2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Iowa
[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 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 Iowa
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
Loras College earned the #1 spot for value among mental health counseling/counselor schools in Iowa. Set in the city of Dubuque, Loras College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $39,824 in tuition and fees. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $26,528 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Loras College generally make around $43,117. Set against $26,528 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 100%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Iowa earned it the #2 place for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, with out-of-state students paying around $33,371. Students borrow a median of $24,463 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $57,375. That is a strong return on a $24,463 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Grand View University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #3 spot this year. Grand View University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Students from in state pay about $34,762 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,941 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $45,180. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 4 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.
