Best degree programs for Marriage and Family Therapists, ranked by enrollment
4 college programs and 860 schools train Marriage and Family Therapists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $66,940 median wage, 66,740 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
4 college programs at 860 schools train marriage and family therapists, graduating 61,662 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Social Work. The job pays a median of $66,940 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About marriage and family therapists
Diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems. Apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
4 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 44.0701 | 56,891 | 92.3% | 786 | $37,264 | $26,140 |
| 2 | CIP 51.1505 | 4,547 | 7.4% | 138 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 3 | CIP 51.1506 | 217 | 0.4% | 18 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
| 4 | CIP 51.1511 | 7 | 0.0% | 2 | $37,335 | $22,861 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 1,743 | Social Work | — | — | — |
| 2 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 1,355 | Social Work | 71% | — | 93% |
| 3 | The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 895 | Social Work | 54% | — | 80% |
| 4 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 765 | Social Work | 84% | — | 58% |
| 5 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 745 | Social Work | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 6 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 742 | Social Work | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 7 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 643 | Social Work | 57% | — | 54% |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 625 | Social Work | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 9 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 593 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | 20% | $19,369 | — |
| 10 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 572 | Social Work | 88% | — | 61% |
| 11 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 569 | Social Work | 82% | $38,931 | 59% |
| 12 | Indiana University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 565 | Social Work | 54% | — | 76% |
| 13 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 556 | Social Work | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 14 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 551 | Social Work | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 15 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 507 | Social Work | 93% | — | 16% |
| 16 | University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 500 | Social Work | 43% | — | — |
| 17 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 483 | Social Work | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 18 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 464 | Social Work | 63% | — | 93% |
| 19 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Public · 1 feeder programs | 456 | Social Work | 69% | — | 73% |
| 20 | Portland State University Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder programs | 427 | Social Work | 53% | — | 91% |
| 21 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 418 | Social Work | 74% | — | 42% |
| 22 | Yeshiva University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 410 | Social Work | 83% | $39,696 | 56% |
| 23 | Northcentral University San Diego, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 409 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | — | — | — |
| 24 | Touro University Worldwide Los Alamitos, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 387 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | 29% | $17,026 | — |
| 25 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 379 | Social Work | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 26 | Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 372 | Social Work | 35% | $18,316 | — |
| 27 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 365 | Social Work | 53% | — | 91% |
| 28 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 354 | Social Work | 58% | — | 81% |
| 29 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 346 | Social Work | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 30 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 339 | Social Work | 78% | — | 40% |
| 31 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs | 338 | Social Work | 75% | — | 77% |
| 32 | Boise State University Boise, ID Public · 1 feeder programs | 329 | Social Work | 60% | — | 87% |
| 33 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 320 | Social Work | 85% | — | 58% |
| 34 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 317 | Social Work | 69% | — | 46% |
| 35 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 317 | Social Work | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 36 | University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV Public · 1 feeder programs | 317 | Social Work | 61% | — | 74% |
| 37 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 308 | Social Work | 68% | — | 90% |
| 38 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 296 | Social Work | 76% | — | 49% |
| 39 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 294 | Social Work | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 40 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 293 | Social Work | 32% | — | 99% |
| 41 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 287 | Social Work | 69% | — | 85% |
| 42 | University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 287 | Social Work | — | — | — |
| 43 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 283 | Social Work | 0% | — | 67% |
| 44 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder programs | 283 | Social Work | 65% | — | 86% |
| 45 | Alliant International University - San Diego San Diego, CA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 273 | Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling | — | — | 0% |
| 46 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 269 | Social Work | 51% | — | 94% |
