Laguna Niguel, California has 24 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $7,449 to $64,984 per year for indexed programs. Laguna Niguel has a population of about 64,023. Median household income is $140,605 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $99,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Laguna Niguel
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mental health counseling programs near Laguna Niguel, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Laguna Niguel 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Laguna Niguel.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,703
Avg net price
$32,654/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Key stats- Retention rate: 52%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 33%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
83%
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,690
Avg net price
$30,031/yr
TuitionIn‑state$60,878
Out‑of‑state$60,878
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$83,187
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,077
Avg net price
$12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California mental health counseling page.
Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Laguna Niguel
Laguna Niguel is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $51,910 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $45,695 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $71,110 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,597 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologist | $99,250 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $87,368 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $78,410 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $69,023 |
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.
Laguna Niguel at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 64,023 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $140,605 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 59.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Laguna Niguel-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs
- San Juan Capistrano, CA – 3.4 mi away (36,276 pop)
- Laguna Beach, CA – 3.5 mi away (23,190 pop)
- Dana Point, CA – 3.8 mi away (34,012 pop)
- Aliso Viejo, CA – 3.8 mi away (51,424 pop)
- Laguna Hills, CA – 4.5 mi away (31,509 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Laguna Niguel, CA?
Our directory has 24 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Laguna Niguel. The closest is University of Massachusetts Global in Irvine, CA (9.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of La Verne (39.8 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles near Laguna Niguel?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Laguna Niguel are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($99,250), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($78,410), Marriage and Family Therapist ($71,110). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in San Juan Capistrano instead of Laguna Niguel?
San Juan Capistrano, CA is 3.4 miles from Laguna Niguel and has its own set of local mental health counseling programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Laguna Niguel an affordable place to study mental health counseling?
Laguna Niguel’s median household income of $140,605 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Laguna Niguel while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Mental Health Counseling Programs
Other Programs Available in Laguna Niguel
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Laguna Niguel:
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- Retail Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Risk Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Statistics programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Taxation programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Corrections programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Criminology programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Fire Science programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Legal Services programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Paralegal programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Security Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Innovation programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Software Development programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- User Experience programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Web Development programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Public Health programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Human Resources programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Project Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Special Education programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Marketing programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Finance programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Sports Management programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Biology programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Communications programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Human Services programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- MBA programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Nursing programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Business Administration programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Computer Science programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Psychology programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Education programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Engineering programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Technology programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Healthcare programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Accounting programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Social Work programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Counseling programs in Laguna Niguel, CA
Data verified: August 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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