Bachelor’s Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling Online & On-Campus

A bachelor’s degree meets or exceeds the requirements for standard substance use disorder counseling certification in every single state.
In nearly half the states, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum degree required to qualify for standard substance abuse counselor certification.
A handful even require a bachelor’s for entry-level associate-counselor roles.
And in another handful, a bachelor’s meets the requirement for the highest level certification offered in the state, reserved for independent practitioners and clinical supervisors.

A bachelor’s degree from an American college has become the ideal kind of preparation for any sort of important job in the workforce today. With a special balance of longstanding liberal arts educational principles and a strong serving of expertise in a field of your choice, these are the degrees that make college graduates the key to every organization in the country today.

None of those organizations are more desperate for the kind of well-prepared help that bachelor’s graduates can offer than those dealing with the horrific onslaught of substance use disorders (SUD).

Drug addiction, alcohol abuse, chemical dependency… no matter what label you put to it, it represents a pressing crisis in American society today. According to data from the CDC, one in seven Americans over the age of 12 reports experiencing a substance use disorder. The number of overdose deaths occurring as a result increased by ten times between 1999 and 2021. 2022 was even a bit worse. As of this writing, the numbers aren’t in for the years since, but indications suggest there hasn’t been a meaningful change to that trend.

Substance use disorders are treatable—but only with the right expertise.

A bachelor’s degree in addiction treatment puts you on a path to reversing the trend. As the most common kind of educational credential required for licensing as a SUD counselor, a bachelor’s does more than just give you the kind of tools to fight addiction—it also sets you up to earn the credentials you need to do it.

How a Bachelor’s Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling Fits in with Certification in Your State

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has done a lot of work to clarify and categorize the various state license levels available in SUD treatment today.

In the SAMHSA model career ladder for the substance use disorder treatment workforce, a bachelor’s-level education lines up with the category for SUD counselor positions that involve providing all addiction treatment services independently, with the exception of clinical services.

The reality is a bit more complicated when you drill down state-by-state. In some cases, you need a four-year degree even for more low-level associate SUD counseling licenses. In others, you might not need a bachelor’s degree at all; instead a certificate or associate degree is sufficient.

But across the board, a bachelor’s degree meets or exceeds the requirements for substance use disorder counseling certification in every single state.

In these states, a bachelor’s degree is required even for associate-level counselors, assistants, apprentices, or provisionally-licensed counselors:

State	Certification Titles
Indiana (also offers a non-degree entry-point)	Licensed Addiction Counselor Associate
Missouri (also offers a non-degree entry-point)	Addiction Counselor 1
Nevada	Provisional Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor
Utah (also offers a non-degree entry-point)	Certified Advanced Substance Use Disorder Intern
Vermont	Apprentice Addiction Professional

(SAMHSA defines associate-level professionals as those who hold provisional or non-provisional licenses and who can provide most counseling treatment services while under direct and general supervision)

A bachelor’s is also the absolute basic requirement for standard SUD counselor certification in these states:

State	Titles
Alabama	National Certified Addiction Counselor II
Arkansas	Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor
Arizona	Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor / Licensed Associate Substance Abuse Counselor
California	Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor II
Colorado	Certified Addiction Counselor III
Florida	Certified Addiction Professional
Iowa	Certified Co-Occuring Disorders Professional
Indiana	Licensed Addiction Counselor / Certified Co-Occuring Disorders Professional / Indiana Certified Addiction Counselor Level II
Kansas	Licensed Addiction Counselor
Kentucky	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
Louisiana	Certified Addiction Counselor
Maryland	Certified Associate Counselor-Alcohol & Drug / Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor / Certified Co-Occuring Disorders Professional
Missouri	Registered Alcohol Drug Counselor-Provisional
Mississippi	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor I
North Dakota	Licensed Addiction Counselor
Nevada	Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor
New York	Advanced Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Counselor
Oklahoma	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
Oregon	Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor II
South Carolina	Certified Addictions Counselor I
Utah	Certified Advanced Substance Abuse Disorder Counselor
Virginia	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor / Certified Substance Abuse Counselor
Vermont	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
Wyoming	Certified Addictions Practitioner

(Although lower-level associate, assistant, and provisional licenses are available in many of these states, shown here are standard certifications for those looking to establish careers in substance use disorder counseling that involve being able to provide most non-clinical services independently, without direct supervision.)

A bachelor’s along with additional experience can qualify you for the next step up, independent clinical practice, in these states:

State	Titles
Washington DC	Certified Addiction Counselor II
Georgia	Certified Addiction Counselor II
Indiana	Licensed Addiction Counselor
Minnesota	Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor
North Dakota	Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor
Ohio	Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III
Pennsylvania	Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor
South Carolina	Certified Addictions Counselor II
Utah	Licensed Advanced Substance Use Disorder Counselor

While the states listed above require a bachelor’s degree, that degree doesn’t always have to be in substance abuse treatment specifically. As long as it’s in a related field, it’s likely to be accepted for meeting the degree requirement for licensure.

