2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Florida
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for mental health counseling/counselor students.
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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Florida
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the mental health counseling/counselor degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Florida the best value for a degree in mental health counseling/counselor in Florida. University Of Florida is a very large public school located in the city of Gainesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,381, compared with $28,659 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $17,669. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from University Of Florida generally make around $35,991. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 24% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Florida earned it the #2 place for mental health counseling/counselor. University Of North Florida is a large public school located in the city of Jacksonville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,964, compared with $19,407 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $18,523. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from University Of North Florida generally make around $45,840. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Florida admits about 53% of applicants.
Stetson University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Set in the city of DeLand, Stetson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,410. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $25,382 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $38,619. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Stetson University admits about 72% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Nova Southeastern University earned it the #4 place for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $38,700 in tuition and fees. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $25,021 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $70,595. That is a strong return on a $25,021 median debt. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,650. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $24,787 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $43,029. Set against $24,787 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Rollins College earned the #6 position for value in mental health counseling/counselor this year. Rollins College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Winter Park. In-state tuition and fees average $60,580. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $26,203 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $40,403. Set against $26,203 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 48%.
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale earned the #7 position for value in mental health counseling/counselor this year. Keiser University Ft Lauderdale is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,056. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $36,416 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Keiser University Ft Lauderdale generally make around $45,965. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
University Of Miami landed the #8 spot for mental health counseling/counselor value this year. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,616. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $17,750. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $48,813. That is a strong return on a $17,750 median debt. University Of Miami admits about 19% of applicants.
Lynn University earned the #9 position for value in mental health counseling/counselor this year. Located in the city of Boca Raton, Lynn University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $44,480. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $21,391. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Lynn University generally make around $50,569. Set against $21,391 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
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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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
