by our College Data Analytics Team
[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Leading the list is Post University, our #1 best value for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing in Connecticut. Set in the city of Waterbury, Post University is a very large private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $15,922 in tuition and fees. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $35,364 in student loans. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $50,494. That is a strong return on a $35,364 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Saint Joseph College earned it the #2 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the city of West Hartford, Saint Joseph College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $47,278. Students borrow a median of $30,990 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $103,936. That is a strong return on a $30,990 median debt. Saint Joseph College admits about 79% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Fairfield University earned it the #3 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Fairfield University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield. In-state tuition and fees average $58,400. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $27,000. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Fairfield University earn a median of $119,878 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 33%.
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This list is compiled 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.