| 47 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public · 2 feeder programs | 269 | Social Work | 61% | — | 79% |
| 48 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 268 | Social Work | 77% | — | 43% |
| 49 | Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM Public · 1 feeder programs | 263 | Social Work | 32% | — | — |
| 50 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 2 feeder programs | 261 | Social Work | 90% | — | 38% |
What marriage and family therapists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $67,300 | 34,970 | 4.47× | 50 | 6,506 |
| New York | $64,430 | 770 | 0.18× | 38 | 5,318 |
| Texas | $46,300 | 1,380 | 0.23× | 53 | 3,852 |
| Minnesota | $72,470 | 4,870 | 3.85× | 29 | 3,568 |
| Illinois | $60,970 | 860 | 0.33× | 41 | 2,772 |
| Ohio | $70,240 | 460 | 0.19× | 60 | 2,454 |
| Michigan | $52,270 | 590 | 0.31× | 30 | 2,452 |
| Kentucky | $52,420 | 330 | 0.39× | 15 | 2,431 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,040 | 2,350 | 0.90× | 47 | 2,284 |
| Massachusetts | $67,370 | 600 | 0.38× | 21 | 2,001 |
| Arizona | $65,290 | — | — | 17 | 1,782 |
| New Jersey | $92,150 | 4,040 | 2.20× | 24 | 1,753 |
| Florida | $56,400 | 930 | 0.22× | 20 | 1,654 |
| North Carolina | $48,100 | 1,400 | 0.66× | 27 | 1,609 |
| Indiana | $56,810 | 510 | 0.37× | 23 | 1,360 |
| Virginia | $79,900 | 930 | 0.53× | 15 | 1,351 |
| Colorado | $60,700 | 900 | 0.73× | 11 | 1,324 |
| Tennessee | $46,700 | 1,440 | 1.02× | 21 | 1,162 |
| Wisconsin | $37,870 | 180 | 0.14× | 18 | 1,040 |
| Connecticut | $86,250 | 260 | 0.36× | 11 | 927 |
| Alabama | $49,990 | 190 | 0.21× | 21 | 896 |
| Georgia | $91,550 | — | — | 16 | 841 |
| Utah | $84,980 | 2,390 | 3.21× | 9 | 841 |
| Maryland | $69,900 | 460 | 0.39× | 11 | 824 |
| Washington | $60,000 | — | — | 13 | 759 |
| Kansas | $68,710 | 190 | 0.30× | 14 | 733 |
| Missouri | $60,440 | 390 | 0.31× | 21 | 727 |
| Oregon | $91,520 | 850 | 1.00× | 12 | 673 |
| Idaho | $62,700 | 140 | 0.38× | 8 | 646 |
| Iowa | $67,180 | 240 | 0.36× | 21 | 533 |
| Oklahoma | $57,670 | — | — | 10 | 518 |
| Mississippi | $51,440 | 140 | 0.28× | 17 | 508 |
| Arkansas | $64,340 | 80 | 0.15× | 11 | 466 |
| New Mexico | $70,630 | 160 | 0.42× | 8 | 408 |
| West Virginia | $55,700 | 90 | 0.31× | 8 | 344 |
| South Carolina | $55,430 | 380 | 0.39× | 6 | 324 |
| Maine | $71,680 | 180 | 0.65× | 5 | 271 |
| Nebraska | $62,610 | 260 | 0.58× | 6 | 255 |
| Montana | $46,960 | 100 | 0.44× | 6 | 211 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $141,960 | 220 | 0.81× | 3 | 205 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $60,030 | 70 | 0.24× | 4 | 171 |
| Delawarelimited | $76,580 | 400 | 1.92× | 1 | 105 |
| Vermontmoderate | $62,780 | — | — | 3 | 96 |
| Alaskalimited | $60,010 | 60 | 0.45× | 2 | 78 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $44,870 | 80 | 0.42× | 4 | 47 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Encourage individuals and family members to develop and use skills and strategies for confronting their problems in a constructive manner.
- Ask questions that will help clients identify their feelings and behaviors.
- Develop and implement individualized treatment plans addressing family relationship problems, destructive patterns of behavior, and other personal issues.
- Maintain case files that include activities, progress notes, evaluations, and recommendations.
- Counsel clients on concerns, such as unsatisfactory relationships, divorce and separation, child rearing, home management, or financial difficulties.
- Collect information about clients, using techniques such as testing, interviewing, discussion, or observation.
- Confer with clients to develop plans for posttreatment activities.
- Confer with other counselors, doctors, and professionals to analyze individual cases and to coordinate counseling services.
Skills
- Active Listening4.9
- Speaking4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Writing4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Learning Strategies3.1
Knowledge areas
- Therapy and Counseling5.0
- Psychology4.9
- Customer and Personal Service4.0
- Sociology and Anthropology3.9
- English Language3.6
- Administrative3.4
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.3
- Oral Comprehension4.3
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Speech Clarity4.0
Core activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.8
- Documenting/Recording Information4.8
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.7
- Getting Information4.5
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.3
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Marriage
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 5 majors mapped to Marriage and Family Therapists4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 44.0701Social Work
- 51.1505Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
- 51.1506Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
- 51.1510Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services(no graduates reported)
- 51.1511Medical Family Therapy/Therapist
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Marriage?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Social Work, which awarded 56,891 degrees in 2024-25, 92.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Marriage?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Social Work, Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. Together they graduate about 61,662 people a year.
How much do marriage and family therapists earn?+
The median is $66,940 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $44,650 at the 10th percentile to $123,730 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for marriage and family therapists growing?+
BLS projects a +12.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 7,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
860 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 4 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do marriage and family therapists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Clinical Therapist, Outpatient Therapist, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-1013.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card