2027 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Minnesota

[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. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong mental health counseling/counselor education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for mental health counseling/counselor students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Minnesota
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 Minnesota Twin Cities, our #1 best value for mental health counseling/counselor in Minnesota. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $21,577. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $61,488 early in their careers. Set against $21,577 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Saint Cloud State University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,245. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $31,171 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Saint Cloud State University generally make around $46,597. That is a strong return on a $31,171 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Winona State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Set in the town of Winona, Winona State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,576, compared with $17,308 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,551 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Winona State University earn a median of $53,109 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,551 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Capella University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a very large private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $14,400 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $35,998 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $47,787. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes Minnesota State University Mankato one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Set in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,572, while out-of-state students pay about $18,942. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $27,269. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Minnesota State University Mankato earn a median of $46,691 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Bethany Lutheran College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Mankato. In-state tuition and fees average $31,360. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Bethany Lutheran College earn a median of $44,462 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 39%.
Bethel University Minnesota landed the #7 spot for mental health counseling/counselor value this year. Located in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $44,226. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $25,639 in student loans. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $61,465. Set against $25,639 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Walden University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Walden University is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,067. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $49,361 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Walden University generally make around $48,538. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Rankings
View All Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.