OR statewide | $88,340 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $56,170 | Salem, OR | $54,218 |
| Counselor, All Other | $78,750 | OR statewide | $76,014 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $110,210 | Salem, OR | $106,380 |
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.
Salem at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 176,666 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $71,900 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 31.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Marion County | 8,592 workers, 1,118 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Salem-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Keizer, OR – 5.5 mi away (38,980 pop)
- Woodburn, OR – 17.5 mi away (35,007 pop)
- Albany, OR – 20.7 mi away (60,463 pop)
- McMinnville, OR – 21.5 mi away (41,998 pop)
- Newberg, OR – 26.7 mi away (28,516 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Salem, OR?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Salem. The closest is Chemeketa Community College in Salem, OR (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis & Clark College (40.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Salem?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Salem are: Social and Community Service Manager ($110,210), Marriage and Family Therapist ($91,520), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($78,870). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Keizer instead of Salem?
Keizer, OR is 5.5 miles from 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 Salem an affordable place to study counseling?
Salem’s median household income of $71,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 Oregon
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in Salem
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Salem:
- Criminal Justice programs in Salem, OR
- Nursing programs in Salem, OR
- Business Administration programs in Salem, OR
- Computer Science programs in Salem, OR
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- Education programs in Salem, OR
- Engineering programs in Salem, OR
- Technology programs in Salem, OR
- Liberal Arts programs in Salem, OR
- Healthcare programs in Salem, OR
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Related from Our Editorial Library
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- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- 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.