Best Counseling Programs in Florida (2026)
Top CACREP-accredited mental health counseling programs in Florida for 2026, with tuition, the Florida 60 curriculum requirements, LMHC licensure breakdown, NCMHCE prep, and the 1,500 face-to-face hours you'll need to practice independently.
Key Takeaways
- Florida has more than a dozen CACREP-accredited counseling programs, with public anchors at the University of Florida, Florida State, UCF, USF, FAU, FIU, and FGCU, plus private and hybrid options at Stetson, Barry, Nova Southeastern, and Jacksonville University.
- Becoming an LMHC in Florida requires a 60-credit master's covering the "Florida 60" twelve content areas (3 credits each), two years of post-master's supervised experience totaling 1,500 face-to-face psychotherapy hours, 100 supervision hours over 100 weeks, and passing the NCMHCE.
- As of July 1, 2025, the Florida Board further requires that the master's degree be from a program accredited by CACREP, MPCAC, or an equivalent body. Non-CACREP programs must include equivalent coursework and at least 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practicum.
- In-state tuition ranges from roughly $288 to $370 per credit at UCF on the low end to $895/credit at Stetson and beyond at private programs. UF's 72-credit dual M.Ed./EdS runs about $17,337/year in-state.
- Florida has no state income tax, so a Florida LMHC earning $60,000 takes home meaningfully more than a counselor making the same in New York, California, or Illinois. The state's mean wage was roughly $56,980 in May 2023, with employment of 24,680 (third-highest state employment in the country).
- Florida is a Counseling Compact member state. Once you hold a Florida LMHC, the Compact lets you practice telehealth or in person across other Compact states without applying for separate licenses, a meaningful portability advantage as the Compact rolls out.
- Florida has 239 mental health Health Professional Shortage Areas per HRSA, and the state would need an additional 545 mental health practitioners to eliminate shortage designations. The Florida FRAME loan repayment program and the federal NHSC program both cover LMHCs serving in these designated areas.
Florida is one of the strongest states in the country for counselor education and employment, even before you factor in the lifestyle pull. The state has 24,680 substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in active practice, the third-highest state employment count in the U.S. per BLS data. It has more than a dozen CACREP-accredited master's programs spread across public universities, regional state schools, and private institutions. And it has zero state income tax, which makes the cost-of-living math work even in pricier metros like Miami and Tampa.
The licensing path is straightforward but Florida-specific. You complete a 60-credit master's covering the "Florida 60" twelve content areas, register as an intern (RMHCI), accumulate 1,500 face-to-face psychotherapy hours and 100 supervision hours over at least two years and 100 weeks, complete four short additional courses (laws and rules, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, medical errors), and pass the NCMHCE. Florida no longer accepts the NCE for LMHC licensure, only the case-based NCMHCE that NBCC redesigned in 2022.
Two things to plan for. First, the Florida Board now requires CACREP, MPCAC, or equivalent accreditation for any master's starting July 1, 2025. If you're currently in a non-accredited program, verify your school's plan to come into compliance. Second, Florida demographics shape practice opportunities. The state has the third-largest Hispanic population share in the country and the highest share of residents age 65 and over of any major state, which means demand for Spanish-language counseling and geriatric mental health work outpaces supply across most of the state.
