How Many Inches Should Upper Cabinets Be From The Countertop?

The answer to your question would depend on several things. Such as;
If you have a drop ceiling, height of the ceiling and cabinets.
  I have seen cabinets installed anywhere from 12 to 13  inches above the counter top to 18 inches above.
A good rule of thumb here would also be to take into consideration enough clearance to set a blender, coffee pot, etc. On the counter.  It is your preference. Do you want the cabinets mounted all the way to the ceiling or do you want to be able to sit things on top of the cabinets. Balance between the counter tops to floor and the upper cabinets to ceiling  would be another thing you may want to take into consideration.  
  Basically, just keep in mind the counter top and bottom of cabinet space,  have a couple of helpers hold a cabinet up and see what looks good to you.