University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs for masters in addiction studies.
Why Earn a Master’s in Substance Abuse Counseling?
A master’s degree in addiction counseling program is a graduate degree that will stand as the pinnacle of your career. With a graduate degree, you will be able to earn more and achieve more than those with an associate or bachelor’s degree. A master's in addiction counseling degree program will also provide graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary to help more people recover from their addicted state.
A master’s degree in substance abuse counseling is generally considered a professional degree that is intended to increase your efficacy in doing your job. During the course of the degree, you may be able to specialize in a particular concentration area, such as juvenile addiction issues, or the impact on certain ethnic populations. Such specialization will help you build a practice that reflects your specific passions.
A master’s degree in this field should take approximately two years. However, there are concurrent baccalaureate/graduate addiction counseling degree programs that can issue a diploma in approximately five years, provided that you remain full-time and complete the necessary courses in a timely fashion. Furthermore, you can complete your graduate schooling either online, on-campus, or via some mixture of the two. Keep in mind that if you still need to achieve a state license you will need to both pass your state’s required examination and complete an internship.
These programs may vary from school to school, but, generally, they will provide future mental health counselors, addiction counselors, and substance abuse counselors with core courses in their counseling degree that cover many of the following subjects.
- Addiction Counseling and Prevention
- Substance Use Disorders
- Counseling Theory and Practice
- Co-Occurring Disorders
- Addiction Treatment
- Mental Health Treatment
- Counseling Theories in Rehabilitation Counseling
- One-on-One, Group Counseling, and Other Types of Addictions Counseling
- And More
Featured Online Programs
Top 25 Best Online Masters in Addiction Counseling Programs
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Score: 90.17
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $19,116
- Out-of-State: $29,580
- Net Price: $16,018
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 84%
- Total Enrollment: 54,955
- Undergrad Students: 39,248
- Graduate Students: 15,707
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Texas Tech University
Score: 80.61
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,956
- Out-of-State: $15,356
- Net Price: $17,896
- Acceptance Rate: 67%
- Retention Rate: 86%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 40,378
- Undergrad Students: 32,579
- Graduate Students: 7,799
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
The University of Alabama
Score: 79.05
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,100
- Out-of-State: $32,400
- Net Price: $20,592
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 38,644
- Undergrad Students: 32,458
- Graduate Students: 6,186
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Drexel University
Score: 78.99
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,234
- Out-of-State: $36,234
- Net Price: $39,267
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 22,344
- Undergrad Students: 14,021
- Graduate Students: 8,323
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Indiana Wesleyan University
Score: 78.13
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,970
- Out-of-State: $11,970
- Net Price: $21,755
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 2,603
- Undergrad Students: 2,236
- Graduate Students: 367
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Elizabethtown College
Score: 77.12
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,166
- Out-of-State: $36,166
- Net Price: $26,723
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 2,021
- Undergrad Students: 1,737
- Graduate Students: 284
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Utah State University
Score: 76.36
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,763
- Out-of-State: $23,176
- Net Price: $14,577
- Acceptance Rate: 94%
- Retention Rate: 74%
- Graduation Rate: 54%
- Total Enrollment: 27,943
- Undergrad Students: 24,835
- Graduate Students: 3,108
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Virginia Commonwealth University
Score: 76.29
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,404
- Out-of-State: $27,550
- Net Price: $21,294
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 28,082
- Undergrad Students: 20,958
- Graduate Students: 7,124
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Nova Southeastern University
Score: 75.13
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $22,890
- Out-of-State: $22,890
- Net Price: $29,589
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 20,948
- Undergrad Students: 6,971
- Graduate Students: 13,977
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Thomas University
Score: 74.19
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,050
- Out-of-State: $13,050
- Net Price: $16,308
- Acceptance Rate: 46%
- Retention Rate: 36%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 1,531
- Undergrad Students: 793
- Graduate Students: 738
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Score: 73.89
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,490
- Out-of-State: $18,590
- Net Price: $11,353
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 51%
- Total Enrollment: 8,398
- Undergrad Students: 6,552
- Graduate Students: 1,846
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Washburn University
Score: 73.7
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,274
- Out-of-State: $19,954
- Net Price: $12,473
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 54%
- Total Enrollment: 5,460
- Undergrad Students: 4,733
- Graduate Students: 727
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Score: 73.52
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,479
- Out-of-State: $10,479
- Net Price: $17,939
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 72%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 4,682
- Undergrad Students: 3,729
- Graduate Students: 953
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
Regent University
Score: 72.82
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,128
- Out-of-State: $16,128
- Net Price: $17,341
- Acceptance Rate: 32%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 10,337
- Undergrad Students: 4,541
- Graduate Students: 5,796
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
Eastern Washington University
Score: 72.76
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,698
- Out-of-State: $28,043
- Net Price: $12,827
- Acceptance Rate: 96%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 10,910
- Undergrad Students: 7,604
- Graduate Students: 3,306
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of South Dakota
Score: 72.45
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,123
- Out-of-State: $11,773
- Net Price: $18,378
- Acceptance Rate: 99%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 57%
- Total Enrollment: 9,856
- Undergrad Students: 7,132
- Graduate Students: 2,724
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
University of Providence
Score: 71.27
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $24,237
- Out-of-State: $24,237
- Net Price: $22,318
- Acceptance Rate: 95%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 41%
- Total Enrollment: 955
- Undergrad Students: 593
- Graduate Students: 362
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 7:1
University of the Cumberlands
Score: 71.2
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,260
- Out-of-State: $4,260
- Net Price: $14,337
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 18,053
- Undergrad Students: 5,174
- Graduate Students: 12,879
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Score: 70.38
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,240
- Out-of-State: $13,944
- Net Price: $9,959
- Acceptance Rate: 69%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 41%
- Total Enrollment: 2,387
- Undergrad Students: 2,182
- Graduate Students: 205
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Bay Path University
Score: 70.3
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $19,235
- Out-of-State: $19,235
- Net Price: $18,502
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 47%
- Total Enrollment: 2,465
- Undergrad Students: 1,315
- Graduate Students: 1,150
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Grand Canyon University
Score: 67.63
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,138
- Out-of-State: $10,138
- Net Price: $21,939
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 45%
- Total Enrollment: 101,816
- Undergrad Students: 66,769
- Graduate Students: 35,047
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Governors State University
Score: 67.48
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,624
- Out-of-State: $6,624
- Net Price: $9,833
- Acceptance Rate: 57%
- Retention Rate: 56%
- Graduation Rate: 21%
- Total Enrollment: 4,427
- Undergrad Students: 2,609
- Graduate Students: 1,818
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Western New Mexico University
Score: 66.4
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,958
- Out-of-State: $8,730
- Net Price: $10,676
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 62%
- Graduation Rate: 31%
- Total Enrollment: 3,378
- Undergrad Students: 2,377
- Graduate Students: 1,001
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Liberty University
Score: 66.3
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,740
- Out-of-State: $7,740
- Net Price: $29,913
- Acceptance Rate: 99%
- Retention Rate: 79%
- Graduation Rate: 66%
- Total Enrollment: 96,709
- Undergrad Students: 48,906
- Graduate Students: 47,803
- Grads Salary: $63,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Union College
Score: 66.15
- Graduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,880
- Out-of-State: $8,880
- Net Price: $18,221
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 970
- Undergrad Students: 724
- Graduate Students: 246
- Grads Salary: $65,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
