The 7 Best Masters in Counseling Programs in Houston for 2026
A Masters in Counseling Program in Houston positions you for a thriving career. Jobs for mental health counselors will grow 17% from 2024 to 2034. Houston offers several options for earning your master’s degree in counseling, from online options to in-person programs. When looking at a program, you need to evaluate factors like CACREP accreditation and curriculum focus. Tuition costs and career preparation matter too. This guide gets into seven top programs in Houston. We cover their admission requirements, specializations, and licensure preparation to help you make an informed decision.
1. University of Houston – Master of Education in Counseling
Program Overview
The University of Houston offers a Master of Education in Counseling program spanning 60 credit hours designed for completion within three years. The program accepts candidates during the fall term only and provides a Clinical Mental Health Counseling track focused on preparing graduates to serve diverse populations. You can choose from face-to-face, hybrid, and online course formats offered at the UH Main campus and Sugar Land campus.
The curriculum requires 20 classes total. This has three field experience courses, one practicum course, and two internship experiences. Faculty provide consistent feedback on skill development throughout your progression. You’ll also get clinical practice and professional development opportunities. You won’t need a specific undergraduate degree or prerequisite courses to apply. The program accepts students from various academic backgrounds.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The program is CACREP-aligned rather than CACREP-accredited. The program moves toward national accreditation while maintaining alignment with CACREP standards and prepares you for Texas licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Graduates have reported no issues getting their license or finding employment despite the non-accredited status. The majority of programs lack CACREP accreditation, so this difference becomes less relevant, especially when the counseling compact expands.
Admission Requirements
You’ll need to meet several criteria to be considered for admission:
- Bachelor’s degree from any field of study
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.6 for undergraduate coursework or over the last 60 credit hours
- Preferred GPA of 3.0
- Resume documenting academic history and professional experience
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can assess your academic potential
- Statement of interest (maximum 2 pages, double-spaced) addressing your understanding of the counseling profession, motivation, preferred populations, and career goals
- Application fee of $50 for domestic applicants or $80 for international applicants
The program does not require GRE scores. You’ll participate in a required interview scheduled by the admissions committee after submitting your application materials. This program does not meet requirements for F-1 or J-1 visa holders.
Curriculum and Specializations
Your coursework covers five core areas of counseling knowledge. You’ll study counseling theories, skills, and techniques for working with diverse populations facing various issues. The program emphasizes understanding your role and influence when providing services to diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, gendered, and social populations.
You’ll also learn about legal, ethical, and moral responsibilities related to clinical mental health counseling practice. The curriculum has training in applying empirical research to broaden your delivery of counseling services. You’ll develop competence in effective assessment and evaluation of clients in various settings and intervention delivery. The program ends with a complete exam administered during your final year.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In-state residents pay around $9,400 in total tuition. The total program cost reaches $34,769 for all students. Graduate Tuition Fellowships (GTF) provide tuition remission for 9 credit hours to students enrolled in at least 9 credit hours who hold a 20-hour graduate appointment. These fellowships cover in-state tuition and mandatory fees for full-time students during the academic year. Summer term GTFs depend on available budget. The program offers graduate appointments during the first three years of study, though not all program years receive coverage.
Other funding options are graduate assistantships offering monthly stipends, the Graduate School Fund for Texas residents demonstrating financial need, and the Stella L. Ernhardt Scholarship providing partial funding for selected master’s students over two years. About 83% of students receive financial aid.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
The program meets applicable licensure requirements for becoming an LPC in Texas. It has not determined whether the curriculum satisfies educational requirements for licensure in other states. Graduates find positions in diverse settings. These are K-12 schools, community colleges and universities, mental and health care facilities, and various counseling roles such as college counselor, community agency counselor, probation counselor, career counselor, and employee assistance program counselor.
Many graduates pursue work as LPCs with their internship sites right after graduation. Rehabilitation specialists in Houston earn around $48,430 a year, or about $23.28 per hour. This represents a solid starting point for recent graduates.
2. Sam Houston State University – Master of Arts in Counseling
Program Overview
Sam Houston State University’s MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program operates from both Huntsville and The Woodlands Center campuses and offers flexibility through a combination of online and face-to-face courses. You’ll complete 60 semester credit hours in a prescribed sequence designed to prepare you for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. The program distinguishes itself through hands-on clinical training at the Jack Staggs Counseling Clinics. Advanced graduate students gain supervised client experience in both individual and group settings there.
