Best Counseling Programs in Wisconsin (2026)
Top CACREP-accredited counseling programs in Wisconsin for 2026, with tuition, LPC-IT and LPC requirements, NCE or NCMHCE or CRCE exam options, the Marquette online CACREP route, and the 3,000 supervised hours pathway.
Key Takeaways
- Wisconsin has roughly seven CACREP-accredited counseling programs, including Marquette University (the only CACREP online CMHC in WI), Viterbo (La Crosse, tri-state WI/MN/IA), UW-Oshkosh (CACREP since 1992), UW-Whitewater, UW-Stout, Mount Mary, and Lakeland. Note: UW-Madison's counseling psychology is MPCAC-accredited; UW-Madison's Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling is CACREP-accredited (rehab focus, not CMHC).
- Wisconsin uses a two-tier license structure. LPC-IT (Licensed Professional Counselor In-Training) is the post-master's supervised credential, required for accruing post-graduate hours. LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) is the independent practice license.
- Becoming an LPC in Wisconsin requires a 60-credit master's, 3,000 hours of post-graduate professional counseling experience including a minimum of 1,000 direct client-contact hours (doctoral holders need 1,000 hours total), 100 hours of face-to-face supervision, and passing one of: NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination). WI accepting CRCE is unusual.
- Wisconsin enacted Counseling Compact legislation via SB 196 on December 7, 2023 and is a legislative member but not yet operationally issuing privileges. As of May 2026, Arizona, Minnesota, Ohio, and Louisiana are actively issuing Compact privileges.
- In-state public tuition runs roughly $448 to $586 per credit at UW system schools (UW-Stout, UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh). Private CACREP options at Marquette ($1,080/credit online), Mount Mary ($820/credit), and Viterbo run substantially higher but offer brand value and specific regional placement networks.
- Wisconsin counselor salaries run roughly at or just above the national median in nominal terms. The Milwaukee-Waukesha metro is the state's largest behavioral health labor market, anchored by Aurora Health Care (Advocate Aurora), Froedtert & MCW Health Network, and Children's Wisconsin. Madison is anchored by UW Health and SSM Health.
- WI Health Professions Loan Assistance Program (HPLAP) does NOT cover LPCs. HPLAP is restricted to physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, PAs, NPs, and CNMs. Wisconsin LPCs rely on the federal NHSC Loan Repayment Program for HPSA-based debt relief. Plan accordingly.
Wisconsin is one of the more distinctive LPC markets in the Midwest, primarily because of Marquette University's online CACREP program (the only CACREP online CMHC in Wisconsin), the Viterbo tri-state pipeline (WI/MN/IA licensure eligibility from one program), and Wisconsin's acceptance of three different exams (NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE). The state has roughly seven CACREP-accredited counseling programs and a clear path from LPC-IT to full LPC.
The WI licensing path: complete a 60-credit master's in counseling from a regionally accredited institution (CACREP encouraged), apply for LPC-IT with the Wisconsin DSPS Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board (MPSW), accumulate 3,000 hours of post-graduate professional counseling experience (1,000 direct client contact minimum), receive 100 hours of face-to-face supervision from a qualified supervisor, and pass the NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE. Total time from master's to LPC: typically 2 to 3 years.
What makes Wisconsin distinct beyond Marquette's online CACREP and the Viterbo tri-state pipeline: WI HPLAP excludes LPCs. Wisconsin's Health Professions Loan Assistance Program restricts state-funded loan repayment to physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, PAs, NPs, and certified nurse midwives. LPCs in Wisconsin rely on federal NHSC programs for shortage-area debt relief, which is a meaningful gap versus neighbor Minnesota's $44,000 tax-exempt Mental Health Loan Forgiveness or Illinois' $48,000 ISAC Behavioral Health LRP.
