Best Online Counseling Programs in Lancaster, SC (2026)

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $2,792 to $10,951 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% 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 Lancaster

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

#1

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 34.2 miles from Lancaster BOC Score52.6
Published tuition$2,792 - $10,951
Online programsYes

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#2

South Piedmont Community College

Polkton, NC 37.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score45.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 46.6 miles from Lancaster BOC Score51.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Coker University

Hartsville, SC 47.1 miles from Lancaster BOC Score36.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Columbia International University

Columbia, SC 47.4 miles from Lancaster BOC Score44.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Counseling Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster 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 South 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$55,430SC statewide$56,968
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.


Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population8,738Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Lancaster County711 workers, 111 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Lancaster. The closest is Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC (34.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbia International University (47.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Lancaster 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 South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study counseling?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

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.