You must keep a 3.0 GPA or higher throughout the program. Faculty members review your knowledge, skills and professional dispositional competencies beyond just grades continuously. You must earn a positive candidacy vote from faculty before working with clients in fieldwork settings. This vote considers your performance across all competencies and coursework. The program ends with passing the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) and completing three semesters of fieldwork training after you finish foundational didactic coursework.
Your final course sequence has 9 credit hours of supervised practice. You’ll work under faculty supervision at the Jack Staggs Counseling Clinics in either Huntsville or The Woodlands Center during the first semester and provide free counseling services to community members. The last two semesters require approximately 20-25 hours weekly at approved community-based clinical counseling internship sites.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program holds full CACREP accreditation through October 31, 2031. The program received original accreditation as a Community Counseling program in July 2006. It transitioned to Clinical Mental Health Counseling designation in July 2014 and has managed to keep continuous accreditation. The program operates under 2009 CACREP standards, with graduates considered CACREP graduates beginning January 10, 2013.
The program carries an “Accredited (Progress Report Required with a Notice of Concern)” status currently. The Board requires additional information regarding adherence to the 12:1 FTE student-to-faculty ratio, syllabi requirements and assessment of student learning. These minor standards-related deficiencies don’t affect your ability to complete the program or pursue licensure in effect.
Admission Requirements
Applications open for both fall and spring admission cycles. Submit your materials by the priority deadline of January 1 or regular deadline of March 15 for fall entry. Spring applicants face a priority deadline of September 1 and regular deadline of November 1.
Your application package to the Office of Graduate Admissions through the Self-Service Portal has a graduate application, application fee and official transcript from your undergraduate institution. You’ll need two reference forms. One from a current or former employer or professor, and another from a professional acquaintance who isn’t a family member or your personal medical provider. The personal statement must address specific prompts about your motivations and qualifications.
The GRE requirement receives a waiver provided that you possess an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher, or have completed at least nine graduate-level credit hours with a 3.0 or higher GPA. The minimum undergraduate GPA is 2.5 overall or 2.8 from your last 60 credit hours. The admissions committee reviews all applications and invites top candidates for interviews.
Curriculum and Specializations
Your coursework covers counseling profession and ethics, differential diagnosis assessment, treatment planning and interventions, theory case conceptualization, and career counseling across the lifespan. You’ll study research and program evaluation, cross-cultural counseling issues, crisis and trauma counseling, and human growth and development across the lifespan. Additional required courses cover administrative clinical mental health services, assessment in guidance and counseling, addiction counseling and group counseling.
You may improve your degree by adding graduate certificates in Play Therapy, Trauma and Loss, or Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling. Students interested in doctoral studies can apply to the Doctoral Preparation Pathway. This pathway provides improved preparation aligned with doctoral-level expectations and covers advanced research literacy, scholarly writing, critical analysis and leadership foundations. You must complete all master’s level requirements and gain acceptance to the doctoral program before you can enroll in doctoral coursework.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Texas residents pay $5,877.20 per semester for 12 credit hours during the 2026-2027 academic year. Nonresidents pay $10,737.20 for the same credit load. Sam Houston State University keeps one of the lowest in-state tuition rates among Texas four-year institutions. Financial aid reaches 64% of undergraduate students, with an average award of $13,679 for the 2023-2024 year. The university distributed $200 million in financial aid during that same period.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
You’ll meet academic and clinical experience requirements to apply for Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate (LPC-Associate) designation in Texas after you complete the program. You can work under supervision in private practice, non-profit counseling agencies, hospitals, correctional settings, college counseling centers and substance-abuse treatment centers as an LPC-Associate. The department has verified that the program meets educational requirements for entry-level counselor licensure in multiple states beyond Texas. Many graduates secure positions at their internship sites right after graduation.
3. University of Houston-Clear Lake – Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S.
Program Overview
University of Houston-Clear Lake sits in Houston’s Bay Area region and delivers a Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S. designed for students pursuing professional counselor careers. The 60-credit-hour program gives you the knowledge and skills necessary to counsel clients experiencing psychological, social, behavioral, and emotional issues. Your coursework focuses on counseling orientation and ethics, counseling theories, group counseling theories and practice, tests and appraisal, career development and counseling, research methods, diagnostics, assessment, treatment, and psychotherapy.
