Best Online Counseling Programs in Mercer Island, WA (2026)

Mercer Island, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Mercer Island has a population of about 25,282. Median household income is $202,359 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 78.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $106,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Mercer Island

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Mercer Island, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Mercer Island 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 Mercer Island. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Bellevue College

Bellevue, WA 3.9 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 73.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,310
Avg net price $11,430/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA 5.8 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 55.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,307
Avg net price $8,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Antioch University-Seattle

Seattle, WA 6.6 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 56.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 6.7 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,460
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

Seattle, WA 6.8 miles from Mercer Island
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:Accreditor: Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological SchoolsIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 6.8 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 50.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 6.8 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 33.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 7.6 miles from Mercer Island BOC Score 89.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Counseling Wages Near Mercer Island

Mercer Island is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$73,580Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$66,229
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$87,280Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$78,560
Marriage and Family Therapist$60,000Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$54,005
Rehabilitation Counselor$58,580Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$52,727
Counselor, All Other$71,650Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$64,491
Social and Community Service Manager$106,400Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$95,770

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.


Mercer Island at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,282Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$202,359Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+78.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in King County60,203 workers, 3,962 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Mercer Island-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Mercer Island, WA?

Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Mercer Island are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Mercer Island?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Mercer Island are: Social and Community Service Manager ($106,400), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($87,280), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($73,580). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bellevue instead of Mercer Island?

Bellevue, WA is 4.0 miles from Mercer Island 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 Mercer Island an affordable place to study counseling?

Mercer Island’s median household income of $202,359 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Mercer Island while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Mercer Island

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.