Best Online Counseling Programs in North Charleston, SC (2026)

North Charleston, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $11,060 to $29,957 per year for indexed programs. North Charleston has a population of about 117,460. Median household income is $62,789 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $79,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to North Charleston

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

#1

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC 5.1 miles from North Charleston BOC Score35.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 60.6 miles from North Charleston BOC Score29.9
Published tuition$11,060 - $29,957
Online programsYes

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#3

South University-Savannah

Savannah, GA 87.1 miles from North Charleston BOC Score18.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

South University-Columbia

Columbia, SC 93.0 miles from North Charleston BOC Score18.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#5

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 93.0 miles from North Charleston BOC Score74.1
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 North Charleston

North Charleston is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area (BLS area code 16700). 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$53,260Charleston-North Charleston, SC$52,733
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$62,140Charleston-North Charleston, SC$61,525
Marriage and Family Therapist$57,670Charleston-North Charleston, SC$57,099
Rehabilitation Counselor$38,210Charleston-North Charleston, SC$37,832
Counselor, All Other$55,140SC statewide$54,594
Social and Community Service Manager$79,130Charleston-North Charleston, SC$78,347

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.


North Charleston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population117,460Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Charleston County6,073 workers, 905 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other North Charleston-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near North Charleston, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near North Charleston. The closest is Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Carolina-Columbia (93.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near North Charleston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near North Charleston are: Social and Community Service Manager ($79,130), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($62,140), Marriage and Family Therapist ($57,670). 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 Hanahan instead of North Charleston?

Hanahan, SC is 4.2 miles from North Charleston 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 North Charleston an affordable place to study counseling?

North Charleston’s median household income of $62,789 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Charleston 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 North Charleston

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

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.