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Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region

151 Colleges
$35,015 Avg Salary
$23,266 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Mental & Social Health Services School for You

In 2020-2021, 29,053 mental and social health services students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #8 most popular in the country.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for healthcare students. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Healthcare Degree Search has developed this Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 151 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best programs for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region

Check out the mental health services programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 15% Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools

#1

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Our 2023 rankings named Wake Forest University the best school in the Southeast Region for mental and social health services students. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.

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#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

The excellent programs at Vanderbilt University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best mental and social health services schools in the Southeast Region . Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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The excellent programs at Virginia Commonwealth University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best mental and social health services schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Virginia Commonwealth University Report

#4

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Belmont University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region list. Belmont is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Belmont University Report

#5

Milligan University

Milligan College, TN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Milligan University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region list. Milligan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Milligan College.

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#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

James Madison University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. JMU is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

The average amount in student loans that mental health services majors at JMU take out is $22,482. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $404.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at James Madison University

#7

Harding University

Searcy, AR

Harding University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the town of Searcy, Harding is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at Harding University

#8

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

With a ranking of #8, University of Kentucky did quite well on this year’s best schools for mental and social health services students. Located in the large city of Lexington, UK is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at University of Kentucky Report

#9

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Lipscomb is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Lipscomb University Report

#10

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

Florida State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at Florida State University

#11

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

Old Dominion University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that mental health services majors at Old Dominion take out is $29,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $223, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Old Dominion University Report

#12

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

University of Georgia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mental and social health services students. It came in at #12 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Athens, UGA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

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#13

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL

Columbia Southern University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the fringe town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their degree, mental health services majors at Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of around $37,110 in student debt.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Columbia Southern University Report

#14

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

University of Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mental and social health services students. It came in at #14 on the list. UF is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at University of Florida

With a ranking of #15, University of Louisiana at Monroe did quite well on this year’s best schools for mental and social health services students. ULM is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Monroe.

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#16

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

East Carolina University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small city of Greenville, ECU is a public college with a very large student population.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at East Carolina University Report

#17

John Brown University

Siloam Springs, AR

John Brown University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mental and social health services students. It came in at #17 on the list. JBU is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Siloam Springs.

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#18

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

University of Miami landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the small city of Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

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#19

Atlantic Technical College

Coconut Creek, FL

Atlantic Technical College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the suburb of Coconut Creek, Atlantic Technical College is a public college with a small student population.

Full Mental & Social Health Services at Atlantic Technical College Report

#20

Sullivan University

Louisville, KY

Sullivan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for mental and social health services students. It came in at #20 on the list. Sullivan University is a small private for-profit school located in the large city of Louisville.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at Sullivan University

#21

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA

Eastern Mennonite University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, Eastern Mennonite is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read full report on Mental & Social Health Services at Eastern Mennonite University

Montgomery Community College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best mental and social health services programs. Located in the rural area of Troy, MCC is a public college with a small student population.

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Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Mental & Social Health Services Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
23 Florida International University Miami, FL
24 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
25 University of Mississippi University, MS
26 Marymount University Arlington, VA
27 Montreat College Montreat, NC
28 Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN
29 Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY
30 Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC

Best Mental & Social Health Services Colleges by State

Explore the best mental and social health services schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
Florida 1,223
North Carolina 710
Tennessee 218
Georgia 154
Kentucky 238
West Virginia 60
Virginia 2,163
Alabama 241
Louisiana 135
Mississippi 62
South Carolina 70
Arkansas 242

Mental & Social Health Services is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

Mental Health Services Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Mental Health Counseling/Counselor 7,609
Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling 5,433
Other Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions 4,069
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling 3,405
Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician 2,779
Clinical/Medical Social Work 2,534
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 2,526
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling 328
Genetic Counseling/Counselor 288
Trauma Counseling 56
Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy 13
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist 12

Related Major Annual Graduates
Nursing 322,592
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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