The program takes about 3 years to complete over 9 terms. You can pursue this degree to become credentialed as a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, or Certified School Counselor. You must document 3,000 clock hours of post-master’s supervised counseling experience and pass the state licensure examination to receive LPC eligibility beyond meeting academic requirements.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program holds full CACREP accreditation through March 31, 2030. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes this specialized accreditation, which the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs granted. Graduates of this program are CACREP graduates beginning July 14, 2019, with the accreditation start date of January 14, 2022. The program operates under 2016 CACREP standards and was found to meet all standards satisfactorily.
Admission Requirements
You’ll face application deadlines of March 1 for fall admission and September 1 for spring admission. The program waives GRE or MAT scores if you earned a 3.0 GPA in your last 60 hours of coursework. Applicants with lower GPAs must submit either a combined GRE score of 294 with a writing score of 3.5, or an MAT score of 390 minimum. You won’t need to submit GRE or MAT scores if you already hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution.
Your application requires uploading several documents:
- Resume detailing relevant work experiences, honors, presentations, papers, or other life experiences
- Formal essay (maximum 500 words) explaining your reasons for pursuing counselor training and career goals
- Three letters of recommendation
- Self-Rating Sheet
- Background Check
School Counselor Certification seekers must provide a Texas Teacher Service Record, TEA Ethics Training Completion Certificate, and receipt for the $37 TEA Admission Fee additionally.
Curriculum and Specializations
The program prepares you to provide effective services to children, adolescents, individual adults, couples, and families. Faculty employ an integrated approach that thinks over academic, career development, and personal-social needs of populations of all types. You’ll develop academic competence through current and relevant curriculum that promotes counseling profession standards. The program emphasizes ethical standards and cultural sensitivity through appropriate case conceptualization, assessment selection, and intervention delivery.
You’ll encourage personal and professional awareness, insight, and growth to strengthen your professional counselor identity and wellness. Your preparation positions you for employment at schools, hospitals, private practice settings, or mental health agencies.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students pay $440 per credit hour in-state, while out-of-state students pay $976 per credit hour. In-state tuition reaches $7,920 with an additional $1,648 in fees for full-time enrollment, totaling about $9,568. Out-of-state students face $17,568 in tuition plus $1,648 in fees. Financial aid options remain available to eligible students pursuing this clinical mental health counseling program in Texas.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
The program demonstrates strong outcomes based on Fall 2024-Spring 2025 vital statistics. The program graduated 46 students in the past academic year. The completion rate is 95%. Graduates achieve a 100% pass rate on licensure or certification examinations. The job placement rate for students and graduates reaches 100%. These metrics position University of Houston-Clear Lake among the top masters in counseling programs in Houston for career preparation and professional success.
4. Texas Southern University – Master of Science in Counseling
Program Overview
Texas Southern University’s Department of Counseling prepares counselors to address unique challenges that urban and non-urban communities face through a culturally responsive lens. The Master of Education degree with three specialized concentrations delivers complete training in counseling theory and practice. You can pursue specializations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, or School Counseling through on-campus or online formats.
The 60-semester-hour program requires completion of a 600-hour counseling internship in an approved clinical setting. This provides hands-on experience and professional readiness. All master’s students must secure departmental recommendation for candidacy status before they progress toward degree completion. Faculty review your qualifications and aptitude through observations, individual interviews, standardized tests, key assessments, and showed interest in the field.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The factual documents provided do not contain specific information regarding CACREP accreditation status for Texas Southern University’s counseling programs. Prospective students should contact the Department of Counseling at 713-313-7018 to verify current accreditation standing directly.
Admission Requirements
The Graduate School processes applications for admission to the master’s program with a multi-step process. You must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution. The program requires a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.50 overall or 3.0 on your last 60 semester hours of coursework.
GRE scores remain mandatory for all applicants, with the exam taken within the past five years. You need an Analytical Writing score of 3.5 or above to fulfill English proficiency requirements. Students who meet the 2.50 admission GPA requirement but lack acceptable proficiency on the GRE Analytical Writing exam must enroll in English 501 during their first semester if admitted. They must complete it successfully.