The catch is that on top of the degree, you’re required to meet a certain number of educational hours in specific coursework involving addiction diagnosis and SUD treatment. When you earn a bachelor’s in substance abuse counseling, you know you are getting exactly that coursework. With other programs, even those that have concentrations in SUD, you may not get all the coursework you need. This simply means you would find yourself back in school earning a certificate to satisfy those requirements.

Even where a bachelor’s degree isn’t strictly required for SUD counselor certification or licensure, it offers better preparation for the job than lower levels of education.

If you don’t see your state listed in any of the tables above, it means the bar to entry is an associate degree in substance use disorder counseling, or training only with no degree requirement.

A Bachelor’s Degree is the Perfect Path for Career-Focused Substance Use Disorder Counselors

These four-year programs are the staple of educating the strong and compassionate workforce the country will need to deal with the opioid epidemic and other crises of substance use. They are the most commonly required educational credential for certification or licensure in SUD treatment for good reason.

With four years, there’s plenty of time to cover the full range of subjects in a field that touches on aspects of society, law, science, and psychology. A bachelor’s comes with not only the professional knowledge and skills specific to SUD counseling, but also the bigger picture.

A Bachelor of Arts in Substance Abuse Counseling, Bachelor of Science in Alcohol and Drug Counseling, Bachelor of Science in Addiction Counseling, or similar program will cover:

How substance abuse hits local communities, social groups, and even the criminal justice system
Successful treatment models in other countries, exploring a range of healthcare and regulatory approaches that could one day be used here in the U.S.
How advocates are moving the needle in policy and legal realms to make a difference in getting patients the help they need

Other programs take an even broader view, such as a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Counseling and Prevention, which combines counseling training with public health education methods, social program design, community outreach, and other proactive approaches for heading off addiction in the first place.

You Can Meet the Bachelor’s Degree Requirement for Certification Even if Your Major is in a Human Services Discipline Other Than SUD Counseling

Substance use disorder counseling is a cross-disciplinary field. It’s also an area of expertise that is increasingly in demand in many different human services professions. As such, many related majors are also available with concentrations in addiction therapy or substance abuse counseling. Just a few common examples include:

Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Health Sciences Substance Use Disorders Emphasis
Bachelor’s in Counseling with an Emphasis in Addiction, Chemical Dependency, and Substance Abuse
Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Substance Abuse Concentration
Bachelor of Science in Counseling and Applied Psychological Science, Substance Abuse and Addictions specialization

Still other schools don’t offer either a degree or a formal specialization in SUD counseling. Instead, they may offer a substance use disorder treatment certificate that you can add to your bachelor’s in another related major. The certificates you can earn concurrently are usually the same as the post-bachelor’s certificates available to students who have already graduated. They are typically directly aligned with state requirements for SUD coursework required for licensing.

Accreditation or Endorsement From Licensing Bodies Is Critical for Bachelor’s Degrees in Addiction Counseling

Any American university that you are considering for a four-year degree is pretty much a dead lock to hold a general accreditation from one of the seven major organizations that evaluate colleges across the country today. These accreditation bodies are how you and your potential employers know that you are getting a reliable, valuable education.

When it comes to specific, specialized studies like psychology, social work, or substance abuse, though, other specialized certifying agencies exist to apply a higher standard.

Any bachelor’s in substance use disorder therapy that you are considering must be approved by the licensing or certification body operating in your state.

In many cases, state boards simply defer to the NASAC, the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission. In these instances, if a program is NASAC-accredited, the state board will accept it.

As an affiliate of NAADAC (the Association for Addiction Professionals), the organization that offers national certification standards in substance abuse counseling, NASAC is the only organization that evaluates programs designed to prepare substance use treatment professionals.

In other cases, state licensing agencies maintain their own standards and their own lists of approved providers. Some states, like California, have multiple independent organizations that accredit or certify bachelor’s programs.

It’s sometimes possible to appeal directly to licensing agencies to get approval for educational programs they have not already considered, but there’s no guarantees they’ll sign off on it.

Either way, without their stamp of approval, no bachelor’s program in substance abuse counseling will get you to licensure. So it’s a critical part of choosing the right school for your goals.

The Student Experience at Universities Offering Bachelor’s Degrees in Substance Abuse Counseling

What can you expect from a school offering bachelor’s programs for counselors?

In some senses, it’s no different than what you would expect from any top quality college program designed to prepare professionals for important work in a high-need field. You can expect an environment that has:

High-quality, well-respected, highly experienced instructors who take an interest in your success
Well-maintained facilities, well-stocked libraries, and strong academic counseling and support services
A strong reputation in the human services professional community and high rates of placement for graduates from the program

There are a few other considerations that are more specific to substance use disorder counseling, though.

