California has counseling programs across public universities, private colleges, specialized graduate schools, and institutions offering online or hybrid study. The schools in this directory offer programs connected to careers such as professional clinical counseling, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, educational counseling, and related behavioral health fields.
Each school profile focuses on the counseling-related programs available at that institution, including degree and credential options, delivery formats, program length or credit requirements when available, tuition and cost information, accreditation, clinical training, and how individual programs relate to California licensing or credential pathways.
If you are still deciding what type of program you need, start with our guide to counseling degrees in California. Students focused on professional licensure can also review the California counseling licensing guides.
California counseling school directory
A–D
- Alliant International University
- Antioch University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Biola University
- Cal State Dominguez Hills
- Cal State East Bay
- Cal State Fresno
- Cal State Fullerton
- Cal State Long Beach
- Cal State Los Angeles
- Cal State Northridge
- Cal State Sacramento
- Cal State San Bernardino
- Cal State Stanislaus
- California Baptist University
- California Institute of Integral Studies
- California Lutheran University
- Chapman University
- Concordia University Irvine
- Dominican University of California
F–M
- Fuller Theological Seminary
- Golden Gate University
- Hope International University
- La Sierra University
- Loma Linda University
- Los Angeles City College
- Loyola Marymount University
- National University
N–S
- Notre Dame de Namur University
- Palo Alto University
- Pepperdine University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- San Diego State University
- San Jose State University
- Santa Clara University
- Saybrook University
- Sonoma State University
T–W
- The Chicago School
- Touro University Worldwide
- UMass Global
- University of La Verne
- University of San Diego
- University of San Francisco
- Vanguard University
- William Jessup University
Browse counseling schools by region
Students who want to narrow their search geographically can start with our guide to counseling schools in Northern California. It compares counseling and therapy programs across Northern California and provides another way to evaluate schools by location and professional pathway.
What to compare between counseling schools
The school name alone does not tell you whether a program fits your intended career. California students should compare the specific degree, concentration, credential, and clinical training requirements rather than assuming that every counseling program leads toward the same professional outcome.
Some of the most useful factors to compare include:
- Professional pathway: LPCC, LMFT, school counseling, educational counseling, or another specialization
- Program format: campus, hybrid, online coursework, or a combination
- Clinical training: practicum, traineeship, internship, and field-placement requirements
- California alignment: whether the curriculum is designed around the education requirements for the license or credential you intend to pursue
- Cost: tuition, fees, and the total number of credits required
- Schedule: full-time, part-time, cohort, evening, weekend, or other options
- Accreditation: institutional accreditation and any relevant specialized programmatic accreditation
Program requirements can differ substantially even within the same university. Before enrolling, verify the current curriculum and licensing or credential information directly with the school and the appropriate California regulator.
Find the right California counseling program
School profiles are one way to compare your options. You can also browse California programs by degree type, specialization, cost, and delivery format in our California counseling degree directory.
Readers who are choosing a profession rather than a school can start with our counseling careers in California guides to compare training paths, work settings, licensing requirements, and career options.