20 Best Online Bachelor’s in Counseling

Are you a Christian who wants to combine scientific learning and the counseling profession with your faith? If so, look no further than Liberty University’s online Bachelor of Science in psychology program with a concentration in Christian counseling. The program bridges leading theories and science-backed methods of counseling with biblical scripture to create a well-rounded Christian-forward program.

Some notable courses in this program are:

• Psychology and Christianity
• Christian Counseling for Marriage and Family
• Christian Counseling for Children

Each of these courses examines how a Christian counselor and patient can use their faith to find healing, courage, and wisdom alongside tried-and-tested counseling methods.

Liberty University has frozen tuition rates for the past five years, making it one of the most intentionally affordable programs. Military students pay only $188 per credit hour, and first responders receive additional benefits. Notably, veterans can receive college credit for military training, which expedites and cuts the cost of your education. 

Southwestern Assemblies of God University offers an excellent bachelor’s in counseling for students who want to make a difference in the lives of children or adults.  Students at SAGU benefit from small class sizes, which have significant advantages for students, regardless of the online platform. Prospective students should also note that SAGU graduates have 20% less debt on average than other private university graduates.

Some courses in SAGU’s excellent catalog for its counseling program are:

• Abnormal Psychology
• Introduction to Counseling
• Addictive Behavior and Recovery
• Crisis Intervention and Management
• Pharmacology of Addiction

While few counseling courses have a Christian emphasis, SAGU does require its students to take Christian courses. Plus, most faculty members teach from a Christian worldview.

Southwestern Assemblies of God University has an active admissions team that has a reputation for helping students secure scholarships and grants that they earn and deserve. Using these resources, your cost of the program can be considerably cheaper than the advertised sticker cost.

Crown College offers an excellent Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Counseling online program. The focus of Crown College is to unite psychology theory and Christian perspectives. Thus, you’ll enroll in the same courses as you would in a secular institution, but these courses will come from a Christian worldview. If that’s what you’re looking for, Crown College is an excellent option.

There are four elements of the Crown College curriculum: Christian studies, general electives, major core classes, and electives. Some classes that students at Crown College take are:

• Group Dynamics
• Crisis Intervention
• Introduction to Communication
• Interpreting the Gospels
• Introduction to Literary Analysis

The possibilities for Crown College graduates are boundless. Many graduates continue directly to Crown College’s master’s program, which takes three years. And if students want to expedite their education, Crown College offers a two-year accelerated Master of Science in counseling program. Otherwise, you can begin your career as a social worker or professional in a Christian context.

Hope International University offers one of the most versatile Bachelor of Science in human development programs in the country. There are four available concentrations:

• Community Mental Health and Counseling
• Family Studies
• Addiction Studies
• Graduate Counseling

With these concentrations, students can become early experts in what they wish to pursue in the real world or graduate school. 

Core courses that all students take are:

• Adult Development
• Social Issues
• Christian Perspectives in Human Development
• Applied Cultural Diversity
• Statistics for the Social Sciences

Other elements of your curriculum depend on your concentration, but some classes are:

• Sociology of Families
• Abnormal Psychology
• Career Counseling

Graduates from this program have become behavioral health specialists, child life specialists, counselors of all kinds, child welfare specialists, and daycare service providers. Students in the graduate studies concentration in this program will expedite their master’s by one semester, which is an ideal option for aspiring counselors.  If addiction counseling is your area of interest, we recommend checking out 20 Best Online Bachelor’s in Addiction & Recovery.

Oral Roberts University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Christian caregiving and counseling program suits people who want to become counselors, chaplains, missionaries, researchers, and more. Students who are enrolled full-time at Oral Roberts University can complete the program in as few as three-and-a-half years, but students can take longer to finish the degree if they please.

Some of the more notable courses in Oral Roberts University’s Christian caregiving and counseling program are:

• Crisis Intervention
• Developmental Psychology
• Christian Leadership
• Pastoral Approaches to Counseling
• Issues and Identity of the Caregiver

These classes focus equally on biblical perspectives and science, suiting students from all walks of life. 

ORU students benefit from working with a team of success coaches throughout the program. They will help you select your courses and find career opportunities. Additionally, students have access to ORU’s user-friendly platform, which grants them access anywhere and anytime. 

