Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Bristol, CT (2026)

Bristol, Connecticut has 45 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $13,050 to $50,404 per year for indexed programs. Bristol has a population of about 61,129. Median household income is $83,458 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Connecticut, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Marriage and Family Therapist at a median $86,250 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Bristol

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

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

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#1

Post University

Waterbury, CT 12.5 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
22.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,696
Avg net price $21,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southern Connecticut State University

New Haven, CT 24.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,043
Avg net price $20,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT 24.1 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
49.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,144
Avg net price $34,028/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of New Haven

West Haven, CT 27.0 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,126
Avg net price $34,192/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Sacred Heart University

Fairfield, CT 35.4 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
66.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,059
Avg net price $46,174/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT 39.6 miles from Bristol
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $88,794
Avg net price $48,095/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Bristol

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Connecticut, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$63,590
Marriage and Family Therapist$86,250
Clinical and Counseling PsychologistN/A
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$78,640

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.


Bristol at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population61,129Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$83,458Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Bristol-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Bristol, CT?

Our directory has 45 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Bristol. The closest is Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is American International College (35.7 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles in Connecticut?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles in Connecticut are: Marriage and Family Therapist ($86,250), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($78,640), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($63,590). Wages for Bristol workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in New Britain instead of Bristol?

New Britain, CT is 8.0 miles from Bristol 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 Bristol an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Bristol’s median household income of $83,458 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bristol while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Connecticut 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 Bristol

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.