2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Iowa
[Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/counselor-education-school-counseling-and-guidance-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. 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 6 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 Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools
University Of Northern Iowa tops our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools in Iowa. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. 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 counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $46,566. Set against $22,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.
Buena Vista University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,798. Students borrow a median of $29,317 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Buena Vista University earn a median of $49,397 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Iowa came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $24,463. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $48,327. That is a strong return on a $24,463 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Drake University earned it the #4 place for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $51,960. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $22,273. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Drake University earn a median of $54,800 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 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.