CACREP-Accredited Counseling Programs in Wisconsin
All 7 programs ranked in this guide, with tuition, format, and accreditation at a glance.
| # | School | In-State Tuition | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marquette University | $1,080/credit (private, online flat rate, ~$64,800 total) | On-campus + online | |
| 2 | Viterbo University | ~$795/credit (private, flat rate, ~$47,700 total) | Weekday + weekend-intensive | |
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | ~$565/credit (~$33,900 total) | On-campus | |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | $585.74/credit (~$35,144 total) | On-campus | |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Stout | ~$448/credit (~$26,880 total) - most affordable in WI | On-campus | |
| 6 | Mount Mary University | ~$820/credit (private, flat rate, ~$49,200 total) | Hybrid | |
| 7 | Lakeland University | ~$675/credit (private, flat rate, ~$40,500 total) | On-campus + online |
Marquette University
In-State
$1,080/credit (private, online flat rate, ~$64,800 total)
Out-of-State
$1,080/credit (private, online flat rate)
Length
21 months full-time (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- <strong>The only CACREP-accredited online CMHC program in Wisconsin</strong>
- Jesuit Catholic university with social-justice mission welcoming students of all faiths or none
- 21-month full-time accelerated completion track
- Four CACREP-accredited concentration options
- Located in Milwaukee with placement access to Aurora, Froedtert & MCW, and Children's Wisconsin
Viterbo University
In-State
~$795/credit (private, flat rate, ~$47,700 total)
Out-of-State
~$795/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
750 (150 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MS in Mental Health Counseling (MSMHC)
- Distinctive <strong>tri-state licensure eligibility</strong>: meets WI, MN, and IA LPC requirements
- 750 total supervised practice hours (more than CACREP minimum)
- Clinical courses capped at 6 students for personalized faculty mentoring
- Catholic Franciscan university with weekday + weekend-intensive scheduling
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
In-State
~$565/credit (~$33,900 total)
Out-of-State
~$1,205/credit
Length
3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited continuously since 1992 (long accreditation history)
- Three CACREP-accredited tracks: CMHC, School (48 cr), and Student Affairs/College Counseling (48 cr)
- Located in Oshkosh serving the Fox Valley placement region
- Affordable UW system in-state public tuition
- Strong placements with ThedaCare and Aurora-Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
In-State
$585.74/credit (~$35,144 total)
Out-of-State
$1,200.20/credit (~$72,012 total)
Length
3 to 7 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MS in Counseling with CMHC emphasis
- Joint eligibility option for CMHC + school counseling tracks
- Located in Whitewater serving south-central Wisconsin between Milwaukee and Madison
- Affordable UW system in-state public tuition
- 3-7 year completion window for working adult flexibility
University of Wisconsin-Stout
In-State
~$448/credit (~$26,880 total) - most affordable in WI
Out-of-State
~$952/credit
Length
2 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- <strong>Most affordable CACREP CMHC program in Wisconsin</strong> at ~$448/credit for residents
- Total in-state tuition runs roughly $26,880 for the full 60-credit MS
- CACREP-accredited MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Located in Menomonie serving West Central Wisconsin and Minneapolis-St. Paul adjacency
- 2-year full-time accelerated completion track
Mount Mary University
In-State
~$820/credit (private, flat rate, ~$49,200 total)
Out-of-State
~$820/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (60 credits)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MS in Counseling at a women-centered Catholic institution
- Three concentration options including Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
- Located in Milwaukee with placement access to Aurora, Froedtert & MCW, and Children's Wisconsin
- Hybrid delivery format for working adults
- Strong urban counseling practice emphasis
Lakeland University
In-State
~$675/credit (private, flat rate, ~$40,500 total)
Out-of-State
~$675/credit (private, flat rate)
Length
2.5 to 3 years (48-60 credits depending on track)
Field Hours
700 (100 practicum + 600 internship)
Concentrations
- CACREP-accredited MA in Counseling (MAC) with three track options
- Located in Plymouth serving Sheboygan and Eastern Wisconsin
- On-campus and online delivery formats
- Meets WI DSPS LPC educational requirements
- 48-60 credits depending on chosen track
LPC-IT and LPC Licensure Requirements in Wisconsin
The licensing board, exam pathway, and supervised hours you'll need to practice independently.
