Lincolnton, North Carolina has 11 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $6,813 to $40,450 per year for indexed programs. Lincolnton has a population of about 11,503. Median household income is $43,294 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $117,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Lincolnton
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mental health counseling programs near Lincolnton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lincolnton 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 Lincolnton.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
85%
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,543
Avg net price
$20,689/yr
TuitionIn‑state$31,900
Out‑of‑state$31,900
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,039
Avg net price
$17,674/yr
TuitionIn‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,793
Avg net price
$17,879/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,151
Avg net price
$27,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,200
Avg net price
$11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,968
Avg net price
$15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,146
Avg net price
$15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 83
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all North Carolina schools on the North Carolina mental health counseling page.
Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Lincolnton
Lincolnton is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $56,130 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $57,688 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $48,100 | NC statewide | $49,435 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologist | $117,170 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $120,421 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $58,090 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $59,702 |
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.
Lincolnton at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 11,503 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $43,294 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 19.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Lincolnton-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs
- Gastonia, NC – 15.8 mi away (178,477 pop)
- Hickory, NC – 19.1 mi away (215,120 pop)
- Cornelius, NC – 20.0 mi away (28,515 pop)
- Huntersville, NC – 21.1 mi away (54,839 pop)
- Shelby, NC – 21.4 mi away (27,288 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Lincolnton, NC?
Our directory has 11 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Lincolnton. The closest is Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, NC (19.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Emory & Henry University (95.6 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles near Lincolnton?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Lincolnton are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($117,170), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($58,090), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($56,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Gastonia instead of Lincolnton?
Gastonia, NC is 15.8 miles from Lincolnton 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 Lincolnton an affordable place to study mental health counseling?
Lincolnton’s median household income of $43,294 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lincolnton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Lincolnton
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lincolnton:
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Journalism programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Public Relations programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Communication Disorders programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Speech Pathology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Technical Communication programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Professional Writing programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Strategic Communications programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Business Development programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Construction Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Economics programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Financial Technology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Forensic Accounting programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Health Information Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Hospitality Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- International Business programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Organizational Leadership programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Management Information Systems programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Nonprofit Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Operations Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Public Administration programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Real Estate programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Recreation Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Retail Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Risk Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Statistics programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Taxation programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Corrections programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Crime Analysis programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Criminology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Cybercrime programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Emergency Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Fire Science programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Forensic Science programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Legal Services programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Legal Studies programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Paralegal programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Security Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Cloud Computing programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Computer Engineering programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Innovation programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Mobile App Development programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Software Development programs in Lincolnton, NC
- User Experience programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Web Development programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Machine Learning programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Supply Chain Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Data Analytics programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Public Health programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Human Resources programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Project Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Special Education programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Homeland Security programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Marketing programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Finance programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Kinesiology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Sports Management programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Early Childhood Education programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Elementary Education programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Biology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Communications programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Graphic Design programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Human Services programs in Lincolnton, NC
- MBA programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Criminal Justice programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Nursing programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Business Administration programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Computer Science programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Psychology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Education programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Engineering programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Technology programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Liberal Arts programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Healthcare programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Cybersecurity programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Accounting programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Healthcare Administration programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Social Work programs in Lincolnton, NC
- Counseling programs in Lincolnton, NC
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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