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

Lufkin, Texas has 3 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $8,905 to $37,160 per year for indexed programs. Lufkin has a population of about 34,158. Median household income is $56,722 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.8% 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 Lufkin

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

Stephen F Austin State University

Nacogdoches, TX 21.5 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,634
Avg net price $14,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

LeTourneau University

Longview, TX 79.1 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
50.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,103
Avg net price $28,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lamar University

Beaumont, TX 96.7 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
47.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,652
Avg net price $9,366/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of St Thomas

Houston, TX 116.2 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
63.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,224
Avg net price $19,359/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,634
Out‑of‑state$34,634
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 20

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

#5

Houston Christian University

Houston, TX 121.7 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,933
Avg net price $20,629/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Houston-Clear Lake

Houston, TX 122.2 miles from Lufkin
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,004
Avg net price $15,563/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Nelson University

Waxahachie, TX 145.5 miles from Lufkin
  • 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

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX 159.9 miles from Lufkin
  • 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

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


Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Lufkin

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Texas, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$62,630
Marriage and Family Therapist$46,300
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$83,660
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$46,630

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.


Lufkin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population34,158Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,722Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Lufkin-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Lufkin, TX?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Lufkin. The closest is Stephen F Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX (21.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lamar University (96.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying mental health counseling roles in Texas?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles in Texas are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($83,660), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($62,630), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($46,630). Wages for Lufkin workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Nacogdoches instead of Lufkin?

Nacogdoches, TX is 20.7 miles from Lufkin 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 Lufkin an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Lufkin’s median household income of $56,722 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lufkin 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 Lufkin

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

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.