McLennan Community College
Published tuition$3,660 - $13,382
Online programsYes
Best Online Counseling Programs in Waco, TX (2026)
Waco, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $3,660 to $45,235 per year for indexed programs. Waco has a population of about 141,925. Median household income is $51,468 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Waco, TX metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $70,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Waco
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Waco. Distances are calculated from Waco 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 Waco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Texas State Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Published tuition$33,150 - $45,235
Online programsYes
Central Texas College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
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 Waco
Waco is part of the Waco, TX metro area (BLS area code 47380). 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 | $53,920 | Waco, TX | $58,292 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $65,630 | Waco, TX | $70,951 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $46,300 | TX statewide | $50,054 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $49,990 | TX statewide | $54,043 |
| Counselor, All Other | $54,450 | TX statewide | $58,865 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $70,460 | Waco, TX | $76,173 |
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.
Waco at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 141,925 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $51,468 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 28.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in McLennan County | 2,642 workers, 264 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Waco-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Temple, TX – 33.4 mi away (100,641 pop)
- Belton, TX – 38.8 mi away (20,873 pop)
- Harker Heights, TX – 43.9 mi away (29,757 pop)
- Killeen, TX – 46.2 mi away (243,947 pop)
- Copperas Cove, TX – 52.6 mi away (32,808 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Waco, TX?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Waco. The closest is McLennan Community College in Waco, TX (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Texas A&M University-Central Texas (49.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Waco?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Waco are: Social and Community Service Manager ($70,460), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($65,630), Counselor, All Other ($54,450). 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 Temple instead of Waco?
Temple, TX is 33.4 miles from Waco 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 Waco an affordable place to study counseling?
Waco’s median household income of $51,468 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waco 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 Waco
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waco:
- Criminal Justice programs in Waco, TX
- Nursing programs in Waco, TX
- Business Administration programs in Waco, TX
- Computer Science programs in Waco, TX
- Psychology programs in Waco, TX
- Education programs in Waco, TX
- Engineering programs in Waco, TX
- Technology programs in Waco, TX
- Liberal Arts programs in Waco, TX
- Healthcare programs in Waco, TX
- Cybersecurity programs in Waco, TX
- Accounting programs in Waco, TX
- Healthcare Administration programs in Waco, TX
- Social Work programs in Waco, 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.