Tampa, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $60,580 per year for indexed programs. Tampa has a population of about 393,389. Median household income is $71,302 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $85,610 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Tampa
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mental health counseling programs near Tampa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Tampa 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 Tampa.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
53%
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,744
Avg net price
$31,942/yr
TuitionIn‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 39
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,295
Avg net price
$34,732/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
72%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,642
Avg net price
$19,372/yr
TuitionIn‑state$57,410
Out‑of‑state$57,410
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,588
Avg net price
$6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,421
Avg net price
$20,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 54%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,343
Avg net price
$10,154/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,232
Avg net price
$28,354/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
73%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,006
Avg net price
$44,089/yr
TuitionIn‑state$44,480
Out‑of‑state$44,480
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida mental health counseling page.
Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Tampa
Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $55,570 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $55,074 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $50,440 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $49,990 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologist | $85,610 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $84,846 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $52,730 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $52,260 |
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.
Tampa at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 393,389 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $71,302 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 44.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 100.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Tampa-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs
- Temple Terrace, FL – 5.4 mi away (26,515 pop)
- Pinellas Park, FL – 18.5 mi away (52,137 pop)
- Saint Petersburg, FL – 19.3 mi away (260,999 pop)
- Clearwater, FL – 19.4 mi away (114,361 pop)
- Plant City, FL – 19.9 mi away (38,200 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Tampa, FL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Tampa. The closest is University of South Florida in Tampa, FL (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Central Florida (86.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles near Tampa?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Tampa are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($85,610), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($55,570), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($52,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Temple Terrace instead of Tampa?
Temple Terrace, FL is 5.4 miles from Tampa 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 Tampa an affordable place to study mental health counseling?
Tampa’s median household income of $71,302 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tampa while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Tampa
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Tampa:
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Tampa, FL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Tampa, FL
- Journalism programs in Tampa, FL
- Public Relations programs in Tampa, FL
- Communication Disorders programs in Tampa, FL
- Speech Pathology programs in Tampa, FL
- Technical Communication programs in Tampa, FL
- Professional Writing programs in Tampa, FL
- Strategic Communications programs in Tampa, FL
- Business Development programs in Tampa, FL
- Construction Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Economics programs in Tampa, FL
- Financial Technology programs in Tampa, FL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Tampa, FL
- Health Information Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Hospitality Management programs in Tampa, FL
- International Business programs in Tampa, FL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Tampa, FL
- Management Information Systems programs in Tampa, FL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Operations Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Public Administration programs in Tampa, FL
- Real Estate programs in Tampa, FL
- Recreation Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Retail Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Risk Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Statistics programs in Tampa, FL
- Taxation programs in Tampa, FL
- Corrections programs in Tampa, FL
- Crime Analysis programs in Tampa, FL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Tampa, FL
- Criminology programs in Tampa, FL
- Cybercrime programs in Tampa, FL
- Emergency Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Fire Science programs in Tampa, FL
- Forensic Science programs in Tampa, FL
- Legal Services programs in Tampa, FL
- Legal Studies programs in Tampa, FL
- Paralegal programs in Tampa, FL
- Security Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Cloud Computing programs in Tampa, FL
- Computer Engineering programs in Tampa, FL
- Innovation programs in Tampa, FL
- Mobile App Development programs in Tampa, FL
- Software Development programs in Tampa, FL
- User Experience programs in Tampa, FL
- Web Development programs in Tampa, FL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Tampa, FL
- Machine Learning programs in Tampa, FL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Data Analytics programs in Tampa, FL
- Public Health programs in Tampa, FL
- Human Resources programs in Tampa, FL
- Project Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Special Education programs in Tampa, FL
- Homeland Security programs in Tampa, FL
- Marketing programs in Tampa, FL
- Finance programs in Tampa, FL
- Kinesiology programs in Tampa, FL
- Sports Management programs in Tampa, FL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Tampa, FL
- Elementary Education programs in Tampa, FL
- Biology programs in Tampa, FL
- Communications programs in Tampa, FL
- Graphic Design programs in Tampa, FL
- Human Services programs in Tampa, FL
- MBA programs in Tampa, FL
- Criminal Justice programs in Tampa, FL
- Nursing programs in Tampa, FL
- Business Administration programs in Tampa, FL
- Computer Science programs in Tampa, FL
- Psychology programs in Tampa, FL
- Education programs in Tampa, FL
- Engineering programs in Tampa, FL
- Technology programs in Tampa, FL
- Liberal Arts programs in Tampa, FL
- Healthcare programs in Tampa, FL
- Cybersecurity programs in Tampa, FL
- Accounting programs in Tampa, FL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Tampa, FL
- Social Work programs in Tampa, FL
- Counseling programs in Tampa, FL
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.
← Back to Best Mental Health Counseling Schools in Florida (2026)
