Top 25 Most Affordable Master's Degrees in Counseling in the Northeast

Students can earn a COAMFTE accredited Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seton Hill University. The Marriage and Family Therapy program at Seton Hill University emphasizes a commitment to understanding and valuing cultural diversity. Students will be trained in systems theory, with a focus on multicultural diversity and context. Additionally, students will be encouraged to grow personally and professionally in their self awareness and what they bring to the therapeutic relationship. Full time students can complete the program in 6 semesters.

Courses include: group dynamics; multicultural therapy; couples and family systems; couples therapy; family therapy; families in larger systems; psychopathology; lifespan development; assessment; human sexuality; vocational and career counseling; and professional, legal, and ethical issues.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $12,672.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 60

A Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is available at Niagara University. Students in this 60 credit CACREP accredited program will complete coursework and clinical training to prepare for professional licensure as a mental health counselor. Niagara University offers a unique opportunity for their bachelor's students who wish to pursue a graduate degree in counseling by offering them the opportunity to take graduate courses in counseling during their senior year, and accelerate their movement through the program.

Courses include: educational research; introduction to counseling; multicultural counseling; theories of counseling; lifespan and human development; assessment in counseling; advanced counseling techniques; wellness and counseling process; career counseling; psychopathology and DSM diagnosis; family counseling; basis to drug and alcohol addiction; foundations and ethics of mental health counseling; and counseling and behavior therapy with children.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $12,690.00
• Credits Required: 60

The University of Saint Joseph offers a COAMFTE accredited Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy and CACREP accredited Master of Arts Degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and in School Counseling. Students will learn to provide counseling services that meet the needs of children, teens, adults, couples, and families across the lifespan. Students can choose the degree that is of the most interest professionally. Students will be trained to consider the context of the client they are working with whether that is a student in a classroom who needs advocacy with a teacher or a partner in a marital relationship struggling to have their needs met. Graduates will be prepared to work professionally as counselors and therapists.

Courses include: ethics and standards of practice; foundations of counseling; crisis and trauma theory and counseling; group process and dynamics; skills and techniques in counseling; theories of counseling and psychology; substance abuse and dependence; counseling families; multicultural counseling; mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning; counseling children and adolescents; theoretical and practical sources for career development; principles, organization, and practice of counseling services in school settings.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $12,822.00
• Credits Required: 60

The College of Education at Rowan University offers a CACREP accredited Master of Arts in Counseling in Educational Settings. This degree is designed to prepare students who want to work as school counselors in the K-12 setting or on college campuses in student affairs. Students will choose to focus on building a career in School Counseling or in Student Affairs and HIgher Education. Coursework and practicum and internship experiences will be based on the chosen area of focus. Graduates will be well prepared to work in the setting of their choice either with K-12 students in collaboration with teachers and administrators or on college campuses with young adults in a variety of settings such as residence halls or career counseling centers.

Courses include: introduction to counseling and guidance; group counseling in educational settings; design and administration of developmental counseling programs; multicultural counseling and advocacy; individual counseling procedures; counseling interviewing skills and techniques; career counseling in educational settings; special topics in counseling in educational settings; development and learning; and lifespan development.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $12,960.00
• Application Deadline: July 1st for Fall
• Credits Required: 48

A Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is available at Rhode Island College. This CACREP accredited degree prepares graduates for professional licensure. Students will engage fully in both academic research and clinical practice and learn the value of both for effective treatment outcomes. Previous students have pursued internships in settings such as adoption agencies, alternative education programs, psychiatric hospitals, and community mental health clinics.

