Best Online Counseling Programs in Parkersburg, WV (2026)

Parkersburg, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,300 to $17,575 per year for indexed programs. Parkersburg has a population of about 29,461. Median household income is $44,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $61,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Counseling Schools to Parkersburg

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Parkersburg. Distances are calculated from Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Mountain State College

Parkersburg, WV 0.9 miles from Parkersburg
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Marietta College

Marietta, OH 11.7 miles from Parkersburg BOC Score50.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 30.3 miles from Parkersburg BOC Score63.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Hocking College

Nelsonville, OH 38.4 miles from Parkersburg BOC Score44.3
Published tuition$5,300 - $17,575
Online programsYes

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#5

BridgeValley Community & Technical College

South Charleston, WV 63.3 miles from Parkersburg BOC Score55.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Counseling Wages Near Parkersburg

Parkersburg is part of the Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area (BLS area code 37620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$48,490Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$55,672
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor$60,420Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$69,369
Marriage and Family Therapist$55,700WV statewide$63,949
Rehabilitation Counselor$28,670Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$32,916
Counselor, All Other$44,810WV statewide$51,447
Social and Community Service Manager$61,370Parkersburg-Vienna, WV$70,459

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.


Parkersburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,461Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$44,675Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Wood County1,904 workers, 285 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Parkersburg-Area Cities With Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Parkersburg, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Parkersburg. The closest is Mountain State College in Parkersburg, WV (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is BridgeValley Community & Technical College (63.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Parkersburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Parkersburg are: Social and Community Service Manager ($61,370), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($60,420), Marriage and Family Therapist ($55,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marietta instead of Parkersburg?

Marietta, OH is 12.3 miles from Parkersburg 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 Parkersburg an affordable place to study counseling?

Parkersburg’s median household income of $44,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Parkersburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia 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 Parkersburg

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

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.