CACREP-Accredited Counseling Programs in Florida
All 10 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Florida (College of Education) | ~$17,337/year (~$481/credit at 36 credits/year) | On-campus | |
| 2 | Florida State University (Anne Spencer Daves College of Education) | ~$479/credit (~$28,740 total) | On-campus | |
| 3 | University of Central Florida | $288 to $370/credit | On-campus | |
| 4 | University of South Florida (Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling) | ~$431/credit (~$25,860 total) | On-campus | |
| 5 | Florida Atlantic University (Department of Counselor Education) | ~$372/credit (~$22,320 total) | On-campus | |
| 6 | Florida International University | ~$455/credit (~$27,300 total) | On-campus | |
| 7 | Stetson University | $895/credit (private, flat rate) | On-campus | |
| 8 | Barry University | $850/credit (private, flat rate) | On-campus | |
| 9 | Nova Southeastern University | $1,070/credit (private, flat rate) | On-campus | |
| 10 | Jacksonville University | ~$815/credit (private, flat rate) | Hybrid |
University of Florida (College of Education)
In-State
~$17,337/year (~$481/credit at 36 credits/year)
Out-of-State
~$30,130/year
Length
3 years (72-credit dual M.Ed./EdS)
Field Hours
700+ (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited dual M.Ed./EdS structure (72 credits) exceeds the Florida 60 requirement and prepares graduates for both LMHC and doctoral pathways
- Located in Gainesville near UF Health Shands Hospital and the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center for placements
- Top-ranked research university with strong faculty publication record in counselor education
- Smaller cohort sizes for closer faculty mentorship and personalized supervision
- Generous graduate assistantships available for full-time on-campus students
Florida State University (Anne Spencer Daves College of Education)
In-State
~$479/credit (~$28,740 total)
Out-of-State
~$1,110/credit
Length
5 semesters (60-credit combined MS/EdS)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited combined MS/EdS designed to complete the Florida 60 + practicum requirements in five semesters
- GRE waived for admission through Fall 2026
- Active research faculty in adolescent depression, school-based mental health, and trauma-informed care
- Strong relationships with Apalachee Center community mental health and Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare
- In-state tuition runs roughly $28,740 for the full 60-credit program
University of Central Florida
In-State
$288 to $370/credit
Out-of-State
$1,073 to $1,194/credit
Length
2.5 to 3 years (63 credits)
Field Hours
700+ (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- Among the most affordable CACREP-accredited counseling programs in Florida at $288 to $370 per credit for in-state students
- 63-credit MA exceeds the Florida 60 minimum and includes embedded content for licensure portability
- Three CACREP-accredited tracks (CMHC, School, MCFC) under one program for students unsure of specialty
- Strong placement pipeline with Aspire Health Partners, Devereux Florida, and AdventHealth in Orlando
- Large alumni network throughout Central Florida's growing behavioral health workforce
University of South Florida (Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling)
In-State
~$431/credit (~$25,860 total)
Out-of-State
~$877/credit
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- Dually CACREP-accredited for both CMHC and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling since 2018, a rare combination
- Located near Tampa General, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Bay Pines VA for placement variety
- Strong faculty research in integrated primary care, substance use, and disability-related counseling
- CRC dual track prepares graduates to also sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credential
- Tampa Bay placement coordinator with established relationships across the region
Florida Atlantic University (Department of Counselor Education)
In-State
~$372/credit (~$22,320 total)
Out-of-State
~$1,026/credit
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited M.Ed. with clean accreditation horizon through March 2032
- Located in South Florida's recovery-corridor region with abundant substance use treatment placements
- Strong faculty engagement with bilingual practice and culturally-responsive counseling
- Two campus locations (Boca Raton and Davie) for placement reach across Palm Beach and Broward counties
- Affordable public university in-state tuition compared to South Florida private options
Florida International University
In-State
~$455/credit (~$27,300 total)
Out-of-State
~$1,001/credit
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MS designed for Miami's diverse client population
- Spanish-language counseling emphasis given that 70%+ of Miami-Dade speaks Spanish at home
- Placements at Jackson Health, University of Miami Hospital, and South Florida community mental health centers
- Hispanic-Serving Institution with strong faculty representation in culturally-responsive counseling
- Large alumni network across South Florida's behavioral health workforce
Stetson University
In-State
$895/credit (private, flat rate)
Out-of-State
$895/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- Private CACREP-accredited program with small cohorts (20-25 students per year)
- Located in DeLand between Daytona Beach and Orlando, with placement access to both metros
- Strong emphasis on integrated primary care and trauma-informed practice
- Faculty actively practicing in regional community mental health centers
- Higher tuition offset partly by merit scholarships available for incoming MS students
Barry University
In-State
$850/credit (private, flat rate)
Out-of-State
$850/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MS with on-campus and online formats
- Hispanic-Serving Institution with strong bilingual practice emphasis
- Located in Miami Shores with placements at Jackson Health, Citrus Health Network, and South Florida community mental health
- Three CACREP-accredited concentrations: CMHC, School, and Marriage and Family Counseling
- Catholic-rooted but non-sectarian curriculum welcoming students of all faiths or none
Nova Southeastern University
In-State
$1,070/credit (private, flat rate)
Out-of-State
$1,070/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited with maximum 8-year accreditation horizon, indicating strong compliance record
- Multiple delivery formats including fully online MS with required residency weekends
- Substance Abuse Counseling concentration aligns with Florida's heavy demand in the recovery corridor
- Located in Fort Lauderdale within the South Florida recovery-corridor region
- Large doctoral program (PhD in Counseling) for students considering future doctoral work
Jacksonville University
In-State
~$815/credit (private, flat rate)
Out-of-State
~$815/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited hybrid program designed for working adults in the Jacksonville metro and beyond
- Strong placements with Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Baptist Behavioral Health, and Daniel Memorial
- On-campus weekend residencies preserve clinical skill development while keeping coursework online
- Faculty actively practicing in Jacksonville community mental health centers
- Growing program with expanding regional placement network
LMHC Licensure Requirements in Florida
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
(850) 488-0595
Florida regulates LMHCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs through one combined board: the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling, established under Florida Statutes Chapter 491. The combined board structure is convenient for dual licensure pursuits but means LMHCs share regulatory bandwidth and rule cycles with two other professions.