Toccoa Falls College’s online bachelor’s in counseling psychology program prepares students for counseling positions in Christian and secular settings. Students in this program learn about the philosophy and theory of counseling, the influences of Christianity on counseling practice, and the ethics of counseling in church and secular settings. TFC students benefit from small class sizes, expert faculty, and excellent classes.

Some courses that Toccoa Falls College offers are:

• Educational Psychology
• Psychology of Religion
• Counseling for Addictions
• Personality Theories
• Research Methods in Psychology

Students can pursue a minor in:

• Counseling in Ministry
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Psychology
• Social Work

Students who choose a minor would take several courses in the chosen specialization.

At $370 per credit hour for online students, Toccoa Falls College is one of the cheapest options on this list. The school offers dozens of financial aid opportunities, scholarships, and grants to qualifying students, too. If you seek an affordable and high-quality Christian education, consider Toccoa Falls college.

Houston Baptist University perfectly balances the liberal arts, Christian thinking, and psychological theory with its Bachelor of Arts in psychology program. HBU’s program includes an emphasis in Christian counseling. If Christian counseling isn’t for you, consider another program on this list. If it’s your passion, though, you couldn’t do much better than at Houston Baptist University.

Some notable courses in this program are:

• Christian Theology and Tradition
• Integration of Counseling and Theology,
• Theories of Counseling
• Introduction to Christian Counseling

Applying students must submit relevant transcripts from the high school, GED, or universities they attended. Houston Baptist University charges $430 per credit hour and a $250 per semester online fee. While this program isn’t the cheapest option on this list, it is one of the best Christian counseling programs in the nation. 

As the opiate crisis sweeps through every corner of America, addictions counselors are in greater demand than ever before. And Grand Canyon University has one of the best Bachelor of Science in addiction counseling programs out there. It’s relatively affordable, and military members receive excellent discounts. Plus, it has faculty who are expert educators and researchers in the field. 

Students in this program take fantastic courses like:

• Psychopharmacology in Treatment of Addiction and Substance Use Disorders
• Multicultural Counseling in a Diverse Society
• Trauma, Addiction and Substance Use Disorders
• Relapse Prevention in the Treatment of Addiction and Substance Use Disorder

These classes teach students the ethics, foundational theories, and the many steps of addictions counseling.

Major courses make up 72 credits of the 120 credits required to graduate. General education courses comprise 34-40 credits and open electives comprise 8-14 credits. Some other courses students may take are:

• Christian Worldview
• Environmental Science
• Applications of College Algebra 

Bay Path University’s Bachelor of Arts in psychology: counseling foundations will prepare you for a successful future as a counselor. Graduates from this program have become:

• court liaisons
• marriage counselors
• probation officers
• child development specialists

If you want to help others, whether that’s through counseling or social work, Bay Path University’s excellent online program will take you there.

Some notable classes in this program are:

• Women as Empowered Leaders and Learners
• Clinical Psychology
• Principles of Sociology
• Social Psychology
• Counseling Diverse Populations
• Abnormal Psychology
• Behavioral Research Methods

Students also take elective courses, including Literary Genres, Communicating for Leadership, Applied University Mathematics, and Computer Applications.

Bay Path University has an excellent online platform that has interactive pages that can inform you about:

• scholarships
• repaying your loans
• grant programs
• loan programs

The ease of access that BPU offers is unparalleled by almost every school, and it’s something you should use in your favor.

Saint Leo University’s Bachelor of Arts in psychology-clinical/counseling program prepares students for the counseling and psychology professions. Saint Leo University emphasizes that its program is customizable: Students can choose the courses they want and when they want to take them. It’s your education after all, so you should be in charge. With Saint Leo University, that idea has come to life.

Some courses students in this program take are:

• Physiological Psychology
• Foundations of Psychology Seminar
• Psychology of Learning
• Cognitive Psychology
• Personality Theory
• Human Sexuality

Students supplement these classes with general elective credits and University Explorations, which includes courses like The Human Adventure, The Human Mosaic, and Science in a Changing World.

Saint Leo University graduates have become:

• social workers
• case workers
• researchers
• mental health counselors
• occupational therapists
• advertising assistants
• counselors

Some graduate schools that Saint Leo graduates have attended are the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, and New York University.