International students must score at least 550 on the paper-based TOEFL, 213 on the computer-based test, or 79 on the internet-based test. The Department of Counseling Admissions Committee reviews materials after you submit completed applications and invites qualified applicants to interviews. The Dean of the Graduate School issues final admission notifications after departmental recommendations.
Online Master of Education applicants receive admission during fall terms exclusively.
Curriculum and Specializations
Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you to work in community agencies and private sectors while meeting requirements for the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and National Board for Certified Counselors. Rehabilitation Counseling gives you the preparation for positions in public state agencies or private sector services and qualifies you to take the Certified Rehabilitation Counseling Examination. School Counseling prepares you for PreK-12 positions with certification requirements satisfied for Texas School Counselor designation.
You must demonstrate English proficiency before you receive your degree. You must pass the Department of Counseling Qualifying Examination by the end of 18 semester hours and complete required 600 internship hours. The College of Education Comprehensive Examination must be passed. You must maintain a 3.00 average across 60 semester credit hours required.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Texas residents pay statutory tuition at USD 100.00 per credit hour for graduate coursework. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sets rates for nonresidents and foreign students. Additional costs include Graduate School Services Tuition fees that fund fellowships and administrative support, Student Service Fees that support extracurricular activities and health services, and a graduation fee of USD 50.00 with possible additional processing fees.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
Each specialization guides you to distinct professional credentials. Clinical Mental Health graduates qualify for Licensed Professional Counselor designation in Texas and National Board for Certified Counselors certification. Rehabilitation Counseling completers become eligible for the CRC examination. School Counseling graduates meet Texas certification requirements for PreK-12 settings. The program’s emphasis on equity, equality, and culturally diverse clientele positions you to serve metropolitan Houston’s varied counseling environments effectively.
5. Houston Christian University – Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Program Overview
Houston Christian University has a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling that integrates Christian counseling principles with clinical mental health training. This 60-credit-hour program prepares you for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas. You can complete the degree online with in-person practicum and internship experiences in around two to three years.
The curriculum blends foundational counseling theory with clinical skills through coursework in professional identity, ethics, human development, multicultural counseling, assessment, psychopathology and evidence-based treatment approaches. Your training extends to individual, group, family and career counseling while you learn about substance abuse, clinical diagnosis and treatment planning. The program ends in supervised practicum and internship experiences that provide direct client contact hours required for licensure.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The program does not hold CACREP accreditation, though it arranges with CACREP standards. A current student confirmed this non-accredited status while noting the program maintains accreditation through SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges). This difference doesn’t create barriers for Texas licensure. Students have gotten their LPC credentials and employment after graduation from programs structured similarly.
Admission Requirements
You must hold an undergraduate degree and demonstrate a 3.0 undergraduate GPA or higher for unconditional admission. Your application file has transcripts, a current resume or CV submitted to verification@HC.edu and contact information for two professional or academic references (not friends or family members).
The writing component requires at least 500 words addressing questions like: What is the purpose of being a mental health practitioner? What characteristics make you a good counselor and how do you know? Why pursue a graduate degree in Counseling at Houston Christian University? What challenges could prevent degree completion and how might you address them?
You’ll either attend a virtual interview with the admissions team or submit a 10-12 minute video responding to predetermined questions during the second admissions phase. The program holds interviews about once per month and takes up to three hours depending on applicant pool size. Interview spaces fill on a first-come, first-served basis.
Curriculum and Specializations
Elective options allow specialization in resilience counseling, human sexuality, couples and family work or grief counseling beyond core requirements. You’ll develop expertise that prepares you to serve in faith-based organizations, churches, ministries, hospitals, health care settings, private practices, Christian counseling centers, treatment centers or independent self-employment.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students pay USD 620.00 per semester hour. Scholarships remain available for new incoming degree-seeking graduate students who enroll in on-campus programs. Priority fall applications receive consideration when submitted by June 15, with regular fall deadline of July 1. Priority spring applications face an October 15 deadline, while regular spring applications close November 1.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
Programs at HCU designed to fulfill educational requirements for professional licensure meet Texas State requirements. Students seeking certification or licensure outside Texas should verify eligibility with their state licensing board. Houston Christian University has not determined whether the program meets other states’ requirements. Graduates emerge ready to provide ethical, culturally responsive mental health services in a variety of clinical settings.
