2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the The Plains States Region
[College Student Counseling & Personnel Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/college-student-counseling-and-personnel-services/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value college student counseling & personnel services schools.
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2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in the The Plains States 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 Saint Cloud State University this year. Saint Cloud State University is a large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,245. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $25,076 in student loans. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of Saint Cloud State University earn a median of $48,473 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Northern Iowa earned it the #2 place for college student counseling & personnel services. Located in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,936 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,712. Students borrow a median of $22,635 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $46,566. Set against $22,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Students looking for strong value in college student counseling & personnel services will find it at Wayne State College, which ranked #3. Wayne State College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Wayne. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,171. Students borrow a median of $22,974 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from Wayne State College generally make around $51,778. That is a strong return on a $22,974 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes North Dakota State University Main Campus one of the best values for college student counseling & personnel services. North Dakota State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Fargo. In-state tuition and fees average $10,910, compared with $15,564 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,153 to complete the college student counseling & personnel services program here. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of North Dakota State University Main Campus earn a median of $52,154 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,153 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Students looking for strong value in college student counseling & personnel services will find it at Capella University, which ranked #5. Capella University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,400. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $35,998 in student loans. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from Capella University generally make around $72,053. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Iowa ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value college student counseling & personnel services schools. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. In-state tuition and fees average $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $24,463 in student loans. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $57,375. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
