2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Kansas
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services students.
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2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Kansas
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
Fort Hays State University tops our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools in Kansas. Fort Hays State University is a large public school located in the town of Hays. In-state tuition and fees average $5,923, compared with $17,741 for out-of-state students. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $25,967 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $54,939. That is a strong return on a $25,967 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Wichita State University one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. In-state tuition and fees average $9,684, with out-of-state students paying around $19,869. Students borrow a median of $24,262 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $53,762. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
Emporia State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. Emporia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Emporia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,106, compared with $15,419 for out-of-state students. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $23,131 in student loans. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from Emporia State University generally make around $57,008. Set against $23,131 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. Kansas State University is a very large public school located in the city of Manhattan. Students from in state pay about $11,221 in tuition and fees, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $23,546. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from Kansas State University generally make around $47,436. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Kansas State University admits about 82% 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
