Best Small Colleges for a Counseling Degree

Learners seeking the best small colleges may find a home at DVU. Located just outside Philadelphia in Doylestown, DVU serves a student body of 1,980 undergraduate and 446 graduate students. Offering over 25 undergraduate programs, DVU keeps class sizes small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of just 13:1.

DVU's 125-credit-hour emphasizes practical experience through the university's program. The BA program introduces students to counseling practice, featuring courses that provide practical training in the field. Candidates survey basic counseling techniques and theories, exploring concepts in child and adolescent development and personality theory.

Students also complete coursework in statistics and research methods, preparing them to conduct relevant field research and pursue graduate study. During the required senior seminar, students compose a research paper under faculty supervision.

Courses include:

• Measurement and Assessment in Psychology
• Introduction to Counseling Techniques
• Abnormal Psychology
• Substance Use and Abuse

A Christian liberal arts institution, this Glendale-based university opened its doors in 1960. ACU still holds firm roots in the Christian faith, offering more than 50 academic programs with biblical foundations. With just over 900 enrolled students, ACU maintains a small average class size of 15.

The 120-credit-hour behavioral health program stresses Christian principles, teaching students to incorporate Christian values into counseling practice. The curriculum includes 15 required credits in biblical and theological studies. Students may complete the program on campus or online.

Courses include:

• Principles of Counseling
• Counseling Theories
• Human Development
• General Psychology

Established in 1914, JWU now offers programs at four campuses across the country. The university boasts small class sizes and offers more than 80 academic majors. JWU students participate in more than 3,400 internships each academic year.

The BS in counseling psychology curriculum includes a mandatory six-credit-hour internship. With faculty approval, students with relevant prior experience may apply that experience to the internship requirement. JWU also offers a five-year BS-to-MS in psychology program, allowing candidates to streamline their undergraduate and graduate studies.

Courses include:

• Counseling Theories and Techniques
• Principles of Group Counseling
• Introduction to Crisis Intervention
• Cultural Psychology

TFC is a Georgia institution serving a student body of more than 1,670 individuals. The liberal arts college incorporates Christian principles into all of its 75 academic programs. Students seeking a small college with a counseling psychology program may find a great fit at TFC.

The program provides students with a broad knowledge of counseling and psychology theory, including fundamental concepts, principles, skills, and competencies in the field. Students also complete service outreach projects throughout their second and third years of study.

Courses include:

• Counseling Skills
• Crisis and Trauma Therapy
• Christ-Centered Counseling
• Developmental Psychology

A private Catholic institution in Rutland, Vermont, the College of St. Joseph (CSJ) offers a 120-credit-hour . Designed for completion in four years of continuous enrollment, the program includes nine credit hours of field experience in community development and counseling, under the supervision of a faculty member.

The program prepares students for entry-level positions in helping professions like human resources and social services, and for graduate study in counseling. CSJ's Psychology & Human Services Division also offers tracks in related fields like alcohol and substance abuse services, clinical mental health counseling, and school counseling.

Courses include:

• Personality Theory and Evaluations
• Case Management and Counseling
• Culture and Community in Human Services
• Human Growth and Development

Founded in the Pentecostal Christian tradition in 1943, SAGU now enrolls 2,102 graduate and undergraduate students. The university, located in Waxahachie, Texas, boasts a small college atmosphere with a student-to-faculty ratio of just 15:1.

SAGU offers a consisting of 126 credit hours. The program introduces integral theories and ideas in psychology and counseling, combining biblical concepts with counseling practices. Students complete 57 credit hours within the major. The curriculum was developed to lay the academic groundwork for graduate studies in counseling.

All students complete a field practicum during the program. SAGU encourages students to pursue a minor in an area like marriage and family counseling, youth ministries, or addictions counseling. Students must complete a biblical studies course every semester.

Courses include:

• Counseling Children and Adolescents
• Addictive Behavior and Recovery
• Advanced Methods and Techniques in Counseling
• Counseling Adult Populations

Located in Florida just north of West Palm Beach, HSBC offers 55 unique academic programs. HSBC students enjoy all the advantages of the best small colleges, with HSBC's average class size resting at just nine learners and a total student body of 303 individuals. HSBC is a great option for candidates seeking a small college with a counseling psychology program.

HSBC's prepares students to practice Christian-centric counseling. The program emphasizes the growing need for Christian counselors to work alongside pastors and church leaders, and the curriculum prepares students for those careers.

HSBC's BA in counseling provides the necessary academic background and experience to pursue board certification as a biblical or pastoral counselor. The program also prepares students for related graduate studies, as necessary for clinical licensure.

Unique features:

• 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio
• Average online class size of 3.6

This interdenominational Christian institution is located outside downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cornerstone serves only 1,250 enrolled students through more than 70 undergraduate programs, allowing learners looking for the best small colleges to benefit from small class sizes.

Cornerstone offers a through its Social Science Division. The 120-credit program includes courses in biblical and theological studies, and students explore Christian perspectives alongside psychological theories and principles. The program culminates in a required counseling and psychology research paper, and students may opt to present their paper at a local or national conference in the field. All candidates must participate in an internship or practicum.

Full-time students generally complete the program in eight semesters. Cornerstone's Social Science Division reported 100% of its students gained employment or pursued graduate education within six months of graduating.

