2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Indiana

[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong mental health counseling/counselor education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for mental health counseling/counselor students.
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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Indiana
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mental health counseling/counselor, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools
Leading the list is Indiana University Southeast, our #1 best value for mental health counseling/counselor in Indiana. Located in the suburb of New Albany, Indiana University Southeast is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,424, with out-of-state students paying around $22,811. Students borrow a median of $23,981 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $43,463. Set against $23,981 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis is a very large public school located in the city of Indianapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,762, with out-of-state students paying around $34,891. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $23,146. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis earn a median of $56,930 early in their careers. Set against $23,146 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Indiana State University one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,258, compared with $22,322 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Indiana State University generally make around $43,930. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
A rank of #4 makes Indiana University Bloomington one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,144, with out-of-state students paying around $41,891. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $20,542. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Indiana University Bloomington generally make around $52,123. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the rural area of Marion, Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,648. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $44,811. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Indiana Wesleyan University National And Global earn a median of $40,426 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $44,811 median debt.
Grace College And Theological Seminary earned the #6 position for value in mental health counseling/counselor this year. Located in the town of Winona Lake, Grace College And Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $29,645 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,211 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $46,139. That is a strong return on a $21,211 median debt. Grace College And Theological Seminary admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of Indianapolis earned the #7 position for value in mental health counseling/counselor this year. Set in the city of Indianapolis, University Of Indianapolis is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $37,200 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $26,699. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from University Of Indianapolis generally make around $52,298. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
Marian University Indiana placed #8 among the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Marian University Indiana is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,664. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $28,633. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Marian University Indiana earn a median of $49,784 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,633 median debt. Marian University Indiana admits about 96% 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 · 11 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.