Licensing Board
Wisconsin DSPS, Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board (MPSW)
(608) 266-2112
Wisconsin regulates LPCs through the Wisconsin DSPS Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board (MPSW). The board oversees LPCs, LMFTs, and LCSWs together.
You'll move through two stages in WI. First, the LPC-IT (Professional Counselor In-Training), required to accrue post-graduate supervised experience. LPC-IT is valid 48 months and renewable in 2-year intervals at Board discretion. Second, the full LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor), the independent practice license earned after 3,000 supervised hours and passing the exam.
Two WI-specific items: Wisconsin accepts three different exams (NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE - Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination). The CRCE option is unusual and reflects Wisconsin's strong rehabilitation counseling tradition (UW-Madison's CACREP-accredited Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program is among the top in the country). Wisconsin's DSPS also publishes a pre-approved 60-credit programs list for graduates from non-CACREP programs.
Licensed Professional Counselor In-Training
Supervised post-master's practice while accumulating hours toward LPC. Valid 48 months, renewable in 2-year intervals at Board discretion.
Hours
N/A
Duration
Associate
Exam: No exam at LPC-IT; NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE required for LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Independent clinical practice, mental health diagnosis and treatment, private practice, third-party billing
Hours
3,000
Duration
2 years (1,000 hours for doctoral holders)
Exam: NCE, NCMHCE, or CRCE
Wisconsin offers endorsement for LPCs licensed in other states meeting substantially equivalent requirements, reviewed case-by-case. Wisconsin enacted Counseling Compact legislation via SB 196 on December 7, 2023, making it a legislative member, but is not yet operationally issuing privileges. As of May 2026, only Arizona, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Ohio are actively issuing/accepting Counseling Compact privileges. Once WI activates, WI LPCs will gain practice portability across other member states.
Counselor Salary in Wisconsin
BLS state median wages by counseling specialty, with national comparison and top-paying metros.
Wisconsin counselor salaries run roughly at or just above the national median in nominal terms. The BLS Wisconsin OEWS estimates reflect Milwaukee metro's wage premium and the broader Midwest market. Madison generally pays slightly lower than Milwaukee in BLS data but has a tighter labor market. Rural Northern Wisconsin counties pay below state median but offer the strongest NHSC loan repayment leverage.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
National median: $59,190
Top metro: $63,820 (Milwaukee-Waukesha)
Mental Health Counselors (excluding substance abuse)
National median: $59,610
Top metro: $62,310 (Milwaukee-Waukesha)
Marriage and Family Therapists
National median: $63,780
Top metro: $64,810 (Madison)
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors (School Counselors)
National median: $64,210
Top metro: $70,140 (Milwaukee-Waukesha)
Wisconsin Counseling Job Market and Workforce
Major employers, mental health shortage context, and loan repayment programs that erase debt for service.
Wisconsin has three distinct workforce regions: Milwaukee-Waukesha (the state's largest behavioral health labor market), Madison (anchored by UW Health and SSM Health), and the Fox Valley / Northeast WI (ThedaCare and Bellin Health). Rural Northern Wisconsin counties carry severe Mental Health HPSA designations and the strongest NHSC loan repayment leverage.
Major employers include Aurora Health Care (Advocate Aurora) in Milwaukee metro, Froedtert & MCW Health Network, Children's Wisconsin, UW Health (Madison), SSM Health (Madison metro), ThedaCare in Appleton-Neenah, Bellin Health in Green Bay, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (operating state psychiatric hospitals at Mendota and Winnebago), VA hospitals in Milwaukee, Madison, and Tomah, and a growing private group practice sector concentrated in Milwaukee and Madison.
Three workforce dynamics shape practice in WI:
Marquette online CACREP advantage: Marquette is the only CACREP-accredited online CMHC program in Wisconsin. For working adults seeking maximum delivery flexibility, this is the standout option, though private tuition runs $1,080/credit.
Viterbo tri-state appeal: Viterbo (La Crosse) explicitly prepares graduates for WI, MN, and IA licensure, creating tri-state career flexibility unusual in Midwest CACREP programs.
