2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Tennessee
[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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for mental health counseling/counselor students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Tennessee
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
Leading the list is University Of Memphis, our #1 best value for mental health counseling/counselor in Tennessee. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,728, while out-of-state students pay about $15,384. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $26,315 in student loans. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $48,890 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,315 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Austin Peay State University, which ranked #2. Austin Peay State University is a large public school located in the city of Clarksville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $24,530 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $44,360. That is a strong return on a $24,530 median debt. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
Lincoln Memorial University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,938. Students borrow a median of $20,693 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Lincoln Memorial University generally make around $64,307. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Lincoln Memorial University admits about 63% of applicants.
Carson Newman College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,700. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $22,843 in student loans. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Carson Newman College earn a median of $42,054 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Carson Newman College admits about 90% of applicants.
Johnson University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #5 spot this year. Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Knoxville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,122. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $22,913 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $34,290. Set against $22,913 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Johnson University admits about 65% of applicants.
Milligan College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Set in the suburb of Milligan, Milligan College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,450. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $26,150. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Milligan College generally make around $64,327. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Milligan College admits about 72% of applicants.
Lipscomb University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,572. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Lipscomb University earn a median of $34,077 early in their careers. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lipscomb University admits about 68% of applicants.
Belmont University placed #8 among the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,540. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $49,699. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 9 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.
