2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Tennessee
[Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/counselor-education-school-counseling-and-guidance-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong counselor education/school counseling & guidance services education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools.
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2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools
Middle Tennessee State University earned the #1 spot for value among counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,266, with out-of-state students paying around $31,574. Students borrow a median of $22,754 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $46,032 early in their careers. Set against $22,754 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes The University Of Tennessee Martin one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,560, with out-of-state students paying around $16,600. Students borrow a median of $23,770 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of The University Of Tennessee Martin earn a median of $49,357 early in their careers. Set against $23,770 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earned it the #3 place for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $23,324. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earn a median of $47,104 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Students looking for strong value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services will find it at University Of Memphis, which ranked #4. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,384. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $26,315. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $45,618. Set against $26,315 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, compared with $15,576 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $17,580. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $42,655. Set against $17,580 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
East Tennessee State University placed #6 among the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,726. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $21,301. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $37,904. That is a strong return on a $21,301 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #7 for value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $22,859 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $49,826. Set against $22,859 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Lee University landed the #8 spot for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services value this year. Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Students from in state pay about $23,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,422 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Lee University earn a median of $38,249 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Lipscomb University landed the #9 spot for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services value this year. Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. In-state tuition and fees average $40,572. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $48,949. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
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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 7 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.