You'll move through three stages in Florida. First, the Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI), which authorizes supervised post-graduate practice. Second, the full LMHC, earned after completing the supervised experience requirements and passing the NCMHCE. A Provisional LMHC license is also available for applicants who meet most but not all requirements, valid for a limited duration while you complete remaining items.
The Florida-specific wrinkles to plan for: the Florida 60 curriculum requires 12 specific content areas at 3 credits each, the supervised experience must include 1,500 face-to-face psychotherapy hours plus 100 supervision hours over 100 weeks minimum, and the only acceptable exam is the NCMHCE. Florida no longer accepts the NCE for LMHC licensure.
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Supervised post-master's practice as a registered intern while accumulating hours toward LMHC
Hours
N/A
Duration
Associate
Exam: No exam at registration; NCMHCE required before full LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Independent clinical practice, mental health diagnosis and treatment, private practice, third-party billing
Hours
1,500
Duration
2 years and 100 weeks
Exam: NCMHCE (NBCC) + Florida Laws and Rules course (8 hours)
Provisional Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Limited-duration license for applicants meeting most but not all requirements while completing remaining items
Hours
1,500
Duration
Associate
Exam: NCMHCE
Florida does not offer reciprocity. Out-of-state licensees must apply for licensure by endorsement. Endorsement requires holding an active clinical license in good standing in another state and at least three years of practice in the past five years. All endorsement applicants must complete Florida's additional required courses: 8-hour Laws and Rules, 3-hour HIV/AIDS, 2-hour Domestic Violence, and 2-hour Medical Errors Prevention.
Florida is a member of the Counseling Compact, which became operational for license-privilege issuance in 2024. Once you hold an active Florida LMHC, the Compact lets you practice telehealth or in-person across other Compact member states without applying for separate state licenses. This is a meaningful portability advantage if you plan to serve clients across state lines or move to another Compact state later.
Mental Health Counselor Salary in Florida
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
Florida counselor salaries run slightly below the national median in nominal terms but compete well in real terms thanks to zero state income tax. The BLS May 2024 Florida OEWS estimates show 24,680 employed in the combined substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor category, the third-highest state employment count in the country. Florida's mean wage of roughly $56,980 looks modest until you add back the 4-9% you'd lose to state income tax in California, New York, or Illinois.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
National median: $59,190
Top metro: $59,420 (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach)
Mental Health Counselors (excluding substance abuse)
National median: $59,610
Top metro: $58,840 (Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford)
Marriage and Family Therapists
National median: $63,780
Top metro: $61,930 (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater)
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors (School Counselors)
National median: $64,210
Top metro: $62,490 (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach)
Florida Counseling Job Market and Workforce
Major employers, mental health shortage context, and loan repayment programs that erase debt for service.
Florida has one of the largest behavioral health workforces in the country by raw count and one of the most strained by ratio. According to HRSA HPSA data, Florida has 239 mental health Health Professional Shortage Area designations, broken down into 31 geographic-area designations, 42 population-group designations, and 166 facility designations. The state would need an additional 545 mental health practitioners to eliminate shortage designations entirely.
Major employers include AdventHealth (one of the largest Florida health systems with embedded behavioral health services), BayCare Health in the Tampa Bay area, Memorial Healthcare System and Broward Health in South Florida, the Florida Department of Children and Families for substance use and youth mental health services, and the heavy South Florida substance use treatment sector concentrated in Palm Beach, Broward, and Delray Beach. Three workforce dynamics shape practice patterns in Florida:
Geriatric demand: Florida has the highest share of residents age 65 and over of any major state, driving demand for geriatric mental health, dementia-related counseling, and end-of-life care across virtually every region.
