Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Winchester, VA

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Winchester, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs. Winchester has a population of about 27,981. Median household income is $64,648 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $86,520 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Winchester

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer mental health counseling programs near Winchester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Winchester 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 Winchester. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Divine Mercy University

Sterling, VA 41.7 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 59.1 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,516
Avg net price $29,137/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 61.6 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

South University-Richmond

Glen Allen, VA 110.0 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
18.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $30,442/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 12

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

Sponsored Ad
#5

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 196.2 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 38%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,498
Avg net price $19,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 88

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

#6

South University-Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, VA 196.4 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
19.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 12%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,843/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 13

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

Sponsored Ad
#7

Bluefield University

Bluefield, VA 213.5 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
35.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,896
Avg net price $25,573/yr
Tuition
In‑state$26,770
Out‑of‑state$26,770
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 34

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

#8

Emory & Henry University

Emory, VA 259.1 miles from Winchester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,385
Avg net price $19,061/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Winchester

Winchester is part of the Winchester, VA-WV metro area (BLS area code 49020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor $50,580 Winchester, VA-WV $52,415
Marriage and Family Therapist $79,900 VA statewide $82,798
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist $86,520 VA statewide $89,658
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker $51,900 Winchester, VA-WV $53,782

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.

Winchester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,981 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,648 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Winchester-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Winchester, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Winchester. The closest is Divine Mercy University in Sterling, VA (41.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is George Washington University (63.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles near Winchester are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($86,520), Marriage and Family Therapist ($79,900), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($51,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Charles Town instead of Winchester?

Charles Town, WV is 18.1 miles from Winchester 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 Winchester an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Winchester’s median household income of $64,648 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winchester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Winchester

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Mental Health Counseling Schools in Virginia (2026)