2026 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Ohio
[Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for substance abuse/addiction counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in substance abuse/addiction counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked Sinclair Community College the best value for a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling in Ohio. Set in the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,675, compared with $8,556 for out-of-state students. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $13,613 in student loans. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $29,812. That is a strong return on a $13,613 median debt.
Stark State College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling, landing the #2 spot this year. Stark State College is a large public school located in the suburb of North Canton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,790, compared with $7,886 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $17,349. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $42,724. Set against $17,349 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Columbus State Community College one of the best values for substance abuse/addiction counseling. Set in the city of Columbus, Columbus State Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,488 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,224. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $9,041. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $39,435. That is a strong return on a $9,041 median debt.
Cincinnati State Technical And Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Cincinnati State Technical And Community College is a large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $5,517, with out-of-state students paying around $10,044. Students borrow a median of $17,477 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Cincinnati State Technical And Community College earn a median of $29,883 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Akron Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Akron. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,815. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $25,347. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $45,096. That is a strong return on a $25,347 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Wright State University Main Campus earned the #6 position for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Located in the suburb of Dayton, Wright State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,991, with out-of-state students paying around $20,691. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,836 in student loans. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $49,077. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wright State University Main Campus admits about 96% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent landed the #7 spot for substance abuse/addiction counseling value this year. Kent State University At Kent is a very large public school located in the suburb of Kent. Students from in state pay about $12,220 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $43,393 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,174 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Walsh University earned the #8 position for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Set in the suburb of North Canton, Walsh University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $33,030. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $28,064 in student loans. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Walsh University earn a median of $53,629 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Walsh University admits about 71% of applicants.
Malone University came in at #9 for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Malone University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Canton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $37,160. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $27,956. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Malone University generally make around $48,359. That is a strong return on a $27,956 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Students borrow a median of $53,508 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn a median of $46,689 early in their careers. Set against $53,508 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
John Carroll University came in at #11 for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Located in the suburb of University Heights, John Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,500. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $26,131 in student loans. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of John Carroll University earn a median of $47,866 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,131 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
