TAMIU School Counseling Program Named #1 by Leading Counseling Psychology Website
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) has ranked No. 1 in Best Master’s in Counseling in Texas 2027 by CounselingPsychology.org, a top website focused on providing educational resources for aspiring counselors and psychologists. The ranking highlighted TAMIU’s online Master of Science in School Counseling Program as a top option for certified Texas teachers looking to advance their careers.
The listing and methodology used is available at https://www.counselingpsychology.org/counseling/schools/texas/#show.
The ranking shortlisted 10 counseling programs across Texas, considering affordability and net price, online and hybrid availability, graduation and retention rates, post-graduation earnings and debt, and accreditation and licensure alignment.
The University’s top ranking highlights the online graduate program, designed to accommodate working educators while preparing them for school counseling roles. The recognition affirms the work of the University’s school counseling program and faculty, Dr. Angela Cano Sampson, assistant professor of School Counseling, emphasized.
"We are deeply grateful to CounselingPsychology.org for recognizing Texas A&M International University as the #1 Best Online and Affordable Master’s in Counseling in Texas for 2027, a significant milestone that highlights our expanding statewide footprint and the critical importance of producing highly effective school counselors for K-12 districts,” said Cano Sampson.
Dr. Seth Sampson, associate professor of School Counseling and School Counseling program coordinator, also emphasized the significance of the ranking, saying, “This top ranking reflects our strength across essential factors like affordability, exceptional graduation and retention rates, and seamless licensure fit, driven by an asynchronous online model where faculty intentionally mentor and nurture each student's professional identity from admission through their post-graduate school counselor certification and on to transition into Licensed Professional Counselors.”
The program requires applicants to hold a valid Texas teaching certificate and have two years of classroom teaching experience.
The 48-credit-hour Master of Science in School Counseling can be completed in approximately 16 months. Seven-week courses and six start dates per year offer flexibility for teachers balancing graduate studies with their professional responsibilities. The program also includes two practicums totaling 160 clock hours and prepares students for the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) School Counselor examination.
Coursework covers counseling theories, human growth and development, career counseling, multicultural issues, crisis intervention, group counseling and addictions.
Affordability was another ranking factor. CounselingPsychology.org reported an institution-wide average net price of $3,637 for TAMIU, based on federal College Scorecard data.
According to CounselingPsychology.org, its ranking methodology incorporated program-level information maintained in-house, original research on individual programs, federal higher education data and accreditation directories. Sources included the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the federal College Scorecard and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
For more information about TAMIU’s online Master of Science in School Counseling, visit https://online.tamiu.edu/programs/education/master-of-science-in-school-counseling.
A member of the Texas A&M University System, TAMIU provides a world-class educational experience to students from South Texas, northern Mexico and beyond.
For more on the University’s story, visit tamiu.edu or follow its social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and X.
