2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Colorado

[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) 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 4 schools to find the best return on investment for student counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in student counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs the best value for a degree in student counseling in Colorado. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public school located in the city of Colorado Springs. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,906, with out-of-state students paying around $25,039. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $23,559 in student loans. Student Counseling graduates of University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs earn a median of $49,268 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs admits about 97% of applicants.
University Of Northern Colorado is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Greeley, University Of Northern Colorado is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,901, while out-of-state students pay about $26,979. Students borrow a median of $23,974 to complete the student counseling program here. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $48,642. Set against $23,974 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Northern Colorado admits about 86% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Colorado State University Fort Collins, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado State University Fort Collins is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,373 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $35,061. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $22,843. Student Counseling graduates of Colorado State University Fort Collins earn a median of $53,422 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,843 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Denver came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value student counseling schools. University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Denver. Students from in state pay about $61,398 in tuition and fees. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $22,534 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $56,999. Set against $22,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.