Bilingual demand: Florida has the third-largest Hispanic population by share in the U.S. Spanish-language counseling demand is concentrated in Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, and Hillsborough counties, and Spanish-speaking LMHCs consistently command higher caseloads and faster ramp-up.
Substance use specialty: The South Florida recovery corridor (Palm Beach, Broward, Delray Beach) drives heavy substance-use counseling demand. Many programs and group practices recruit specifically for graduates with strong substance use coursework or supervised experience.
Loan Repayment & Scholarship Programs
Florida Reimbursement Assistance for Medical Education (FRAME): Florida's state-administered loan repayment program for healthcare professionals serving in underserved areas. LMHCs holding an active Florida license are eligible. Award amounts and service commitments vary by funding cycle.
NHSC Loan Repayment Program: Federal program. LMHCs are eligible. Up to $50,000 for 2 years full-time service at an NHSC-approved site in a designated HPSA, or up to $25,000 for half-time. Florida has hundreds of approved NHSC sites concentrated in community mental health centers and federally qualified health centers.
Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): LMHCs employed at state agencies (DCF, juvenile justice), VA hospitals, county mental health authorities, and nonprofit health systems all qualify for federal PSLF after 10 years of qualifying payments under an income-driven repayment plan.
How to Choose a Counseling Program in Florida
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
With more than a dozen CACREP-accredited counseling programs in Florida, choosing well comes down to fit with your post-graduate plan rather than chasing the lowest tuition. Three factors matter most: whether the program is in the metro where you plan to do your 1,500 supervised hours, whether the curriculum maps cleanly onto the Florida 60 (CACREP programs always do), and whether faculty actively practice as LMHCs who can supervise you later.
If you want the lowest in-state tuition: UCF at $288 to $370 per credit, FAU at roughly $372/credit, and USF at roughly $431/credit are the most affordable CACREP-accredited public options. Total tuition runs roughly $18,000 to $26,000 for a 60-credit program.
If you want maximum flexibility: Nova Southeastern (fully online with residency weekends), Jacksonville University (hybrid), and Barry University (online + on-campus) all let you keep your current job through the program. All still require in-person practicum and internship hours at a local approved site.
If you want the strongest South Florida pipeline: FIU, FAU, Nova Southeastern, and Barry University all have established placement relationships with Jackson Health, Memorial Healthcare, Broward Health, and the major South Florida community mental health centers.
If you want the strongest Tampa Bay pipeline: USF's dually accredited CMHC/CRC program gives you placement access to Tampa General, Moffitt, and the Bay Pines VA system, plus the dual rehabilitation counseling credential that opens additional employment markets.
If you want bilingual practice training: FIU and Barry University both serve Miami-Dade explicitly and have built course content around Spanish-language counseling and culturally-responsive practice for Hispanic and Caribbean populations.
If substance use counseling is your specialty interest: Nova Southeastern's Substance Abuse Counseling concentration and FAU's placements in the South Florida recovery corridor both prepare you for the heavy substance use treatment sector concentrated in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
If you plan to pursue PhD or doctoral work later: UF's 72-credit dual M.Ed./EdS, FSU's combined MS/EdS, and Nova Southeastern's integrated doctoral pipeline all create the cleanest pathways into doctoral counselor education programs.
If you plan to leave Florida after graduating: Stick with CACREP-accredited programs without exception. The Counseling Compact gives Florida LMHCs portability into other Compact states, but only if your original credential came from an accredited program. Verify Compact membership for your target state at counselingcompact.org.
Related Pages
Best Online Counseling Programs
National ranking of the top CACREP-accredited online counseling programs
Best Online Master's in Psychology
If you're still weighing psychology vs counseling at the master's level
Counselor Career Guide
What LMHCs and LPCs actually do day-to-day
MSW Programs in Florida
If you're weighing the social work pathway instead
ABA Programs in Florida
For students considering behavior analysis as an alternative path
Sources
- CACREP, Directory of Accredited Programs
- Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling
- Florida Department of Health, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
- Florida Statutes Chapter 491, Clinical, Counseling, and Psychotherapy Services
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Florida Estimates (May 2024)
- NBCC, National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
- Counseling Compact, Member States
- HRSA, Mental Health Health Professional Shortage Areas
- Florida Department of Health, FRAME Loan Repayment Program