Best Counseling Schools Near Lancaster, TX (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $25,064 to $34,504 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 40,753. Median household income is $67,584 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $80,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX 5.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Avg net price $6,420/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dallas College

Dallas, TX 12.1 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,714
Avg net price $3,214/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas, TX 13.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,807
Avg net price $28,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Nelson University

Waxahachie, TX 13.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,238
Avg net price $21,662/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,064
Out‑of‑state$25,064
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Criswell College

Dallas, TX 13.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,185
Avg net price $21,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 17.4 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,354
Avg net price $40,892/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,040
Out‑of‑state$67,040
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Amberton University

Garland, TX 19.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Graduation rate 39%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX 21.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,199
Avg net price $13,951/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Counseling Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area (BLS area code 19100). 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 $62,560 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $60,679
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor $76,380 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $74,083
Marriage and Family Therapist $47,850 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $46,411
Rehabilitation Counselor $50,600 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $49,079
Counselor, All Other $52,340 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $50,766
Social and Community Service Manager $80,480 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $78,060

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

Metric Value Source
Population 40,753 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,584 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Dallas County 30,282 workers, 3,261 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Lancaster, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Lancaster. The closest is University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, TX (5.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Criswell College (13.9 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 ($80,480), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($76,380), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($62,560). 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 DeSoto instead of Lancaster?

DeSoto, TX is 5.2 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 $67,584 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Counseling Schools in Texas: Online Programs (2026)