Best Online Counseling Programs in Columbia, SC (2026)

Columbia, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $11,060 to $29,957 per year for indexed programs. Columbia has a population of about 138,019. Median household income is $55,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbia, SC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $78,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Columbia

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Columbia. Distances are calculated from Columbia city center.

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

Counseling Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, SC metro area (BLS area code 17900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

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.

Columbia at a Glance

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Lexington, SC – 18.4 mi away (20,988 pop)
• Sumter, SC – 30.1 mi away (73,468 pop)
• Orangeburg, SC – 37.6 mi away (31,666 pop)
• Lancaster, SC – 48.1 mi away (25,691 pop)
• Aiken, SC – 58.8 mi away (30,937 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Columbia, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Columbia. The closest is South University-Columbia in Columbia, SC (7.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Coker University (53.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Columbia are: Social and Community Service Manager ($78,240), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($60,070), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($58,920). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lexington instead of Columbia?

Lexington, SC is 18.4 miles from Columbia 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 Columbia an affordable place to study counseling?

Columbia’s median household income of $55,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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

• Counseling accreditation: what to look for
• Counseling concentrations and specializations
• Is a Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Counseling degree guide
• Online Counseling programs in South Carolina
• Counseling programs by state

Other Programs Available in Columbia

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

• Criminal Justice programs in Columbia, SC
• Nursing programs in Columbia, SC
• Business Administration programs in Columbia, SC
• Computer Science programs in Columbia, SC
• Psychology programs in Columbia, SC
• Education programs in Columbia, SC
• Engineering programs in Columbia, SC
• Technology programs in Columbia, SC
• Liberal Arts programs in Columbia, SC
• Healthcare programs in Columbia, SC
• Cybersecurity programs in Columbia, SC
• Accounting programs in Columbia, SC
• Healthcare Administration programs in Columbia, SC
• Social Work programs in Columbia, SC

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• 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.