HPLAP excludes LPCs: Wisconsin's Health Professions Loan Assistance Program restricts state-funded loan repayment to physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, PAs, NPs, and CNMs. WI LPCs cannot access HPLAP. This is a meaningful gap; LPCs rely on federal NHSC programs instead.
Loan Repayment & Scholarship Programs
NHSC Loan Repayment Program: Federal program (primary loan repayment vehicle for WI LPCs). LPCs are eligible at NHSC-approved sites in WI Mental Health HPSAs. Up to $50,000 for 2 years full-time service or $25,000 for half-time.
NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce LRP: Up to $75,000 over 3 years for LPCs at SUD-focused NHSC sites. Strong fit for LPCs targeting Wisconsin's opioid crisis response, particularly in rural Northern Wisconsin counties.
Wisconsin Health Professions Loan Assistance Program (HPLAP): Important: LPCs are NOT eligible for HPLAP. HPLAP is restricted to physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, dental hygienists, PAs, NPs, and certified nurse midwives. This is a meaningful gap for WI LPCs versus neighboring states.
WI HEAB Primary Care and Psychiatry Shortage Grant: Psychiatry-focused, not open to LPCs. Confirmed at https://heab.state.wi.us/features/pcps.html.
Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): LPCs employed at WI state agencies (DHS), county mental health authorities, VA hospitals, Aurora nonprofit affiliates, Froedtert & MCW, and other qualifying 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 Wisconsin
Decision factors that actually matter, not generic checklist filler.
Choosing a counseling program in Wisconsin mostly comes down to three questions: Milwaukee vs Madison vs greater Wisconsin placement, online vs on-campus delivery, and whether the Viterbo tri-state pipeline (WI/MN/IA) appeals to you. Wisconsin's HPLAP exclusion of LPCs means loan repayment leverage runs primarily through federal NHSC programs.
If you want maximum delivery flexibility: Marquette is the only CACREP-accredited online CMHC program in Wisconsin. Mount Mary and Lakeland also offer hybrid/online delivery. For working adults seeking online completion, Marquette is the standout option despite premium $1,080/credit tuition.
If you want the lowest tuition: UW-Stout at ~$448/credit (~$26,880 total) is the most affordable CACREP CMHC program in Wisconsin. UW-Oshkosh at ~$565/credit and UW-Whitewater at ~$586/credit are the next most affordable UW system public options.
If you want the strongest Milwaukee metro pipeline: Marquette, Mount Mary, and (commuting from Whitewater) UW-Whitewater all have established placement relationships with Aurora Health Care, Froedtert & MCW, and Children's Wisconsin.
If you want Madison placement: UW-Whitewater is the closest geographic option. Note: UW-Madison's Counseling Psychology MS is MPCAC-accredited, not CACREP. UW-Madison's CACREP-accredited program is in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (rehab focus, not CMHC).
If you want Fox Valley / Northeast WI placement: UW-Oshkosh is the primary feeder into ThedaCare and Aurora-Oshkosh in the Appleton-Neenah-Green Bay corridor.
If you want tri-state licensure flexibility: Viterbo University (La Crosse) explicitly prepares graduates for WI, MN, and IA LPC licensure. This is unusual and meaningful for students considering cross-state practice.
If you want clinical rehabilitation counseling: Mount Mary offers a Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling concentration. UW-Madison's standalone Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling MS is also CACREP-accredited (though not CMHC focused).
If you plan to leverage Counseling Compact portability: Choose CACREP-accredited programs. WI is a Compact member (December 2023) but not yet operational. Once WI activates Compact privilege issuance, WI LPCs will gain practice portability across other member states.
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 LPCs, LMHCs, and LPCCs actually do day-to-day
MSW Programs in Wisconsin
If you're weighing the social work pathway instead
Counseling Programs by State
Compare counseling programs across all 50 states
Sources
- CACREP, Directory of Accredited Programs
- Wisconsin DSPS MPSW Examining Board
- WI DSPS Professional Counselor
- WI License Search
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Wisconsin Estimates
- NBCC, National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
- Wisconsin Office of Rural Health Loan Assistance
- Counseling Compact, Member States