Willmar, Minnesota has 11 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs, with tuition ranging from $5,682 to $44,226 per year for indexed programs. Willmar has a population of about 21,136. Median household income is $63,368 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning substance abuse counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $84,220 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Substance Abuse Counseling Schools to Willmar
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer substance abuse counseling programs near Willmar, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Willmar 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Willmar.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,813
Avg net price
$13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 66
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,057
Avg net price
$26,672/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 19
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,922
Avg net price
$19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 81
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,810
Avg net price
$33,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 12%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,189
Avg net price
$17,956/yr
TuitionIn‑state$14,400
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Key stats- Retention rate: 37%
- Programs offered: 67
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,020
Avg net price
$16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 79
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,764
Avg net price
$28,556/yr
TuitionIn‑state$44,226
Out‑of‑state$44,226
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,705
Avg net price
$16,863/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota substance abuse counseling page.
Substance Abuse Counseling Wages Near Willmar
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Minnesota, statewide) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $58,780 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $75,020 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $84,220 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $49,940 |
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.
Willmar at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,136 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,368 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 24.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Willmar-Area Cities With Substance Abuse Counseling Programs
- Saint Cloud, MN – 51.5 mi away (113,649 pop)
- Alexandria, MN – 54.3 mi away (20,814 pop)
- Monticello, MN – 62.4 mi away (26,875 pop)
- Chaska, MN – 73.8 mi away (26,016 pop)
- Elk River, MN – 73.9 mi away (24,364 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited substance abuse counseling schools are near Willmar, MN?
Our directory has 11 accredited schools offering substance abuse counseling programs near Willmar. The closest is Ridgewater College in Willmar, MN (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bethel University (92.5 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying substance abuse counseling roles in Minnesota?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying substance abuse counseling-related roles in Minnesota are: Social and Community Service Manager ($84,220), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker ($75,020), Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor ($58,780). Wages for Willmar workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Saint Cloud instead of Willmar?
Saint Cloud, MN is 51.5 miles from Willmar 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 Willmar an affordable place to study substance abuse counseling?
Willmar’s median household income of $63,368 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Willmar while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Willmar
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Willmar:
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Willmar, MN
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Willmar, MN
- Journalism programs in Willmar, MN
- Public Relations programs in Willmar, MN
- Communication Disorders programs in Willmar, MN
- Speech Pathology programs in Willmar, MN
- Technical Communication programs in Willmar, MN
- Professional Writing programs in Willmar, MN
- Strategic Communications programs in Willmar, MN
- Business Development programs in Willmar, MN
- Construction Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Economics programs in Willmar, MN
- Financial Technology programs in Willmar, MN
- Forensic Accounting programs in Willmar, MN
- Health Information Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Hospitality Management programs in Willmar, MN
- International Business programs in Willmar, MN
- Organizational Leadership programs in Willmar, MN
- Management Information Systems programs in Willmar, MN
- Nonprofit Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Operations Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Public Administration programs in Willmar, MN
- Real Estate programs in Willmar, MN
- Recreation Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Retail Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Risk Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Statistics programs in Willmar, MN
- Taxation programs in Willmar, MN
- Corrections programs in Willmar, MN
- Crime Analysis programs in Willmar, MN
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Willmar, MN
- Criminology programs in Willmar, MN
- Cybercrime programs in Willmar, MN
- Emergency Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Fire Science programs in Willmar, MN
- Forensic Science programs in Willmar, MN
- Legal Services programs in Willmar, MN
- Legal Studies programs in Willmar, MN
- Paralegal programs in Willmar, MN
- Security Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Cloud Computing programs in Willmar, MN
- Computer Engineering programs in Willmar, MN
- Innovation programs in Willmar, MN
- Mobile App Development programs in Willmar, MN
- Software Development programs in Willmar, MN
- User Experience programs in Willmar, MN
- Web Development programs in Willmar, MN
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Willmar, MN
- Machine Learning programs in Willmar, MN
- Supply Chain Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Data Analytics programs in Willmar, MN
- Public Health programs in Willmar, MN
- Human Resources programs in Willmar, MN
- Project Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Special Education programs in Willmar, MN
- Homeland Security programs in Willmar, MN
- Marketing programs in Willmar, MN
- Finance programs in Willmar, MN
- Kinesiology programs in Willmar, MN
- Sports Management programs in Willmar, MN
- Early Childhood Education programs in Willmar, MN
- Elementary Education programs in Willmar, MN
- Biology programs in Willmar, MN
- Communications programs in Willmar, MN
- Graphic Design programs in Willmar, MN
- Human Services programs in Willmar, MN
- MBA programs in Willmar, MN
- Criminal Justice programs in Willmar, MN
- Nursing programs in Willmar, MN
- Business Administration programs in Willmar, MN
- Computer Science programs in Willmar, MN
- Psychology programs in Willmar, MN
- Education programs in Willmar, MN
- Engineering programs in Willmar, MN
- Technology programs in Willmar, MN
- Liberal Arts programs in Willmar, MN
- Healthcare programs in Willmar, MN
- Cybersecurity programs in Willmar, MN
- Accounting programs in Willmar, MN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Willmar, MN
- Social Work programs in Willmar, MN
- Counseling programs in Willmar, MN
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.
← Back to Best Substance Abuse Counseling Schools in Minnesota (2026)
