2026 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Kentucky

[Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 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 Kentucky
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the substance abuse/addiction counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools
University Of The Cumberlands tops our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools in Kentucky. University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamsburg. Students from in state pay about $9,875 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $22,750 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $21,137. Set against $22,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of The Cumberlands admits about 99% of applicants.
Lindsey Wilson College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Columbia, Lindsey Wilson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,808. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $24,119. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $37,808. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Kentucky one of the best values for substance abuse/addiction counseling. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,502 in tuition and fees, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $24,094. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of University Of Kentucky earn a median of $49,544 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Union College Kentucky is a great value for students pursuing a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Barbourville, Union College Kentucky is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $30,946 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,852 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Union College Kentucky generally make around $54,587. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 63%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.