Best Online Counseling Programs in Appleton, WI (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Appleton, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Appleton has a population of about 74,873. Median household income is $77,450 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Appleton, WI metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $82,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Appleton

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

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

Counseling Wages Near Appleton

Appleton is part of the Appleton, WI metro area (BLS area code 11540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor	$60,380	Appleton, WI	$65,346
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor	$61,890	Appleton, WI	$66,981
Marriage and Family Therapist	$37,870	WI statewide	$40,985
Rehabilitation Counselor	$47,620	Appleton, WI	$51,537
Counselor, All Other	$71,390	WI statewide	$77,262
Social and Community Service Manager	$82,550	Appleton, WI	$89,340

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.

Appleton at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	74,873	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$77,450	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	37.0%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	92.4 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Counseling-related employment in Outagamie County	4,234 workers, 741 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Appleton-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

Neenah, WI – 8.7 mi away (25,914 pop)
De Pere, WI – 18.6 mi away (24,893 pop)
Oshkosh, WI – 19.5 mi away (75,057 pop)
Green Bay, WI – 25.7 mi away (208,670 pop)
Fond du Lac, WI – 35.0 mi away (54,811 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Appleton, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Appleton. The closest is Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Menominee Nation (41.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Appleton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Appleton are: Social and Community Service Manager ($82,550), Counselor, All Other ($71,390), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($61,890). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Wisconsin statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Neenah instead of Appleton?

Neenah, WI is 8.7 miles from Appleton 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 Appleton an affordable place to study counseling?

Appleton’s median household income of $77,450 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Appleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Wisconsin 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 Appleton

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

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.

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