Substance Abuse Counseling Schools Near Richmond, KY (2026)

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

Richmond, Kentucky has 7 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,517 to $34,140 per year for indexed programs. Richmond has a population of about 35,498. Median household income is $48,223 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning substance abuse counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $76,960 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Substance Abuse Counseling Schools to Richmond

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

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY 24.9 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
70.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,025
Avg net price $18,851/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,502
Out‑of‑state$34,140
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 76

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

#2

Union Commonwealth University

Barbourville, KY 63.1 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
30.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,002
Avg net price $21,311/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, KY 68.6 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,036
Avg net price $14,107/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lindsey Wilson College

Columbia, KY 70.1 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
39.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,129
Avg net price $15,070/yr
Tuition
In‑state$27,808
Out‑of‑state$27,808
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 23

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

#5

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY 129.4 miles from Richmond
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,889
Avg net price $10,990/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Substance Abuse Counseling Wages Near Richmond

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Kentucky, statewide)
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor$54,190
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$42,570
Social and Community Service Manager$76,960
Social and Human Service Assistant$37,440

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.

Richmond at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,498Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,223Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Richmond-Area Cities With Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited substance abuse counseling schools are near Richmond, KY?

Our directory has 7 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs near Richmond. The closest is University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY (24.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (99.4 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying substance abuse counseling roles in Kentucky?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying substance abuse counseling-related roles in Kentucky are: Social and Community Service Manager ($76,960), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($54,190), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($42,570). Wages for Richmond workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Nicholasville instead of Richmond?

Nicholasville, KY is 18.9 miles from Richmond 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 Richmond an affordable place to study substance abuse counseling?

Richmond’s median household income of $48,223 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Richmond while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Richmond

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

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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