2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in South Carolina

[Mental & Social Health Services](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for mental & social health services students.
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2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in South Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the mental & social health services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools
Leading the list is Midlands Technical College, our #1 best value for mental & social health services in South Carolina. Set in the suburb of West Columbia, Midlands Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,100 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,700. Students borrow a median of $17,611 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Midlands Technical College earn a median of $39,610 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Carolina Upstate earned it the #2 place for mental & social health services. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of University Of South Carolina Upstate earn a median of $39,473 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Carolina Upstate admits about 67% of applicants.
Southern Wesleyan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental & social health services, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Central, Southern Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $29,800. Students borrow a median of $31,554 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Southern Wesleyan University earn a median of $43,539 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,554 median debt. The acceptance rate is 100%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South University Columbia earned it the #4 place for mental & social health services. South University Columbia is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,895. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $48,920 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from South University Columbia generally make around $41,585. Set against $48,920 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in mental & social health services will find it at University Of South Carolina Columbia, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,688, with out-of-state students paying around $36,298. Students borrow a median of $24,472 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $45,530. That is a strong return on a $24,472 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.
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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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.