Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Elmira, NY (2026)

Elmira, New York has 8 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $8,752 to $67,080 per year for indexed programs. Elmira has a population of about 26,349. Median household income is $43,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Elmira, NY metro area, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker at a median $79,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Elmira

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mental health counseling programs near Elmira, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Elmira 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 Elmira. 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

Alfred University

Alfred, NY 51.4 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
42.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,897
Avg net price $25,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,500
Out‑of‑state$41,500
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 73.8 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY 75.4 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
71.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,731
Avg net price $22,277/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,330
Out‑of‑state$40,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

St. John Fisher University

Rochester, NY 79.1 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
71.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,944
Avg net price $28,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 82.8 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
78.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,042
Avg net price $29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY 94.8 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,566
Avg net price $16,236/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY 96.5 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
62.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,496
Avg net price $16,353/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,752
Out‑of‑state$15,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY 118.8 miles from Elmira
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
75.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,814
Avg net price $20,995/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,936
Out‑of‑state$31,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Elmira

Elmira is part of the Elmira, NY metro area (BLS area code 21300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$49,210Elmira, NY$52,129
Marriage and Family Therapist$64,430NY statewide$68,252
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$67,690Elmira, NY$71,706
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$79,410Elmira, NY$84,121

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.


Elmira at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,349Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,089Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Elmira-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Elmira, NY?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Elmira. The closest is Alfred University in Alfred, NY (51.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is SUNY Brockport (96.5 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Elmira are: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($79,410), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($67,690), Marriage and Family Therapist ($64,430). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ithaca instead of Elmira?

Ithaca, NY is 28.8 miles from Elmira 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 Elmira an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Elmira’s median household income of $43,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elmira while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Elmira

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

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.