The Best Online Marriage and Family Studies Programs

A ranking of the best online master's in family counseling programs. Ranked by affordability, flexibility, and academic quality.

Updated on February 9, 2023

Healthy families are the cornerstone of healthy communities. Whether you're interested in helping teens navigate the murky waters of adolescence or you're passionate about helping couples find ways to strengthen their relationships, a Master's of Science in Family Counseling will allow you work with diverse populations in equally diverse settings.

Marriage and family therapists (MFTs) are part of exploding industry; it's projected that the demand for them will rise an astounding 22 percent in the next few years. It's also a notably stable and secure job title. On average, MFTs earn over $49,000 annually, though it's possible to earn upwards of $75,000 a year.

Whatever your financial or vocational situation, an online degree is an excellent way to advance your career. From flexible online class settings to individualized attention from faculty, not to mention a typically lower cost per credit hour, online degrees have a lot to offer students, especially students who need to continue working full time. These programs below will give you access to strong graduate programs without breaking the bank. And you'll be able to balance school with all your other responsibilities.

What are the Best Online Master's in Family Counseling?

Though some of these schools are large, research universities and others small, religiously based colleges, each of them offer renowned online graduate programs in family and couples therapy. Through curricula that balance theory with practicums, each of the schools below will give you the best distance education in marriage and family counseling in the nation. We know that because we've analyzed diverse data sets—including each school's reputation, retention, affordability, and return on investment—to arrive the country's very best masters in family counseling programs. First we took those with the best reputation and retention rates, which reflects student satisfaction, then considered affordability and the average early salaries of graduates. What we got was a thoroughly researched list providing empirical evidence of academic excellence. Our figures and information come from the university and colleges' websites, PayScale, and nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.

Best Online Master's in Family Counseling Degrees

See our rankings methodology page.

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