If you’re a Christian-minded empath who wants to make the world a better place, Arlington Baptist University’s Bachelor of Arts in biblical science program would be a great option for you. The program emphasizes a Christian outlook as a counselor and a citizen. Arlington Baptist University’s curriculum is perhaps more heavily theological than any other program on this list. If that’s up your alley, ABU is the school for you.

Some courses students in this program take are:

• Gospels: Life of Christ
• Human Personality
• Methods of Biblical Change
• Biological Psychology
• Biblical Conflict Resolution
• Counseling Problems and Procedures
• Marriage and Family Counseling

In this program, Christian-based counseling courses lie alongside classes rooted in the scripture and interpretations of the Bible.

Arlington Baptist University charges a flat fee of $7725 per semester, which translates to around $483 per credit if you’re taking 16 credits per semester. This fee is quite reasonable, especially for a program designed and taught by experts in the field. 

Clarks Summit University has so many excellent programs that we couldn’t isolate just one program for this list. Are you interested in secular counseling? If so, you’ll be interested in CSU’s Bachelor of Science in counseling program. If you’re interested in substance abuse counseling, consider the school’s addictions counseling major. If Christian counseling is for you, take CSU’s Bachelor of Arts in counseling ministries program.

Your courses will depend on the major that you choose. Some courses you may take are:

• Dynamics of Discipleship
• Abnormal Psychology
• Personality Theory
• Social Psychology
• Marriage and Family Dynamics
• Understanding and Treating Addictions

The counseling majors share similar core classes, but they diverge into more specific subjects as you gain experience in school. Each 121-credit program includes a second major in the Bible. 

Students in this program benefit from a flexible transfer policy: Students can transfer up to 90 credits from community colleges and accredited four-year universities. 

Trinity International University’s Bachelor of Science in psychology program can prepare you for any number of professions and graduate schools. Note that most students finish this program in 3-4 years, meaning your education can go a lot quicker—and thus cheaper—than most psychology programs. And with an online platform, this program is as flexible as they come. 

Students can emphasize in counseling psychology. Some classes that students in this program take are:

• Personality Theories
• Group Dynamics
• Integration of Psychology and Christian Faith

Besides these core classes, students also take courses in research methods, interpersonal skills, and human development.

Graduates from this program have become:

• vocational counselors
• social workers
• sport psychologists
• trauma counselors
• professors
• organizational psychologists

Some work in the church; others work in secular settings. As long as you’re passionate about psychology and counseling, you will prosper in this program. 

Johnson University’s pastoral care and counseling program prepares students for the nuances and challenges of the counseling profession in secular and Christian contexts. If you’re interested in immediately continuing to a master’s program, Johnson University is a great option. Its Master of Arts in counseling program is affordable, rewarding, and fast. Plus, undergraduates from JU will have a head-start in the program because of their familiarity with the school’s values.

Some courses in the pastoral care and counseling program are:

• Encountering Cultures
• Spiritual Formation for Ministry
• Interpersonal and Family Relationships
• Conflict and Communication

These classes will teach you the techniques, ethics, and theories of counseling, with an emphasis on the Christian scripture that informs counseling methods.

Johnson University charges $475 per credit hour for its classes, making the school neither the most expensive nor the most affordable option on this list. But for the education you’re receiving and the connections you’ll have for the rest of your life, $475 per credit hour is an excellent deal. 

Lee University offers an excellent Bachelor of Arts program in ministry leadership with an emphasis on counseling. The program seeks to create the next generation of church leaders and visionaries. The curriculum comprises ministry leadership courses, the counseling emphasis, general electives, the religion core, and general education courses that include classes in the:

• humanities
• communication
• natural sciences
• social sciences

Some courses in the ministry leadership major are:

• Introduction to Multicultural Ministry
• Gospel of John
• Ministry of Worship
• Christian Theology

Classes in the counseling emphasis include:

• Theories of Counseling
• Methods of Counseling
• Pastoral Counseling
• Personality Theories

These courses have a secular nature, but they’re taught with a Christian worldview in mind. 

Lee University has many excellent scholarship opportunities available to students. The Centennial, Presidential, and Dean’s Scholarships are available to new students, each awarding $5,000 per year for four years. There are also three awards available to transfer students, which each grant students $1,000 or more per year for two or more academic years.

