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2026 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in Iowa

[Counseling Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/counseling-psychology/) 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 5 schools to find the best return on investment for counseling psychology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in Iowa

2026 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in Iowa

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

1

Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA

$41,798 In-State Tuition & Fees

$29,317 Avg Student Debt

$49,156 Median Earnings (10yr)

Buena Vista University tops our 2026 list of the best value counseling psychology schools in Iowa. Located in the town of Storm Lake, Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,798. Students borrow a median of $29,317 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Counseling Psychology graduates of Buena Vista University earn a median of $49,323 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,317 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.

2

Morningside College
Sioux City, IA

$39,519 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,281 Avg Student Debt

$55,494 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Morningside College one of the best values for counseling psychology. Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $39,519. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $27,281. Counseling Psychology graduates of Morningside College earn a median of $54,988 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 71%.

View All Counseling Psychology Rankings >

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 · 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.