2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region

[College Student Counseling & Personnel Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/college-student-counseling-and-personnel-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for college student counseling & personnel services students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the college student counseling & personnel services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools
For return on investment in college student counseling & personnel services, no school beat Western Illinois University this year. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $14,572 in tuition and fees. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $27,639 in student loans. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of $42,905 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,639 median debt. Western Illinois University admits about 71% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Indiana State University one of the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. Located in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,258, while out-of-state students pay about $22,322. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $25,582 in student loans. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $45,814. That is a strong return on a $25,582 median debt. Indiana State University admits about 81% of applicants.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in college student counseling & personnel services, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,144, compared with $41,891 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,542 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from Indiana University Bloomington generally make around $42,105. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern Illinois University one of the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. Eastern Illinois University is a large public school located in the town of Charleston. Students from in state pay about $13,377 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,859 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,293 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $45,390. Set against $24,293 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
A rank of #5 makes Ball State University one of the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. Ball State University is a very large public school located in the city of Muncie. In-state tuition and fees average $11,082, while out-of-state students pay about $29,630. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $24,518 in student loans. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Ball State University earn a median of $46,331 early in their careers. Set against $24,518 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ball State University admits about 86% of applicants.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earned the #6 position for value in college student counseling & personnel services this year. Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Marion. Students from in state pay about $9,648 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for college student counseling & personnel services graduates is $32,807. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global generally make around $53,752. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Eastern Michigan University earned the #7 position for value in college student counseling & personnel services this year. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Students borrow a median of $28,781 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $48,103 early in their careers. Set against $28,781 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Western Michigan University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value college student counseling & personnel services schools. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,981 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median of $47,120 early in their careers. Set against $27,981 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Michigan University admits about 85% of applicants.
Illinois State University earned the #9 position for value in college student counseling & personnel services this year. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,896 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $46,091 early in their careers. Set against $21,896 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Roosevelt University came in at #10 for value in college student counseling & personnel services this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $21,315. Students borrow a median of $23,879 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Roosevelt University earn a median of $60,768 early in their careers. Set against $23,879 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus landed the #11 spot for college student counseling & personnel services value this year. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, while out-of-state students pay about $21,900. Students borrow a median of $25,449 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $44,373. That is a strong return on a $25,449 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Lakeland College landed the #12 spot for college student counseling & personnel services value this year. Set in the rural area of Plymouth, Lakeland College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $33,396. Students borrow a median of $29,722 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $49,989. Set against $29,722 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Miami University Oxford placed #13 among the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. Set in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,519, with out-of-state students paying around $38,965. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $24,177 in student loans. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $46,525. Set against $24,177 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Miami University Oxford admits about 75% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.