2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Louisiana

[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 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 Louisiana
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 Louisiana Monroe this year. Set in the city of Monroe, University Of Louisiana Monroe is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,190, with out-of-state students paying around $21,290. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $22,465. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of Louisiana Monroe earn a median of $47,162 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at University Of Louisiana Lafayette, which ranked #2. University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a large public school located in the city of Lafayette. Students from in state pay about $10,418 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,146. Students borrow a median of $24,373 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of Louisiana Lafayette earn a median of $42,873 early in their careers. Set against $24,373 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Louisiana Lafayette admits about 87% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Our Lady Of Holy Cross College one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the city of New Orleans, Our Lady Of Holy Cross College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,576. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $43,500. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Our Lady Of Holy Cross College earn a median of $42,650 early in their careers. Set against $43,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Our Lady Of Holy Cross College admits about 74% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Xavier University Of Louisiana, which ranked #4. Set in the city of New Orleans, Xavier University Of Louisiana is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $28,979 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $26,777. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Xavier University Of Louisiana earn a median of $46,854 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Xavier University Of Louisiana admits about 69% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Loyola University New Orleans, which ranked #5. Located in the city of New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,440. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $26,606. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Loyola University New Orleans generally make around $41,721. That is a strong return on a $26,606 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
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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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.