Courses include: professional orientation and ethical practice; human development across cultures; vocational counseling and placement; cross cultural counseling; crisis assessment and intervention; assessment and treatment of co-occurring disorders; clinical assessment and case problems; family counseling theory and practice; clinical interviewing and treatment planning; and counseling children and adolescents.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $13,032.00
• Application Deadline: February 1st
• Credits Required: 60

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania offers a Master of Arts in Counseling. The Master of Arts degree in Counseling is available with CACREP accredited programs in school counseling, college counseling, rehabilitation counseling, and clinical mental health counseling. Students at Edinboro University will learn to provide culturally competent and ethically sound counseling services to diverse populations. Each area of concentration will focus on training students in the specific skills and techniques required to be effective in working with the primary population of interest. Graduates will be prepared to pursue professional licensure and certification in their field.

Courses include: group process; appraisal techniques in the helping profession; human development across the lifespan; career development and life planning; counseling and consultation theories; multicultural counseling; ethical and professional issues in counseling; study of the individual in higher education; student affairs practice and administration; clinical mental health counseling; family counseling; child and adolescent counseling; crisis and addictions counseling; developmental counseling in schools; and techniques for counseling a student with a disability.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $13,050.00
• Application Deadline: February 15th for Fall, October 15th for Spring.
• Credits Required: 60 – 63

The Department of Counselor Education at Kutztown University offers CACREP accredited counseling programs in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling; and School Counseling. The counseling programs at Kutztown University emphasis attention to: the development of the self of the therapist; core concepts and practices central to counseling; and an understanding of the various needs of the individual and family across the lifespan. Courses are generally offered in the evening in order to offer flexibility for working students.

Courses include: professional orientation and ethics in mental health counseling; intercultural issues in counseling; fundamentals of counseling; career counseling issues across the lifespan; group counseling and psychotherapy; research methods in counseling; lifespan development; psychopathology; the addicted family; structural and strategic family therapy; professional orientation and ethics in family therapy; psychology of family systems; and theories of learning.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $13,050.00
• Application Deadline: March 1st for Fall, October 1st for Spring
• Credits Required: 51 – 60

St. Bonaventure University offers two CACREP accredited counseling degrees through the School of Education. The Master of Science in Education in Counselor Education in School Counseling (48 credits) and the Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 credits). Students in the school counseling program will be prepared to work with students in the K-12 setting. Graduates of the program have gone on to work as counselors and administrators. The Clinical Mental Health Program prepares graduates to work in setting such as community mental health centers; college counseling centers; and hospitals and treatment programs.

Courses include: research methods; introduction to the profession of counseling; advanced human growth and development; techniques of counseling; group counseling; career counseling; multicultural counseling; management of clinical mental health counseling programs; family and couples counseling; management of school counseling programs; and interventions for school and clinical mental health counseling.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $13,194.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 48 – 60

A Master of Science in School Counseling and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health counseling, both accredited by the CACREP, are available at Canisius College. Students in the clinical mental health counseling program will be trained to provide comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to individuals, couples, and families with the goal of promoting health and wellness. Students in the school counseling program will learn the skills and techniques to be effective school counselors in K-12 school settings with the ability to effectively collaborate with parents, teachers, and administrators.

Courses include: human sexuality and counseling; behavioral health counseling; crisis and trauma counseling; school violence prevention and intervention workshop; principles of school counseling; principles and practices of mental health counseling; introduction to professional counseling and ethics; psychological and educational assessment; career counseling; counseling theories; social and cultural issues in counseling; grief counseling; family and couples counseling; and lifespan development.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $14,310.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 48 – 60

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Georgian Court University offers a 60 credit, CACREP accredited, Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Historically Georgian Court University was a women's college but recently became coeducational in 2013. Graduates will be prepared to pursue licensure as a professional mental health counselor. Many graduates also pursue certification as an addiction counselor or go on to further graduate study in a doctoral program.

Courses include: introduction to counseling skills; advanced psychopathology and diagnosis; multicultural issues in counseling; counseling theories; clinical mental health counseling interventions; techniques of group counseling; lifespan development; organizational counseling and career development; the counseling profession; and seminar in addiction treatment and prevention.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,102.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 60

The College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University offers a Master of Arts in Counseling. Three CACREP accredited concentrations are available for the Master of Arts in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; School Counseling; and Student Affairs/Higher Education. The program offers flexible scheduling with hybrid classes and some classes available on Saturdays. Additionally, the program offers a state-of-the-art counseling laboratory where students can record and view their training hours in order to enhance their clinical work. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue professional licensure or may choose to apply for the department's PhD in Counselor Education program.

