2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in Washington
[Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/marriage-and-family-therapy-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for marriage and family therapy/counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in Washington
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the marriage and family therapy/counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools
Leading the list is Pacific Lutheran University, our #1 best value for marriage and family therapy/counseling in Washington. Pacific Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Tacoma. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,916. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $23,667. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $53,259. Set against $23,667 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pacific Lutheran University admits about 78% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Saint Martins University one of the best values for marriage and family therapy/counseling. Set in the city of Lacey, Saint Martins University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,510. Students borrow a median of $22,818 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from Saint Martins University generally make around $60,864. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Seattle Pacific University one of the best values for marriage and family therapy/counseling. Located in the city of Seattle, Seattle Pacific University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,407 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,188 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from Seattle Pacific University generally make around $44,629. That is a strong return on a $25,188 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Whitworth University earned it the #4 place for marriage and family therapy/counseling. Whitworth University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Spokane. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,880. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $26,051. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from Whitworth University generally make around $34,809. That is a strong return on a $26,051 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Seattle University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value marriage and family therapy/counseling schools. Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Seattle. Students from in state pay about $56,721 in tuition and fees. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates carry a median of $22,289 in student loans. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $63,214. Set against $22,289 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
City University Of Seattle landed the #6 spot for marriage and family therapy/counseling value this year. Located in the city of Seattle, City University Of Seattle is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $13,929 in tuition and fees. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates carry a median of $18,000 in student loans. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of City University Of Seattle earn a median of $76,698 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Gonzaga University earned the #7 position for value in marriage and family therapy/counseling this year. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $55,480 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,188 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of Gonzaga University earn a median of $58,733 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Gonzaga University admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
