Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Harker Heights, TX (2026)
Harker Heights, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $3,660 to $45,235 per year for indexed programs. Harker Heights has a population of about 33,595. Median household income is $82,685 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $75,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Harker Heights
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Harker Heights. Distances are calculated from Harker Heights 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 Harker Heights. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Central Texas College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Published tuition$33,150 - $45,235
Online programsYes
McLennan Community College
Published tuition$3,660 - $13,382
Online programsYes
Austin Community College District
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Texas schools on the Texas counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Harker Heights
Harker Heights is part of the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area (BLS area code 28660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $58,820 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $64,566 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $72,800 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $79,912 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $46,300 | TX statewide | $50,823 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $69,180 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $75,939 |
| Counselor, All Other | $46,460 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $50,999 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $75,180 | Killeen-Temple, TX | $82,525 |
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.
Harker Heights at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,595 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $82,685 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 32.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Bell County | 3,165 workers, 440 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Harker Heights-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Killeen, TX – 5.1 mi away (243,947 pop)
- Belton, TX – 9.8 mi away (20,873 pop)
- Temple, TX – 15.4 mi away (100,641 pop)
- Copperas Cove, TX – 16.5 mi away (32,808 pop)
- Georgetown, TX – 27.2 mi away (67,140 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Harker Heights, TX?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Harker Heights. The closest is Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen, TX (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Austin Community College District (50.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Harker Heights?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Harker Heights are: Social and Community Service Manager ($75,180), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($72,800), Rehabilitation Counselor ($69,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Killeen instead of Harker Heights?
Killeen, TX is 5.1 miles from Harker Heights 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 Harker Heights an affordable place to study counseling?
Harker Heights’s median household income of $82,685 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harker Heights while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Texas
- Counseling programs by state
Other Programs Available in Harker Heights
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Harker Heights:
- Criminal Justice programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Nursing programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Business Administration programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Computer Science programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Psychology programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Education programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Engineering programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Technology programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Liberal Arts programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Healthcare programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Cybersecurity programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Accounting programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Healthcare Administration programs in Harker Heights, TX
- Social Work programs in Harker Heights, TX
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.