2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Alabama
[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) 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 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools.
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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Alabama
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
For return on investment in mental health counseling/counselor, no school beat University Of West Alabama this year. University Of West Alabama is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Livingston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,990, compared with $20,090 for out-of-state students. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $31,894 in student loans. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of West Alabama earn a median of $53,270 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,894 median debt. The acceptance rate is 43%.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, compared with $22,562 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,162 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $46,855. That is a strong return on a $26,162 median debt. University Of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Faulkner University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Montgomery, Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,920. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $29,942. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Faulkner University generally make around $41,573. That is a strong return on a $29,942 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
