Best Online Counseling Programs in Bristol, TN (2026)

Bristol, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $4,901 to $15,885 per year for indexed programs. Bristol has a population of about 27,490. Median household income is $55,007 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $83,070 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Bristol

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

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

Counseling Wages Near Bristol

Bristol is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee 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.

Bristol at a Glance

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Johnson City, TN – 17.6 mi away (127,134 pop)
• Kingsport, TN – 18.5 mi away (116,745 pop)
• Boone, NC – 38.7 mi away (25,039 pop)
• Greeneville, TN – 43.1 mi away (23,953 pop)
• Morristown, TN – 65.1 mi away (60,098 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Bristol, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Bristol. The closest is Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, VA (15.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwest Virginia Community College (44.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Bristol?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Bristol are: Social and Community Service Manager ($83,070), Marriage and Family Therapist ($60,880), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($60,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Johnson City instead of Bristol?

Johnson City, TN is 17.6 miles from Bristol 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 Bristol an affordable place to study counseling?

Bristol’s median household income of $55,007 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Tennessee
• Counseling programs by state

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

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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.