Fastest Way To Become a Counselor in North Carolina 2025

As in most states, becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in North Carolina requires a significant investment in time and dedication. However, accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs can shorten timelines by 18 to 24 months, providing the fastest way to become a licensed counselor. To learn more specifics about the fastest way to become a counselor in North Carolina, keep reading.

How Long Does It Take To Become a Counselor in North Carolina?

Depending on your specific field, it typically takes a minimum of six years to become a counselor. Along with coursework, you must complete a period of supervised experience and two exams. Accelerated degrees condense the overall process of earning counseling licensure and offer the fastest way to become a therapist in North Carolina as well.

What Are the Steps to Becoming a Counselor in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, you achieve full and unrestricted licensure when you receive the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) credential. Therapists and counselors may choose similar degree programs based on their goals, and both require the LCMHC to practice professionally in the state and follow the same steps outlined here.

1. Earn a bachelor's degree: Earn an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution. Related fields include sociology, social work, psychology, human growth and development, and other social and behavioral science programs.

2. Earn a master's degree: Earn a graduate degree from an appropriately accredited institution that reflects the educational requirements for your counseling practice area. Programs must include hours devoted to a practicum, internship, and graduate counseling supervision.

3. Pass the required exams: Following your graduate degree, you must pass one of three available national counselor examinations�the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), or the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)�and the North Carolina jurisprudence exam.

4. Complete supervised clinical experience: Complete an application and at least 100 hours of clinical supervision to become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Associate (LCMHA). This credential allows you to gain 3,000 additional hours of necessary, supervised counseling experience to qualify for the LCMHC.

5. Complete North Carolina counselor licensure requirements: The final step is to apply for your counseling license. You must complete all exams, clinical supervision hours, a criminal background check, and meet other requirements to be approved by the licensure board.

What Is the Fastest Way To Get a Counseling Degree in North Carolina?

To earn a counseling degree quickly, explore accelerated programs offered by schools that are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which ensures your degree is respected nationwide. These programs offer compressed class sessions, flexibility, and often the opportunity to earn bachelor's and master's degree credits concurrently. You can finish in 12 to 18 months what would typically require two to three years, allowing you to enter the field and work on your licensure sooner.

Choose an Accelerated Online Master's in Counseling Program

With accelerated online master's in counseling programs, you get added convenience and typically lower costs than traditional classroom settings. Programs can squeeze multiple shorter course sessions into a semester, enabling you to progress faster with your master's degree.

Additionally, online materials are available around the clock, allowing you to study on your schedule. The program should still include any practicums and internships that North Carolina requires for licensure.

Earn a Combined Bachelor's and Master's Degree

Some accelerated programs offer even more creative ways to earn degrees in reduced time. These programs allow you to take advanced courses that satisfy both bachelor's and master's degree credits, typically while completing your final year of undergraduate studies.

Other programs accelerate your bachelor's degree coursework, enabling you to finish in three years and get a head start on your graduate degree. With some hard work, these time-saving methods could earn you both degrees in as little as four years.

Utilize Transfer Credits

With a growing number of school transfers and degrees earned later in life, many programs now offer accelerated pathways by accepting various types of transferable credit. In addition to previously earned credit from other accredited institutions, programs may accept military experience and training, work experience, vocational or technical credit, and passing scores on proficiency exams. Schools with the most generous policies may transfer up to 75% of credits for a bachelor's degree and nearly 50% for a graduate degree.

Featured Online Counseling Programs in North Carolina

Are you ready to consider a career as a mental health counselor, therapist, or other type of LPC? The following are just a few online options from state universities that can provide the fastest way to become a counselor in North Carolina.

North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public research university in Raleigh that offers three online Master of Education programs in counseling. The degrees emphasize both theory and practice since they provide students with relevant and individualized field counseling experiences appropriate to their specialized fields.

• Time to completion: three years (as a part-time cohort)
• Tuition cost: $546.50 per credit hour for state residents
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Specializations: clinical mental health counseling, counselor education, and school counseling and student development

Methodist University

Methodist University is a private university in Fayetteville offering bachelor's degrees in counseling-related fields such as psychology and social work and a Master of Science degree in clinical mental health counseling. These fully online programs study progressive theories and models of counseling through robust curriculums that utilize research and statistical analysis.

• Time to completion: 3.5 years (bachelor's degree); two years (master's degree)
• Tuition cost: $435 per credit hour (bachelor's degree); $545 per credit hour (master's degree)
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Specializations: none

University of Mount Olive

The University of Mount Olive is a private liberal arts institution that offers an online Master of Science degree in clinical mental health counseling. Courses are designed to gain a deep understanding of the principles, ethics, and evidence-based techniques essential for licensure and professional practice.

• Time to completion: two years or less with full-time accelerated classes
• Tuition cost: $610 per credit hour
• Accreditation: CACREP
• Specializations: none

How Much Does It Cost To Become a Counselor?

Tuition rates vary greatly as public institutions cost significantly less than private institutions and in-state resident students pay less than out-of-state counterparts. The total cost for a bachelor's degree in counseling-related fields can range between $13,000 and more than $200,000 nationally.

While some online programs cost less than traditional courses, this is not always the case. An online master's degree in counseling, for instance, can vary widely in cost depending on the institution, program length, and structure, ranging from $30,000 to $120,000. A counseling doctorate can range nationally from around $35,000 to $240,000.

North Carolina schools reflect national trends involving in-state tuition, which is generally significantly less than out-of-state rates. The average cost of in-state tuition nationally is $12,201, but some state schools like NC State come in under that amount. However, whether online or in-person, out-of-state costs can be more than $10,000 more expensive, so it pays to attend a school in-state if you have a limited budget.

Are There Affordable Counseling Degree Programs?

If you reside or plan to reside in North Carolina, enrolling at an in-state public school or taking online courses at such institutions as featured above can keep the cost of your counseling degree manageable. Also, keep in mind that the 2025 estimated costs are based on full-term degrees and don't factor in accelerated programs that can save substantial costs. The rates don't account for financial aid either, as grants and scholarships may be available through federal and state funds.

How Much Can I Earn as a Counselor?

According to the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE), an LPC earns $73,348 per year on average, or $35.26 per hour. The lowest 10% of salaries make roughly $55,000, while the top 10% earn around $90,000.

Location, education, specialization, and practice type all influence how much an LPC can expect to make. For instance, LPCs earn the most money in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Overall, employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% by 2032.

Types of Counseling Career Paths With a Master's Degree

Counselors work in a variety of fields depending on their specialties, but all share the opportunity to positively impact lives by helping people navigate tough decisions or cope with such issues as grief, addiction, mental health disorders, and dysfunctional relationships. There are numerous career paths within the counseling profession; here are several examples:

• school counselor
• child/pediatric counselor
• mental health counselor
• substance abuse counselor
• career counselor
• family therapy counselor
• marriage counselor
• rehabilitation counselor
• geriatric counselor
• guidance counselor
• religious/spiritual counselor
• grief counselor

Explore Master's Programs in Counseling

Now that you've explored the fastest way to become a therapist in North Carolina or a licensed professional counselor, take the next step toward pursuing counseling licensure by learning more about various schools and their degree programs on Learn.org. Contact these institutions directly with questions regarding the right program for you.