Welcome to our ranking of the 5 top value counseling Ph.D. degrees in Virginia! If you’re thinking about earning your Ph.D. in counseling and you live in Virginia (or you would like to) take a look at these top-ranked schools.
While earning a doctorate is recommended to continue growing your career in the world of counseling, not every school offers this program. Virginia is one of the few states in the Southeast with more than five universities that offer counseling education at the doctoral level. From research opportunities to internships to comprehensive professional training, these Ph.D. programs have it all. If you’re looking to apply in the state of Virginia…look no further! Here are 5 top value counseling PhD degrees in Virginia…
Click here to see the methodology we used for this best master’s in counseling degree ranking.
5. College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ph.D.
Website
The College of William and Mary’s top Virginia graduate degree in counseling benefits from the school’s proximity to two counseling centers — the New Leaf Clinic and the New Horizons Family Counseling Center — which provide unique learning opportunities for doctoral students. Future counselors in William and Mary’s accredited counseling graduate degree program can gain valuable real-world experience in couples, family, and sexuality counseling at New Horizons and drug and alcohol counseling at New Leaf. Both facilities also provide the opportunity to observe professional counselors at work in clinical settings. This wealth of real-world experience makes William and Mary’s one of the best counseling graduate degrees in the country.
Tuition and Fees: $20,972/yr
Score: 63
4. James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ph.D.
Website
James Madison’s is a relatively young program — it was formed in 2011 — but it has quickly gained a reputation as one of the best graduate degrees in counseling in Virginia. JMU has built a tight-knit program that encourages students to learn and grow together, and collaborative research is an essential element of this top counseling graduate degree. This cooperative spirit helps explain why JMU’s program places a particular emphasis on crisis counseling and emergency services, two counseling fields that often necessitate professional collaboration. In fact, the school points to both the Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook shootings as foundational events in the history of its program.
Tuition and Fees: $18,576/yr
Score: 64
3. Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ph.D.
Website
Students looking for a faith-based accredited counseling PhD should look closely at Regent University, which was founded by The 700 Club host Pat Robertson and is one of the few Christian institutions to offer a CACREP-accredited PhD in counseling. Regent’s School of Psychology and Counseling focuses on integrating biblical principles with counseling knowledge, skills, and strategies, and in their final year PhD students take a capstone course in Counseling and Christian Thought. Many of the students in this affordable counseling graduate degree program are members of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies, a professional group that seeks to link Christian faith and counseling in terms of both theory and practice.
Tuition and Fees: $17,040/yr
Score: 69
Featured Programs
2. Argosy University Washington DC
Arlington, VA
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ed.D.
Website
Argosy’s is the most affordable graduate degree in counseling on this list, with a flexible and cost-effective program designed for current professional counselors hoping to earn a doctoral degree to advance their careers. And for those hoping to gain expertise in a specialty, the degree provides plenty of avenues for students to pursue their interests, with a broad range of electives, and the opportunity to incorporate courses from other departments. To help guide the student’s path, Argosy offers a multi-semester sequence of seminars in different counseling specialties that will give them the chance to dive into the deep end of specific subject areas.
Tuition and Fees: $13,628/yr
Score: 93
1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Counselor Education and Supervision, Ed.D./Ph.D.
Website
Virginia Tech claims the best Ph.D. counseling degree in Virginia thanks to its intensive coursework, thorough practicum and internship requirements, and collaborative student-faculty research. The curriculum incorporates standard Advanced Practicum and Doctoral Teaching internships as well as an additional Doctoral Supervision internship – all of which support Virginia Tech’s long-standing mission to produce not just effective counselors and thoughtful researchers, but true leaders in the field.
Speaking of research, the university’s impressive program will place you in close proximity with fellow classmates and top-notch faculty to produce the kind of publications and conference presentations that help build careers. This combination of practical experience, academic rigor, and collaborative research make Virginia Tech the best program on this Virginia PhD counseling degree ranking.
Tuition and Fees: $20,247/yr
Score: 100
What Can You Do With a PhD in Counseling?
Earning a doctorate is an accomplishment that any graduate should be very proud of. The degree requires taking on a heavy work load and making school your top priority. However, once graduated, students with a PhD in counseling can open doors to careers that they’ve dreamed of. These careers may include:
-Psychologist
-Marriage and family counselor
-School and career counselor
-Substance abuse counselor
-Behavioral counselor
-Mental Health Counselor
-Post secondary teacher
Related Articles:
What Are the Requirements to Become Licensed as a Family Counselor?
Top 30 Master’s in Educational Counseling Online
Top 30 Public Universities for Master’s Degrees in Counseling
10 Top Value Counseling Master’s Degrees in Virginia
Sources:
College Navigator
Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Academic Programs
Thomson Reuters Essential Science Indicators