Courses include:

• General Psychology
• Theories of Personality
• Theories of Counseling
• Marriage and Family Counseling

Kansas-based ESU was originally founded as a teacher's college in 1863. Today, the university boasts a student body of 5,800 enrolled in more than 200 academic programs.

ESU's is ideal for learners interested in undergraduate counseling programs. The program features an optional addiction counseling concentration. Students complete a minimum of 120 credit hours, including 38 credit hours within the addiction counseling specialization. The curriculum takes a holistic approach to providing rehabilitation services and counseling, placing a special emphasis on working with handicapped or disabled clients.

The program includes a required six-credit-hour internship in rehabilitation, which students generally complete in their final year of study. During that internship, learners take a seminar course to share their experiences with peers and discuss problems and issues they may face in the field.

Courses include:

• Psychopharmacology
• Substance Abuse in Counseling
• Ethics in Human Services
• Family Issues and Advocacy

Founded in 1948 as the Roanoke Bible College and later renamed Mid-Atlantic Christian University, MACU now serves undergraduate and professional students at its campus in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. With a student body of just 196, MACU offers small class sizes and individualized academic assistance.

MACU offers a . Both tracks require at least 120 minimum credit hours, including 42 credit hours within the major. Students pursuing the BA track complete a 12-credit language component. MACU's degree in counseling and psychology prepares candidates to work as Christian counselors, emphasizing skills useful to positions in Christian services and communities.

The program examines core theories, themes, and principles in psychology and counseling, using scientific methods of inquiry to interpret psychological findings. All counseling and psychology students complete an 18-credit-hour biblical studies minor.

Courses include:

• Counseling Theories
• Cross-Cultural Counseling
• Developmental Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology

Averett opened in 1854 as a women's school in Danville, Virginia. Today, the private, coeducational institution enrolls 1,500 students in more than 35 academic programs. With an average class size of just 12 students, the university has established itself as one of the best small colleges in the area.

Candidates enrolled in Averett's may choose to earn a BA or a BS. The program's optional concentration in counseling and clinical psychology prepares students for graduate study in the field. The BA and BS tracks both feature core psychology courses that provide strong foundational knowledge in psychological theories and concepts.

The program culminates in a senior capstone psychology seminar course that offers a space for reflection on the coursework while providing a brief history of psychology. This seminar stands in place of a formal internship requirement.

Courses include:

• Abnormal Psychology
• Personality Theory
• Helping Relations
• Psychological Measurements

A private, four-year institution in Sioux City, Iowa, Morningside enrolls 1,300 full-time students and offers more than 65 academic programs. The college boasts a job and graduate school placement rate of 99%. Students at Morningside enjoy the advantage of small class sizes, with just 13 students per faculty member.

Learners enjoy opportunities to partake in valuable learning experiences at Morningside's Counseling Lab, where they may observe sessions and practice their skills. The program culminates in a senior capstone, in which candidates read and discuss works by influential psychologists.

Courses include:

• Abnormal Psychology
• Research Methods in Psychology
• History and Systems of Psychology
• Psychological Testing

Situated along the Mississippi River outside New Orleans, UHC was established as a religious teaching college in 1916. UHC still embraces Catholic traditions, following the teachings of the Marianites of Holy Cross. The university offers small class sizes and a close-knit community, boasting a total enrollment of just 1,260 and an average class size of 20 students.

UHC's is ideal for students interested in undergraduate counseling courses with a focus on rehabilitation practice. Housed in UHC's Behavioral Sciences department, the degree highlights foundations in that area, integrating general behavioral science concepts with skills in addictions counseling.

The program consists of 120 required credit hours, with opportunities to participate in research during the final year of study. Students must complete theology electives as part of UHC's general education curriculum.

Courses include:

• Introduction to Addictive Behaviors
• Addiction Counseling
• Crisis Intervention
• Advanced Abnormal Psychology

Located just 90 miles from Tulsa in Shawnee, OBU got its start in 1910. The university enrolls 1,868 students in 88 areas of study, boasting a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1.

OBU offers a with a pre-counseling concentration, requiring 128 total credit hours. Students complete 37 credit hours within the pre-counseling major and select an 18-credit-hour minor from options like general psychology and advocacy. The pre-counseling track specifically prepares students for careers and graduate study in counseling, emphasizing elements of practice and theory often overlooked in general psychology programs.

The includes required courses in biblical literacy, along with a flexible set of core courses that allow students to tailor the program to their interests. Many students present their original research at local and national conferences.

Courses include:

• Child and Adolescent Development
• Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
• Theories of Personality
• Psychotherapy and Family Therapy Theories

Located in Springdale, Arkansas, Ecclesia College is a Christian institution with a student body of just 218. Students seeking a biblically-focused undergraduate foundation benefit from Ecclesia's desire to integrate religious principles and teachings into all academic programs.

Ecclesia's teaches students to apply Christian thought to basic counseling principles and skills. The program prepares students to employ counseling strategies as they work within social organizations, churches, and similar arenas. Candidates learn to effectively communicate and actively listen, gaining a basic understanding of laws, policy, and ethics within the counseling profession.

The 120-credit curriculum includes 30 credit hours of institutional requirements, 21 credit hours of Bible and theology coursework, and 43 credit hours within the major. The program culminates in a senior capstone, which consists of a seminar and a counseling practicum.

Courses include:

• Principles of Counseling
• Interviewing Counseling Skills
• Counseling Theories
• Pastoral Counseling