2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong marriage and family therapy/counseling education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for marriage and family therapy/counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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
Northeastern Illinois University earned the #1 spot for value among marriage and family therapy/counseling schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,383, with out-of-state students paying around $22,726. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $17,600. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $50,825. Set against $17,600 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of Akron Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value marriage and family therapy/counseling schools. Located in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,815. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $25,347. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $45,096 early in their careers. Set against $25,347 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value marriage and family therapy/counseling schools. Set in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $9,648 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $44,811 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global generally make around $40,426. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wisconsin Stout earned it the #4 place for marriage and family therapy/counseling. Located in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,701, compared with $19,265 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,821 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $49,730. That is a strong return on a $25,821 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Stout admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in marriage and family therapy/counseling will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, with out-of-state students paying around $19,952. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $27,981. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $42,266. That is a strong return on a $27,981 median debt. Western Michigan University admits about 85% of applicants.
Edgewood College earned the #6 position for value in marriage and family therapy/counseling this year. Edgewood College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Madison. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,860. Students borrow a median of $26,750 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of Edgewood College earn a median of $48,357 early in their careers. Set against $26,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Edgewood College admits about 76% of applicants.
Wheaton College Illinois earned the #7 position for value in marriage and family therapy/counseling this year. Set in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,546. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates carry a median of $23,292 in student loans. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $43,719 early in their careers. Set against $23,292 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
Northwestern University came in at #8 for value in marriage and family therapy/counseling this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $16,616. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $67,518. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
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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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
