Best Mental Health Counseling Schools Near Ellensburg, WA

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Ellensburg, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $4,772 to $50,501 per year for indexed programs. Ellensburg has a population of about 18,913. Median household income is $49,888 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning mental health counseling-related role is Clinical and Counseling Psychologist at a median $115,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Mental Health Counseling Schools to Ellensburg

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

Highline College

Des Moines, WA 86.6 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,869
Avg net price $9,879/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$5,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northwest University

Kirkland, WA 89.4 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
50.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $22,288/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,035
Out‑of‑state$36,035
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education

Kirkland, WA 89.5 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $35,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pacific Lutheran University

Tacoma, WA 89.6 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,990
Avg net price $19,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA 92.5 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,594
Avg net price $38,394/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 92.9 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

City University of Seattle

Seattle, WA 94.3 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,460
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Antioch University-Seattle

Seattle, WA 94.3 miles from Ellensburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Mental Health Counseling Wages Near Ellensburg

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Washington, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$68,910
Marriage and Family Therapist$60,000
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$115,240
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$70,460

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.

Ellensburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,913Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,888Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Ellensburg-Area Cities With Mental Health Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited mental health counseling schools are near Ellensburg, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering mental health counseling programs near Ellensburg. The closest is Highline College in Des Moines, WA (86.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Puget Sound (92.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying mental health counseling-related roles in Washington are: Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($115,240), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($70,460), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($68,910). Wages for Ellensburg workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Yakima instead of Ellensburg?

Yakima, WA is 28.2 miles from Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg an affordable place to study mental health counseling?

Ellensburg’s median household income of $49,888 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ellensburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Ellensburg

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

Data verified: August 31, 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 Washington (2026)