2026 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Virginia

[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 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 Virginia
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
Patrick Henry Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools in Virginia. Patrick Henry Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Martinsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,002, while out-of-state students pay about $11,440. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $11,235. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $33,358. Set against $11,235 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southside Virginia Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Southside Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Alberta. Students from in state pay about $5,007 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,445 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $30,386. That is a strong return on a $9,500 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Southwest Virginia Community College one of the best values for substance abuse/addiction counseling. Southwest Virginia Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Cedar Bluff. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,075, with out-of-state students paying around $11,513. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Southwest Virginia Community College earn a median of $32,277 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Old Dominion University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,750, while out-of-state students pay about $33,780. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $30,949 in student loans. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $37,645 early in their careers. Set against $30,949 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #5 makes Virginia Commonwealth University one of the best values for substance abuse/addiction counseling. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $23,813 in student loans. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Virginia Commonwealth University generally make around $77,108. Set against $23,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Virginia Commonwealth University admits about 93% of applicants.
Liberty University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,173. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $27,414. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Liberty University earn a median of $45,136 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Liberty University admits about 99% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.