Substance Abuse Counseling Schools Near Fort Walton Beach, FL

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Fort Walton Beach, Florida is home to about 20,956 residents. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, the top-earning substance abuse counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Substance Abuse Counseling Schools to Fort Walton Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer substance abuse counseling programs near Fort Walton Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach. 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

Pasco-Hernando State College

New Port Richey, FL 279.7 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,903
Avg net price $5,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 301.6 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 392.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,421
Avg net price $7,247/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

HCI College

West Palm Beach, FL 471.2 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Avg net price $35,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Palm Beach State College

Lake Worth, FL 475.9 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,923
Avg net price $9,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 104

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL 484.8 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
72.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,746
Avg net price $8,752/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL 493.6 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,939
Avg net price $14,506/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,830
Out‑of‑state$8,952
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 103

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

#8

Miami Dade College

Miami, FL 506.3 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
62.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,654
Avg net price $5,463/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida substance abuse counseling page.

Substance Abuse Counseling Wages Near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$55,270Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$56,979
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$46,630Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$48,072
Social and Community Service Manager$76,410Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$78,773
Social and Human Service Assistant$40,150Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL$41,392

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.

Fort Walton Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population20,956Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,556Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying substance abuse counseling roles near Fort Walton Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying substance abuse counseling-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,410), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($55,270), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($46,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?

Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach and has its own set of local substance abuse counseling programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study substance abuse counseling?

Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Walton Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:

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.

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