2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the Far Western Region

[College Student Counseling & Personnel Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/college-student-counseling-and-personnel-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for college student counseling & personnel services students.
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2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the Far Western Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in college student counseling & personnel services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools
For return on investment in college student counseling & personnel services, no school beat California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo this year. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,161, compared with $33,230 for out-of-state students. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $19,273 in student loans. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $53,058. Set against $19,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 31% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Redlands earned it the #2 place for college student counseling & personnel services. Located in the city of Redlands, University Of Redlands is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,878. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $27,175 in student loans. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of University Of Redlands earn a median of $62,205 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Redlands admits about 83% of applicants.
California Lutheran University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value college student counseling & personnel services schools. Located in the city of Thousand Oaks, California Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $52,560 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,727 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $61,749. Set against $22,727 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California Lutheran University admits about 76% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Southern California one of the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $71,647 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,625 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $52,999. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in college student counseling & personnel services will find it at Seattle University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,721. Students borrow a median of $22,289 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from Seattle University generally make around $68,242. Set against $22,289 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Seattle University admits about 77% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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 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.