2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s
19
Ranked Colleges
1,370
Degrees Awarded
$28,400
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,609 people earned their degree in mental health counseling/counselor, making the major the 118th most popular in the United States.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,488 mental health counseling/counselor graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in mental health counseling/counselor. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality mental health counseling/counselor programs as well as strong veteran support.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the mental health counseling/counselor program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The mental health counseling/counselor school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s”.
Top 19 Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 603 degrees to qualified masters’s mental health counseling/counselor students in 2020-2021.
Grand Canyon University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 7,172 of the 103,427 students enrolled at Grand Canyon University were GI Bill® students, of which 4,951 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,970. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Grand Canyon University]](/colleges/grand-canyon-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #2 spot on the list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. On top of their other funding sources, 31 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Arizona offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of Arizona Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s mental health counseling/counselor students in 2020-2021.
Texas A & M University - Central Texas also made our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11.According to our most recent data, Texas A & M University - Central Texas supports 2,339 students, and 1,101 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 516 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,003. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas A & M University - Central Texas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A & M University - Central Texas]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-central-texas/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #4 spot on the list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 100 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 34,742 students enrolled at The University of Texas at San Antonio, 3,565 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,847 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,531. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UTSA Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St. Mary’s University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s. This small school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 17 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Mary’s, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 264 of the 3,458 students enrolled at St. Mary’s were GI Bill® students, of which 174 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $24,459. In addition to receiving other benefits, 74 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Mary’s]](/colleges/st-marys-university/student-life/veterans/)
Texas Woman’s University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 30 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying mental health counseling/counselor list, TWU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 16,433 students enrolled at TWU, 495 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 251 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,466. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Texas Woman’s University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Mary Hardin - Baylor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. University of Mary Hardin - Baylor is located in Belton, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.
UMHB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, University of Mary Hardin - Baylor supports 3,876 students, and 454 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 304 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,603. During this same period, 135 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is a public institution located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying mental health counseling/counselor list, Texas A&M Corpus Christi has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M Corpus Christi supports 10,820 students, and 773 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 357 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,191. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas A&M Corpus Christi does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-university-corpus-christi/student-life/veterans/)
Houston Baptist University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
HBU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, Houston Baptist University supports 3,963 students, and 176 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 111 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,106. During this same period, 19 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s list. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
TTUHSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 5,274 students enrolled at TTUHSC, 219 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,474. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Saint Edward’s University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. Saint Edward’s University is located in Austin, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying mental health counseling/counselor list, St. Edward’s University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 3,591 students enrolled at St. Edward’s University, 170 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $28,263. During this same period, 79 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at St. Edward’s University]](/colleges/saint-edwards-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. UH Clear Lake is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Clear Lake, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 9,053 students enrolled at University of Houston - Clear Lake, 465 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 292 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,337. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #13. Nacogdoches, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
SFASU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 12,620 students enrolled at Stephen F Austin State University, 427 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 177 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,500. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Stephen F Austin State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SFASU]](/colleges/stephen-f-austin-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. SMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Southern Methodist University supports 12,373 students, and 327 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 215 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,612. To help with additional expenses, 103 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Southern Methodist University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. UOPX - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UOPX - Arizona also took the #4 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 135 of the 89,763 students enrolled at UOPX - Arizona were GI Bill® students, of which 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,437. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UOPX - Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-phoenix-arizona/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #16, Lamar University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Beaumont, Texas, and it awarded 116 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.
Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 16,637 students enrolled at Lamar University, 692 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 353 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,108. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Lamar University]](/colleges/lamar-university/student-life/veterans/)
Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. Texas A&M Kingsville is located in Kingsville, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M Kingsville also made our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M Kingsville supports 6,932 students, and 215 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,743. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Texas A&M Kingsville Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 20 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees in 2020-2021.
UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 24,879 students enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso, 1,873 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 942 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,990. During this same period, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of Texas at El Paso does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full The University of Texas at El Paso Veteran Student Life Report
University of the Southwest came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Mental Health Counseling/Counselor for a Master’s ranking. University of the Southwest is located in Hobbs, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 masters’s mental health counseling/counselor degrees to qualified students.
USW also took the #19 spot in our “Best Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, USW supports 904 students, and 31 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 28 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,384. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. USW does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at USW]](/colleges/university-of-the-southwest/student-life/veterans/)
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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