2026 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in New York
[Counseling Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/counseling-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong counseling psychology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for counseling psychology students.
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2026 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the counseling psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools
Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #1 spot for value among counseling psychology schools in New York. Set in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,517. Students borrow a median of $23,258 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Counseling Psychology graduates of Columbia University In The City Of New York earn a median of $86,770 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Columbia University In The City Of New York admits about 4% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Suny At Albany earned it the #2 place for counseling psychology. Suny At Albany is a very large public school located in the city of Albany. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,601, compared with $30,991 for out-of-state students. Counseling Psychology graduates carry a median of $22,430 in student loans. Counseling Psychology graduates of Suny At Albany earn a median of $41,739 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,430 median debt. Suny At Albany admits about 69% of applicants.
University At Buffalo is a great value for students pursuing a degree in counseling psychology, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,936 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $31,536. Students borrow a median of $22,232 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from University At Buffalo generally make around $53,514. Set against $22,232 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in counseling psychology will find it at Manhattan College, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Riverdale, Manhattan College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,400. Counseling Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,968 in student loans. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $53,411. Set against $25,968 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Fordham University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value counseling psychology schools. Set in the city of Bronx, Fordham University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $64,470 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $25,643. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from Fordham University generally make around $70,647. Set against $25,643 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 59%.
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Notes and References
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
