Best Substance Abuse Counseling Schools Near Ruston, LA (2026)

Ruston, Louisiana has 2 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $4,958 to $19,652 per year for indexed programs. Ruston has a population of about 22,224. Median household income is $32,765 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Louisiana, the top-earning substance abuse counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $82,090 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Substance Abuse Counseling Schools to Ruston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer substance abuse counseling programs near Ruston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ruston city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

#1

Northwestern State University of Louisiana

📍 Natchitoches, LA • 60.7 miles from Ruston

• 4 year
• Campus + Online

45.3 BOC Score

Graduation rate 46%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,021

Avg net price $13,606/yr

TuitionContact school for pricing

Contact

• 175 Sam Sibley Drive Natchitoches, LA 71497-0002
• (318) 357-6011
• Visit website

Key stats

• Retention rate: 71%
• Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard

#2

Southern University at Shreveport

📍 Shreveport, LA • 69.8 miles from Ruston

• 2 year
• Campus + Online

24.1 BOC Score

Graduation rate 18%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,099

Avg net price $11,049/yr

TuitionContact school for pricing

Contact

• 3050 Martin Luther King Dr Shreveport, LA 71107
• (318) 670-6000
• Visit website

Key stats

• Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard

#3

Southern University at New Orleans

📍 New Orleans, LA • 231.1 miles from Ruston

• 4 year
• Campus + Online

30.7 BOC Score

Graduation rate 36%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,042

Avg net price $14,810/yr

TuitionContact school for pricing

Contact

• 6400 Press Drive New Orleans, LA 70126
• (504) 286-5000
• Visit website

Key stats

• Retention rate: 50%
• Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard

#4

University of Holy Cross

📍 New Orleans, LA • 239.1 miles from Ruston

• 4 year
• Campus + Online

40.9 BOC Score

Graduation rate 33%

Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,316

Avg net price $15,635/yr

TuitionContact school for pricing

Contact

• 4123 Woodland Drive New Orleans, LA 70131-7399
• (504) 394-7744
• Visit website

Key stats

• Retention rate: 70%
• Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard

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

Substance Abuse Counseling Wages Near Ruston

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.

Ruston at a Glance

Other Ruston-Area Cities With Substance Abuse Counseling Programs

• Monroe, LA – 32.6 mi away (117,673 pop)
• Bossier City, LA – 60.0 mi away (68,485 pop)
• Shreveport, LA – 67.7 mi away (291,749 pop)
• Alexandria, LA – 86.3 mi away (82,995 pop)
• Marshall, TX – 99.9 mi away (22,014 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited substance abuse counseling schools are near Ruston, LA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs near Ruston. The closest is Northwestern State University of Louisiana in Natchitoches, LA (60.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern University at Shreveport (69.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying substance abuse counseling-related roles in Louisiana are: Social and Community Service Manager ($82,090), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($47,100), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($37,910). Wages for Ruston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Monroe instead of Ruston?

Monroe, LA is 32.6 miles from Ruston 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 Ruston an affordable place to study substance abuse counseling?

Ruston’s median household income of $32,765 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ruston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana 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

• Is a Substance Abuse Counseling degree worth it?
• Main Substance Abuse Counseling degree guide
• Online Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Louisiana
• Substance Abuse Counseling programs by state

Other Programs Available in Ruston

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

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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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