2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Kansas
[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) 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 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value student counseling schools.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Kansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in student counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
For return on investment in student counseling, no school beat Fort Hays State University this year. Set in the town of Hays, Fort Hays State University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,923, while out-of-state students pay about $17,741. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,967 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $54,939. Set against $25,967 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Wichita State University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public institution. 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 student counseling program here. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $53,762. That is a strong return on a $24,262 median debt. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
Emporia State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Emporia, Emporia State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,106 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,419. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $23,131 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $57,008. Set against $23,131 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Emporia State University admits about 98% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Kansas State University one of the best values for student counseling. Located in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,221, compared with $28,568 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $23,546. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $47,436. Set against $23,546 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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.