Your school will have cross-disciplinary strengths in related fields - SUD counseling is interdisciplinary in nature. It will draw on instructors and resources from other departments like psychology, social work, medicine, and criminal justice. The stronger the programs are in those departments, the more likely you are to find a quality education in substance abuse counseling.
Strong ties to local social services agencies - Everything from getting the latest updates on fatal batches hitting the streets to practicum opportunities for getting the training you need rely on the relationship your school has with local treatment and services providers. You can expect your school to have long-term and in-depth connections with the professional community to make sure you are getting a relevant, practical education in what’s happening in the field today.
Specialist expertise in areas you most want to work in - There are many different ways in which SUD counseling is offered and many settings where it is practiced. If there’s a particular area that you are drawn to, you should have no trouble finding a school that has specific training in that specialty. For instance, specific classes in carceral group counseling and opportunities to intern in correctional facilities are a good find if you plan to work in counseling in the criminal justice system. Not all schools are created equal in all areas of addiction therapy.

What About a Bachelor’s Degree in Substance Abuse Counseling Online?

Something else that more and more students are looking for are bachelor’s degrees offered entirely online.

In a field like substance abuse counseling, you’ll always have fieldwork and practicums built into your bachelor’s program. But that doesn’t mean you won’t find flexible online options with the bulk of the curriculum delivered remotely.

Remote formats were already starting to become popular before the pandemic, but they’ve kicked into overdrive since. The advantages are clear:

The opportunity to study at the school of your choice without relocating, regardless of location
Asynchronous course schedules that allow students to shift class work around from day-to-day and week-to-week to best fit the current demands of work or life
Cutting down on costs by sticking close to home rather than commuting or moving to more expensive areas

Put them together and earning an addiction counseling bachelor’s degree online is a very attractive choice.

When looking at out-of-state online schools, it’s all the more important to verify they meet the required educational standards for the licensing or certification body in your state.

How Much Should You Expect To Pay To Earn a Bachelor’s in Addiction Counseling?

Speaking of keeping costs down, it’s probably something you are going to be interested in as someone going into a human services field. The cost of college has been going up a lot faster than salaries in this industry. So you are probably keeping a close eye on how much a degree in counseling will cost you.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average annual cost of tuition at a 4-year university in 2022 was $19,806. That puts the price tag of a bachelor’s degree at almost $80,000 in tuition and fees alone, to say nothing of room and board.

Of course, averages are always made up of both higher and lower options. Future SUD counselors will be relieved to learn that in-state average tuition for public schools is about half that, only $9,678 per year. Others, looking for the finest education money can buy, may not bat an eye at the $38,768 annual average for private schools.

There are plenty of choices out there and many opportunities for scholarships and other grants to help you shoulder the tuition load.

The Curriculum in Bachelor’s Degree Programs in Substance Abuse Counseling Offers In-Depth Preparation for Major Challenges

Addiction treatment is a multidisciplinary subject that requires a lot of cross-training in different subjects. Unlike certificate programs or even associate degrees, bachelor’s graduates can feel confident knowing they’ve explored the full depth and breadth of topics to get a real handle on the latest developments and most effective treatments in addiction recovery.

That comes through intensive and far-reaching courses that cover topics such as:

Understanding the Roots of Addiction

To offer effective assessment and treatment, you need to get into the weeds of the biological and psychological roots of substance abuse and addiction. You’ll have courses laying out the latest scientific understanding of the physiology of addictive substances, covering everything from the ancient nemesis of heroin to the latest lurking synthetic dangers like fentanyl.

You’ll also get into some of the history of social perspectives and adaptations to substance abuse. You’ll learn how approaches to treatment, punishment, and regulation have varied over the years and from country to country. All of this information will give you better context for your own treatment and advocacy efforts.

Performing Accurate Diagnosis and Assessment

The sheer variety of dangerous substances, or dangerous uses of common substances, and the effects they have on different people can make it tough to nail down exactly what’s happening with your patients. When they start to mix different substances with different physiological effects, as is common, it’s even harder.

So you will have a lot of coursework in diagnosing substance use disorders. From evaluating behavioral signs to using screening and assessment tools and interviews, you’ll hit the streets well-equipped to find and understand problems in the populations you treat.

Delivering Effective Treatment

As tough as diagnostics can be, it’s nowhere near as difficult as treatment. Addictions are tough to beat for all kinds of reasons: physical, economic, social, psychological. You’ll receive training in how to handle all those obstacles and more. You’ll get the latest in evidence-based treatments such as:

Each of these therapies can have greater or less effect depending on both substances and populations they are used with. Each also has implications for various co-occuring issues, like mental health disorders. So you will probably find even more courses in this area that help you understand how to use culturally responsive strategies to reach groups like teens, individuals experiencing homelessness, or various cultural groups.

