Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Amarillo, TX (2026)

Amarillo, Texas is home to about 200,945 residents. Median household income is $62,469 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $83,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Amarillo

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

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 111.0 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,454
Avg net price $19,070/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Lubbock, TX 111.3 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
96.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,348
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX 223.3 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,771
Avg net price $19,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX 301.3 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,544
Avg net price $11,963/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The Chicago School at Dallas

Plano, TX 328.2 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 331.5 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
73.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,354
Avg net price $40,892/yr
Tuition
In‑state$67,040
Out‑of‑state$67,040
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 39

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

#7

Nelson University

Waxahachie, TX 344.7 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
42.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 89%
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,238
Avg net price $21,662/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,064
Out‑of‑state$25,064
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#8

The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX 358.8 miles from Amarillo
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,923
Avg net price $9,403/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Amarillo

Amarillo is part of the Amarillo, TX metro area (BLS area code 11100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$67,630Amarillo, TX$73,671
Marriage and Family Therapist$46,300TX statewide$50,436
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$83,660TX statewide$91,133
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$46,630TX statewide$50,795

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.


Amarillo at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population200,945Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,469Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Amarillo-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Amarillo are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($83,660), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($67,630), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($46,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Plainview instead of Amarillo?

Plainview, TX is 70.0 miles from Amarillo 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 Amarillo an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Amarillo’s median household income of $62,469 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Amarillo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Amarillo

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

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.