Courses include: counseling across the lifespan; introduction to professional and ethical issues in counseling; counseling theories; career counseling; counseling techniques; multicultural counseling and development; clinical diagnosis and assessment; clinical mental health counseling; introduction to substance abuse counseling; introduction to marriage, couples, and family counseling; and advanced ethical and legal issues in counseling.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,837.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 48 – 60

Waynesburg University offers a CACREP-accredited Master of Arts in Counseling with two tracks of study: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; and Addiction Counseling. Students will complete 48 credits of core courses and 12 credits in their concentration. The degree is available for students to complete on the main campus as well as at three other Pittsburgh locations. Students can complete the program in five semesters with courses two nights a week. The program reports that graduates have a 100% job placement rate.

Courses include: foundations of counseling; lifespan development; introduction to mental disorders; culture and identity; counseling theories; counseling techniques; theory and techniques in career counseling; theory and techniques in group counseling; research design and program evaluation; professional issues and ethics; testing and appraisal; psychopathology and diagnosis; and theories of addiction and recovery.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,840.00
• Credits Required: 60

A Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 credits) and a Master of Science in Education in School Counseling (48 credits) is available at St. John's University. Both degrees are accredited by the CACREP and will prepare students for professional licensure in their field. Clinical Mental Health Counseling students will learn to work with culturally diverse populations and provide prevention, assessment, and treatment for a broad spectrum of mental health issues. School Counseling students will receive training in working with students in K-12 school settings and learn to provide services to enhance K-12 students academic, personal, social, and career development.

Courses include: orientation to mental health counseling; group dynamics; counseling skills and technique; assessment in counseling; psychosocial development; career development; counseling in multicultural settings; counseling and personality theory; counseling the substance abuser; research in counseling; consultation and evaluation; and developmental counseling in schools.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,888.00
• Application Deadline: March 1st for Fall, November 1st for Spring
• Credits Required: 60

Medaille College offers a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This 60 credit graduate degree in counseling is accredited by the CACREP. Medaille College designs their adult and graduate programs to fit the schedules of working adults. The program offers flexible on-campus scheduling with courses offered on both the Buffalo and Rochester campuses on one weekend each month. Students in the program have the opportunity to train at the Medaille Family Counseling Center. The program can be completed in two years and prepares graduates to pursue licensure.

Courses include: professional orientation and practice; counseling theory and practice; human growth and development; cultural and social diversity; professional, ethical, and legal issues in counseling; psychopathologies; helping relationships; assessment and evaluation; grief, trauma, and crisis counseling and therapy; children and adolescent counseling and therapy; family counseling and therapy; career development; and counseling supervision and practice.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,894.00
• Application Deadline: Rolling Admissions
• Credits Required: 60

St. John Fisher College offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Courses for this 60 credit, CACREP accredited, program are offered in the late afternoon and evenings, and students can choose to complete the program at a part-time or full-time pace. The clinical training facilities at St. John Fisher College use various techniques to support students in skill development, including one-way mirrors; video cameras and monitors; and live observation. Students will have the opportunity to work with clients while receiving live observation and supervision and will also have the opportunity to directly observe the work of their peers. Providing and receiving feedback during and after sessions helps enhance each student's clinical mental health counseling skills.

Courses include: mental health counseling as a profession; counseling theories and strategies; process of counseling clients from diverse backgrounds; assessment in counseling; psychopathology and differential diagnosis; treatment planning and intervention; assessment and intervention of childhood and adolescent disorders; family and partner counseling; crisis and trauma counseling; and substance abuse counseling.

• Average Graduate Tuition: $15,930.00
• Credits Required: 60