Best Online Counseling Programs in Madison, WI (2026)

Madison, Wisconsin has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $16,699 to $25,508 per year for indexed programs. Madison has a population of about 275,568. Median household income is $76,983 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Madison, WI metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $88,130 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Counseling Schools to Madison

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer counseling programs near Madison. Distances are calculated from Madison city center.

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

Counseling Wages Near Madison

Madison is part of the Madison, WI metro area (BLS area code 31540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Wisconsin statewide.

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.

Madison at a Glance

Other Madison-Area Cities With Counseling Programs

• Fitchburg, WI – 6.8 mi away (28,875 pop)
• Sun Prairie, WI – 10.6 mi away (32,820 pop)
• Fort Atkinson, WI – 29.7 mi away (21,399 pop)
• Janesville, WI – 33.4 mi away (70,299 pop)
• Watertown, WI – 34.3 mi away (23,304 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited counseling schools are near Madison, WI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs near Madison. The closest is University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College (59.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Madison?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Madison are: Social and Community Service Manager ($88,130), Counselor, All Other ($70,300), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($67,510). 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 Fitchburg instead of Madison?

Fitchburg, WI is 6.8 miles from Madison 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 Madison an affordable place to study counseling?

Madison’s median household income of $76,983 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Madison 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

• Counseling accreditation: what to look for
• Counseling concentrations and specializations
• Is a Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Counseling degree guide
• Online Counseling programs in Wisconsin
• Counseling programs by state

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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.