2023 Best Online Bachelor's in Counseling Programs
Online bachelor's degrees in counseling aim to create compassionate, empathetic counselors who can listen to patients' problems and help them find solutions. Online learners take courses in general psychology, counseling techniques, social groups, and behavioral disorders. Most counseling bachelor's programs let students pursue a concentration that can help them specialize in their counseling careers, such as mental health counseling, school counseling, and addictions counseling. Some programs specifically prepare graduates for licensure in these areas, but always check with your state's regulations to make sure.
You can review our Best Online Christian Counseling Degrees or Best Online Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees pages if you find yourself drawn to these specializations.
View our methodology for more details about our list, or learn more about OnlineU.
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Online Counseling Bachelor's Degrees You May Be Interested In

Southern New Hampshire University Online
Annual Tuition: $9,600
2 Programs (view all)

The University of Arizona Global Campus

Grand Canyon University
Annual Tuition: $17,800
7 Programs (view all)
List Of Accredited Online Counseling Schools
School | Online Enrollment | Annual Tuition |
---|---|---|
Southern New Hampshire University Online | ||
Liberty University | 34,092 | $11,700 |
Arizona State University | 33,410 | $24,413 |
Purdue Global | 28,447 | $14,358 |
Brigham Young University - Idaho | 17,448 | $4,208 |
Bellevue University | 7,352 | $7,851 |
Indiana Wesleyan University Online | 6,185 | $18,906 |
Aspen University | 4,413 | $3,920 |
Fort Hays State University | 4,411 | $15,360 |
SUNY Empire State University | 3,754 | $17,515 |
Southern New Hampshire University Online
- Annual Tuition: $9,600
- Locations: Manchester (NH)
- Accreditation: NECHE
Southern New Hampshire University Online (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit school that offers several counseling-related online bachelor's degrees. The first is a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in addictions, which requires 120 total credit hours that include 12 credits in the concentration. SNHU's Bachelor of Arts in Human Services features optional concentrations in child and family services or substance abuse that might interest future counselors. These 120-credit degrees call for 12-15 credits toward each concentration.
SNHU uses the Brightspace learning management system to deliver online courses to students. The learning outcomes are different for each degree, but students in each program take Introduction to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology.
Liberty University
- Annual Tuition: $11,700
- Locations: Lynchburg (VA)
- Accreditation: SACS COC
Liberty University is a private Baptist institution with several online options for counseling students. These include bachelor of science in psychology degrees with concentrations in addictions and recovery, Christian counseling, and crisis counseling. Liberty also offers an online Bachelor of Science in Religion with a concentration in Christian counseling for a different take on this discipline. Each degree has 120 credit hours and is designed to take four years.
Liberty's distance learners use the Canvas system to access and complete their online coursework. The curriculum and goals are different for each degree, but they all cover basic psychology and its relation to the school's Baptist creed. Therefore, all counseling students take the course Psychology and Christianity.
Arizona State University
- Annual Tuition: $24,413
- Locations: Tempe (AZ) (and 4 others)
- Accreditation: HLC
Arizona State University (ASU), a public school, offers a Bachelor of Science in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science comprising 120 credit hours. Interested students might choose a concentration in substance abuse and addictions. Students might finish in four years if they attend full time. The university has a 73% acceptance rate and a 52% graduation rate for bachelor's students.
ASU uses the digital learning platform Canvas to deliver online classes asynchronously. The school's counseling faculty seek to teach a range of mental health and behavioral disorders, along with ethical techniques for treating them. They do this through courses such as Counseling Skills, Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy, and Addiction Group Counseling.
Purdue Global
- Annual Tuition: $14,358
- Locations: Indianapolis (IN)
- Accreditation: HLC
Purdue Global is a public, fully online university featuring a Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Addictions. This four-year program contains the equivalent of 120 semester credits. Purdue has an open admissions policy, though only 30% of students graduate with a degree.
Purdue uses the Brightspace learning platform to deliver online courses to students. Enrollees in this program study the psychology principles, research design, counseling ethics, and clinical practices. Some required classes include Health Psychology, Case Management in Clinical Settings, and Psychopharmacology of Alcohol and Drugs. Purdue hopes to prepare graduates for licensure as substance use counselors, but requirements for this differ by state.
Brigham Young University - Idaho
- Annual Tuition: $4,208
- Locations: Rexburg (ID)
- Accreditation: NWCCU
Brigham Young University - Idaho (BYUI) is a private school affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The university offers an online Bachelor of Applied Science in Marriage & Family Studies containing 120 credit hours of coursework, which may take as little as four years to finish. BYUI accepts 97% of applicants and graduates 67% of them with a bachelor's degree.
Online learners work on courses in the Canvas learning management platform. This program's faculty aim to create ethical, thoughtful marriage and family professionals by teaching principles of child advocacy, family relationship behavior, and substance use disorder. Required courses include General Psychology, Marriage Skills, and Parenting, plus an internship in person at an approved location.
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