Last updated: May 21, 2026

Best Counseling Programs by State (2026)

Find the top CACREP-accredited counseling programs in your state. Each guide breaks down accredited programs, state-specific licensure requirements, the NCMHCE and state-specific exams, salary data, and loan repayment programs for LPCs, LMHCs, and LPCCs.

Taylor Rupe

Founder & Editor

B.A. in Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle

Key Takeaways

  • There are more than 900 CACREP-accredited counseling programs across the United States, and CACREP accreditation is increasingly required (or strongly preferred) for licensure in most states.
  • Counselor licensure is messy. The professional title changes by state: LPC in Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and most southern states; LMHC in Florida, New York, Washington; LPCC in California, Minnesota, Ohio; LCMHC in Vermont and North Carolina. Plan around the title used where you actually want to practice.
  • Required supervised hours range from 1,500 to 4,000 hours depending on the state. Some states require the NCMHCE, others accept the NCE, and several add a state-specific jurisprudence exam on top.
  • The Counseling Compact, operational since 2024, lets compact-member-state LPCs/LMHCs practice across other Compact states without applying for separate licenses. More than 30 states are members. Texas, California, and New York currently are not.
  • Nine states have no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming), meaningfully increasing take-home pay for licensed counselors compared to equivalent gross wages in high-tax states.
  • Most states offer loan repayment or scholarship programs for counselors who commit to serving in mental health shortage areas. Some are extraordinarily generous, like California (up to $120,000 over 4 years) and Texas (up to $160,000 over 3 years).

Every state has different counseling programs, license titles, supervised-experience requirements, exams, and continuing-education rules. Our state-by-state guides go beyond program lists to cover what actually matters before you commit two to three years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars: in-state tuition for every CACREP-accredited program, the exact licensure title and requirements where you plan to practice, salary data by metro, and loan repayment programs that can erase debt.

Click on your state below to see every CACREP-accredited counseling program, your state's licensing board details, salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and honest advice on how to choose the right program for your goals, budget, and post-graduate plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions

There are more than 900 CACREP-accredited counseling specialty programs across all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and U.S. territories, covering Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, Marriage Couple and Family Counseling, Addictions Counseling, Career Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, and Student Affairs and College Counseling. CACREP accreditation is required or strongly preferred for state licensure in most states.
These are different state-level titles for essentially the same credential: a master's-level independently-licensed mental health counselor. LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) is used in Texas, North Carolina (LCMHC), Pennsylvania, Georgia, and most southern states. LMHC (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) is used in Florida, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts. LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) is used in California, Minnesota, and Ohio. The scope of practice is broadly similar (diagnosis, treatment, psychotherapy) but specific scope quirks, supervised hours, and exam requirements vary by state.
Your master's degree is portable nationwide as long as it's from a CACREP-accredited program. But your licensure is state-specific. Each state has different supervised experience requirements (1,500 to 4,000 hours), different exams (NCE, NCMHCE, or state-specific), different license titles (LPC, LMHC, LPCC, LCMHC), and different reciprocity rules. The Counseling Compact provides portability between member states. If you know where you want to practice, studying in that state can simplify the licensure process, ensure your coursework satisfies state-specific content requirements, and help you build a professional network in the area.
In most states, yes — or you need a program with equivalent accreditation (MPCAC) plus equivalent coursework documentation. Florida requires CACREP, MPCAC, or equivalent for programs started after July 1, 2025. New York, New Jersey, and several other states either require CACREP outright or fast-track CACREP graduates through licensure. California is one of the few exceptions, where CACREP is not strictly required for LPCC eligibility. Even where CACREP isn't required by statute, choosing a CACREP program protects your portability if you ever move states.
Most states require 2 to 4 years total: 2 to 3 years for a 60-credit master's, then 1.5 to 3 years of supervised post-master's practice (1,500 to 4,000 hours depending on the state), then passing one or two exams. Faster pathways exist in states with lower hour requirements like Florida (1,500 hours over 2 years minimum). Slower pathways exist in states like California (3,000 hours over a minimum of 104 weeks) and Texas (3,000 hours over a minimum of 18 months but capped at 60 months total).
For most students, yes if you plan to practice across state lines or move within your career. The Counseling Compact became operational for license-privilege issuance in 2024 and includes more than 30 member states with more added each year. Once you hold an active license in a Compact state, you can apply for privilege to practice in any other Compact state without going through full re-licensure. Major non-member states as of 2026 include Texas, California, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts.