Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Jackson, TN (2026)

Jackson, Tennessee has 1 accredited school offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $10,728 to $15,384 per year for indexed programs. Jackson has a population of about 68,098. Median household income is $51,552 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $76,820 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Jackson

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

Memphis, TN 72.2 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN 102.7 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,301
Avg net price $9,735/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,006
Out‑of‑state$14,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 118.1 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN 118.9 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
61.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,930
Avg net price $33,147/yr
Tuition
In‑state$42,540
Out‑of‑state$42,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 203.7 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Johnson University

Knoxville, TN 285.7 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,596
Avg net price $22,063/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN 295.6 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
51.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,956
Avg net price $20,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN 301.0 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
48.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,382
Avg net price $20,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,700
Out‑of‑state$34,700
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Jackson

Jackson is part of the Jackson, TN metro area (BLS area code 27180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$46,520Jackson, TN$54,409
Marriage and Family Therapist$48,600Jackson, TN$56,842
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$76,820TN statewide$89,848
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$37,170Jackson, TN$43,474

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.


Jackson at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population68,098Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,552Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Jackson-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Jackson, TN?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Jackson. The closest is University of Memphis in Memphis, TN (72.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Memphis (72.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Jackson are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($76,820), Marriage and Family Therapist ($48,600), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($46,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dyersburg instead of Jackson?

Dyersburg, TN is 40.7 miles from Jackson 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 Jackson an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Jackson’s median household income of $51,552 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jackson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Jackson

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

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.