The University of South Dakota offers one of the country’s best Bachelor of Science in addiction counseling and prevention programs. And it’s all available for students online. The degree leads to licensure in South Dakota; it may or may not lead to licensure in your state of residence, but we encourage you to double-check your state’s licensure requirements before enrolling at the University of South Dakota.

Some courses in this program are:

• Study of Alcohol Use and Addiction
• Group Addiction Counseling Practicum
• Fundamental Skills of Group Counseling for Addiction
• Study of Drug Use and Addiction
• Pharmacology of Addiction

Students can specialize in prevention, treatment, or both, which each require two additional courses.

At $354.75 per credit hour, the University of South Dakota offers some of the most affordable programs on this list. Students can benefit from many financial aid opportunities, which include scholarships, loans, and more. 

Regent University is one of the best Christian learning institutions in the nation. And the school’s Bachelor of Science in psychology with a concentration in clinical and counseling psychology shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s carefully designed to cater to the needs of aspiring counselors who prefer distance learning over on-campus settings. The program is more secular than many other Christian programs, but it’s rooted in Christian values and scripture.

The program includes 120 or more credits, and students take courses in eight-week batches. Some classes that students in this program take are:

• Christian Doctrine
• Research Methods
• Developmental Psychology
• Counseling Skills
• Survey of Psychological Assessments
• Multicultural Psychology

These courses will teach you the ethics, theories, and practices necessary to psychologists and counselors. 

Online students pay $395 per credit hour if they’re full-time students or $450 per credit hour if they’re enrolled part-time. To gain admission to this program, students must submit transcripts, the online application, and a government I.D.

Central Michigan University offers an excellent Bachelor of Science in psychology. Students can take this program online or in a hybrid setting, which includes some on-campus courses. Students in this program take general education, core, concentration, and elective courses to earn the 120 credits required to graduate from this program. 

Some notable courses that students in this program take are:

• Psychedelics and Psychology
• Introduction to Psychology
• Introduction to Psychological Sciences
• Applications of Research Methods
• Research Methods
• Developmental Psychology

These courses will offer you a comprehensive foundation in the theories and practices of psychology, and a unique perspective in niche subjects.

At $458-$498 per credit, Central Michigan University is a relatively affordable program. Prospective students should note the robust nature of the school’s psychology program. While you may pay more at CMU than many other schools, you’ll have access to more courses, better faculty, and greater networking opportunities compared with other online psychology programs. 

It’s important to consider addiction from a sociological perspective. By zooming out and examining the trends in cultures and socioeconomic classes, one can gain a comprehensive understanding of the addiction epidemic plaguing the United States. And with that understanding, one can play a role in curbing the epidemic. If you’re interested in taking this approach, consider Fort Hays State University’s Bachelor of Science in sociology with an addictions counseling track.

Some courses in the sociology major are:

• Understanding Society: Introductory Sociology
• Cultural Anthropology
• Methods of Social Research
• Grant Writing

Classes in the Addictions Counseling track include:

• Introduction to Addictions
• Individual Counseling in Addictions
• Client Management Procedures
• Group Counseling with Addiction Populations

Graduates from this program have become:

• alcohol and drug counselors
• adoption agents
• lawyers
• labor relations specialists
• child welfare officers
• congressional aids
• battered spouse advocates

Whether you seek a career in social work, education, or addictions counseling, this program will get you there. 

Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers perhaps the best Bachelor of Science in addiction studies program in one of the states most plagued by the opiate epidemic. This program provides students with the insight required to understand the epidemic, the theory to understand counseling, and the practices to prosper in the field. Students take classes in the psychology and addiction studies departments to gain a balanced perspective.

Some courses in the psychology program are:

• Physiological Psychology
• Diversity Issues in Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychology of Gender

Some classes in the addiction studies core are:

• Family Dynamic
• Case Management
• Addiction Counseling Skills
• Introduction to Addictions Disorders

These classes provide you the skills to prosper as a social worker, counselor, psychologist, or agency administrator.

Northwestern State University of Louisiana students benefit from some of the most affordable tuition rates in the nation, at $375 per credit hour up to 12 hours, then $100 per credit hour thereafter.