6. Prairie View A&M University – Master of Science in Counseling
Program Overview
Prairie View A&M University’s Master of Arts in Counseling emphasizes school counseling preparation through a 48-semester credit hour program delivered online. The degree plan requires six semesters to complete, extended from the original four-semester timeline to accommodate additional Texas Education Agency requirements. You’ll complete four school counseling-focused courses: School Consultation, Crisis and Trauma Counseling with Children, and two School Internship courses.
Your practical training has a 100-hour practicum in a school counseling setting, followed by two separate 300-hour internships conducted in school environments. You must apply to the School Counselor Certification Program after completing 12 credit hours, which involves an interview with program faculty, a writing prompt response, and maintaining a 3.0 graduate GPA.
CACREP Accreditation Status
The program lines up with CACREP’s eight core areas while meeting Texas Education Agency standards for school counselor certification. Faculty prepare students based on TEA standards and guidelines to serve as knowledgeable and ethical professionals in school counseling roles.
Admission Requirements
You need a minimum 2.75 undergraduate GPA or 3.0 graduate GPA for unconditional admission[361]. The application requires three letters of recommendation, a 1,000-word statement of purpose describing your academic goals and professional interests, and a $50 application fee. GRE scores must be on file and remain valid within 10 years of program graduation.
Conditional admission exists for applicants with GPAs between 2.25 and 2.75. These applicants must complete departmental interviews and specific coursework with grades of A or B.
Curriculum and Specializations
Your coursework covers 16 core areas that include Orientation to School Counseling and Development, Ethics for School Counselors, Human Growth and Development, Counseling Theory and Practice, and School Counseling in a Multicultural Society. Additional courses address Career Development Counseling, Group Dynamics, Assessment and Evaluation of Student Data, and Organization and Administration of School Counseling Programs.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Texas residents pay $7,386 a year, while out-of-state students face $22,590 in tuition costs. Eligible students receive financial aid through loans, scholarships, and assistantships. Scholarship applications open mid-November and close early March.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
Graduates qualify for Texas school counselor certification after completing the program, passing the TExES #252 School Counselor Certification Examination with a minimum score of 240, and documenting two years of teaching experience[361].
7. Lone Star College University Center – Master’s Degree in Counseling Texas Partnerships
Program Overview
Lone Star College University Center aids partnerships that enable students to pursue advanced degrees, though specific master’s degree programs through these partnerships lack detailed documentation in available sources. The institution focuses on associate-level preparation through its Human Services Program for students interested in helping professions as counselors, case workers or behavior specialists. Students can study substance-abuse counseling or general human services tracks. The college approved a mental health counseling service program in February 2025 and partnered with Communities in Schools of Houston for $9.50 million over three years.
CACREP Accreditation Status
Information regarding CACREP accreditation for specific partnership programs remains unavailable in provided documentation.
Admission Requirements
Students pursuing licensure as Chemical Dependency Counselors must pass the state’s criminal background check to approve their application.
Curriculum and Specializations
The Human Services AAS has Simple Chemical Dependency Counselor Certificate and Human Services Certificate options. Students who complete the certificate can apply for Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor Intern (LCDC-I) status.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In-district students pay $111 per credit hour, out-of-district pay $249, while international and out-of-state students pay $313. Financial aid requires FAFSA submission using school code 011145.
Career Outcomes and Licensure Preparation
AAS completion positions students to get full LCDC licensure after completing intern requirements.
Make Your Choice Today
Choosing among these masters programs in Houston requires weighing multiple factors against your personal situation. Of course, CACREP accreditation matters for some career paths, though non-accredited programs prepare graduates for Texas LPC licensure. Tuition varies substantially, from Prairie View A&M’s affordable $7,386 for residents to higher-cost options, and this makes financial planning essential.
Your decision depends on your specialization interests, preferred learning format and career goals. Compare admission requirements, interview schedules and curriculum offerings with care. Contact admissions offices to verify current accreditation status and licensure preparation for your intended practice location.
The investment in quality counseling education positions you for a rewarding career serving Houston’s communities.