Earning an online CACREP-accredited school counseling degree can lead to a rewarding career helping K-12 students achieve their educational and personal goals. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) evaluates the academic quality and professionalism of school counseling programs.
Explore this page to learn why CACREP accreditation matters and if an online accredited school counseling degree is the right choice for you.
Popular Online Counseling Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Best CACREP-Accredited Online School Counseling Programs
How We Identified Top Schools and Programs
Our editorial team reviewed each school and program to identify standout characteristics, prioritizing factors like flexibility, hands-on experience, licensure qualification, and relevance of the curriculum to a career in counseling. We assigned each school a superlative category based on its strengths.
Since many counseling programs share similar course offerings and outcomes, our goal is to support your program selection process by highlighting features that matter to you most.
We verified these school and program facts in November 2025.
How To Choose an Online CACREP-Accredited School Counseling Degree Program
A major consideration when choosing an online school counseling degree is CACREP accreditation. Accreditation demonstrates the program's overall quality. These accrediting bodies use key performance indicators to evaluate content and professional standards. State licensing boards and most employers require you to hold a degree from a CACREP-accredited program.
A CACREP-accredited online school counseling degree provides a flexible option for those who need to balance work or personal responsibilities while pursuing their education. Keep in mind several factors when researching online programs.
In addition to CACREP accreditation, find out if the program's curriculum aligns with the American School Counselor Association's National Model. Make yourself familiar with the program's online learning format, on-campus requirements, and internship placements for distance learners. You should also compare tuition costs and research the availability of financial aid for online learners.
Hybrid and Online Options
CACREP accreditation does not differentiate between online, on-campus, and hybrid programs. Programs that use fully online formats allow you to take classes remotely at a designated time or at your convenience. This model works best for self-motivated learners. Hybrid formats blend online classes with required on-campus components, offering students in-person contact and support.
While all CACREP-accredited online counseling degrees, whether fully online or hybrid, require in-person internship placements, students in a hybrid curriculum must also attend some on-campus classes. The required number of hybrid courses varies by program.
Practical Experience Requirements
Internships and other kinds of clinical experiences, conducted under the supervision of a licensed counselor, prepare you for professional practice. While regulations governing school counseling practice vary across the country, all states require practical clinical experiences for licensure and certification.
Both campus-based and online CACREP-accredited school counselor programs require 100 hours of practicum and 600 hours of internship placements. Before enrolling in a master's program, you should investigate its practicum and internship requirements.
It's especially important for distance learners managing work and personal commitments to understand time commitments required for fieldwork and in-person training. Most programs assist online students in finding convenient placements near their homes, although some schools expect students to set up their own internships or restrict them to pre-approved clinical sites.
How To Apply to an Online CACREP-Accredited School Counseling Degree Program
A master's in counseling is the entry-level degree for licensure as a professional school counselor. Earning a CACREP-accredited degree helps you meet state requirements and makes you more competitive in the job market.
The following steps serve as a guide to the application requirements for CACREP-accredited programs, including degree requirements, test scores, personal statements, and letters of recommendation.
Step 1: Do Your Research
Step 2: Earn Your Bachelor's Degree
Step 3: Gather Required Application Documents
Step 4: Submit Your Application
Frequently Asked Questions About Online CACREP-Accredited School Counseling Degrees
CACREP accredits graduate programs in counseling and counseling specialties, including addiction counseling; career counseling; clinical mental health counseling; clinical rehabilitation counseling; marriage, couple, and family counseling; rehabilitation counseling; school counseling; college counseling and student affairs; and counseling education and supervision.