Understanding Systems and Handling Casework

With an estimated 40 million Americans experiencing substance use disorders in 2020 according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the human services system is bulging at the seams. Much of the actual work of SUD counselors is in managing cases and shepherding their patients through a system that can be confusing even for experts.

You’ll have classes in taking accurate and useful clinical notes, discovering resources for assistance, and making referrals to other professionals and agencies. You’ll learn how to advocate for your clients both individually and as a class.

Developing Professional Standards and Ethical Approaches to SUD Treatment

Substance abuse is a sensitive subject with a lot of moral and ethical pitfalls for the unwary. So a significant amount of coursework in these programs is devoted to making you a careful and informed practitioner with the highest ethical standards.

Courses will include regulatory and legal obligations. They explore the inherent tensions between mandatory reporting and maintaining confidentiality and patient privacy. You’ll probably explore real-world ethical conundrums and spend time role-playing through sticky situations counselors face every day. You’ll come out well-equipped to establish professional boundaries while earning the trust and confidence of your patients.

From Internships to Electives – How A Bachelor’s Degree Offers a Broader Education To Empower More Capable SUD Counselors

Four years of study gives you plenty of time to not only get into the gritty details of substance abuse counseling, but also many general knowledge and science subjects. A bachelor’s degree is revered in the American business community not because of the specialist education it delivers, but because of the critical thinking and problem-solving skills it develops.

That’s more important in SUD counseling than in most professions. Every day will demand your ultimate effort in dealing with some kind of situation that there’s no textbook answer for. So the creativity and social skills you bring to the table will make a real difference.

Courses in English, social studies, and even the arts will help you become a more well-rounded counselor.

You can use the credits required in these various subjects to help develop your compassion, your cultural competence, and your communication skills. It will make you a far better counselor than anyone who has only taken technical coursework in the field.

Taking Advantage of Electives To Specialize Your Addiction Counseling Education

On top of all the various general studies requirements, you’ll get a healthy helping of credits to apply toward optional classes that are still related to addiction studies.

You can use these to help further develop your core skills, or to specialize in a specific type of SUD treatment. In fact, some bachelor’s programs in substance abuse may offer concentration areas like Treatment or Prevention.

Even without that, you will find plenty of choices to tailor your education toward your interests and needs. Those might include classes in:

Psychology of Abnormal Behavior
Counseling Addicted and Dysfunctional Family Systems
Developmental Psychology
Neuroscience
Native Americans and Substance Use and Addiction
Co-occuring Trauma and Addiction
Rural Telehealth Delivery

You’re also free to take courses from other major areas, so you can branch out into criminal justice or social work classes or any other area you think will help you prepare for a SUD counseling career. Bachelor’s degrees are all about exploring and building intellectual connections. You’ll have the freedom to expand your studies in the ways that benefit you the most.

You may also find programs that come with built-in credentialing. In some states, it’s possible to bring together the combination of education, experiential training, and testing required for certification all in the scope of a bachelor’s degree. Schools that offer this all-in-one package aren’t shy about telling you about it!

A Bachelor’s in Substance Abuse Gets You Started on the Critical Process of Building Experiential Hours

All state licensing and certification comes with requirements for practical, on-the-job experience as well as classroom training. You will often start accumulating these practice and supervision hours while you are still in college, through practicum courses and internship opportunities.

A practicum is a class that involves real-world job placement as part of the teaching. These tend to be shorter than internships, lasting for only a quarter or semester, and more closely integrated with your school instruction.

An internship is a more independent job placement, one that is more organized and managed by the agency you will be working at. These are often longer, and can involve more real-world responsibilities. The supervision offered by instructors occurs at a higher level, which means you have more flexibility and hands-on work to sink your teeth into.

What the Job Market and Salary Expectations are Like for Bachelor’s-Prepared Substance Abuse Counselors

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Human services in general isn’t a field you aim for if you are motivated by money. But the country has come a long way toward making these essential positions comfortable and even lucrative for the people who are working to help us all.

The 2023 median salary reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors was $53,710 per year. That’s a number that covers a lot of territory both within and around substance use disorder counseling, but it’s also the number that is most closely associated with bachelor’s graduates in the field.

Even bachelor’s grads gain experience and become more valuable over time, of course. And the degree allows you to move up to the highest level of credentialing in five states. So your substance abuse counselor salary with a bachelor’s degree can land you in the top ten percent of the profession in some places, which registers at more than $89,920 nationally.

With a four-year degree behind you, you’ll find that your options for moving up in substance use disorder treatment expand quickly. The general purpose education that comes with a bachelor’s degree is your first step toward a master’s degree, for example. Or it can be turned into management and leadership roles in human services both within and beyond SUD treatment.

More importantly, it comes with the expertise you need to make a real difference in real lives.

2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2024.