Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Aurora, CO (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Aurora, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $4,902 to $54,242 per year for indexed programs. Aurora has a population of about 390,201. Median household income is $84,320 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $109,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Aurora

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 6.4 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 14.7 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Regis University

Denver, CO 17.0 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,105
Avg net price $18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 19.5 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $29,500/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,342
Out‑of‑state$41,342
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO 48.6 miles from Aurora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,231
Avg net price $17,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Aurora

Aurora is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area (BLS area code 19740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$62,810Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$59,367
Marriage and Family Therapist$64,120Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$60,605
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$109,260Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$103,270
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$70,920Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$67,032

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.

Aurora at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population390,201Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,320Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Aurora-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Aurora, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Aurora. The closest is University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver, CO (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Northern Colorado (48.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles near Aurora?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Aurora are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($109,260), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($70,920), Marriage and Family Therapist ($64,120). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Denver instead of Aurora?

Denver, CO is 8.7 miles from Aurora 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 Aurora an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Aurora’s median household income of $84,320 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aurora while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Aurora

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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