2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in Missouri

[Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong clinical, counseling & applied psychology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 24 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools.
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2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools
Missouri Southern State University earned the #1 spot for value among clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools in Missouri. Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Joplin. Students from in state pay about $9,600 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,300. Students borrow a median of $22,241 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Soon after graduation, clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree recipients from Missouri Southern State University generally make around $39,434. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Missouri Southern State University admits about 97% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Missouri St Louis one of the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,120, while out-of-state students pay about $37,620. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $25,943. Soon after graduation, clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree recipients from University Of Missouri St Louis generally make around $56,723. That is a strong return on a $25,943 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
Missouri University Of Science And Technology came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Rolla. Students from in state pay about $14,984 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,248. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,187 in student loans. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $74,532. That is a strong return on a $25,187 median debt. Missouri University Of Science And Technology admits about 72% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southeast Missouri State University earned it the #4 place for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Set in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,903. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $23,289 in student loans. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of Southeast Missouri State University earn a median of $57,595 early in their careers. Set against $23,289 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Central Missouri one of the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. Students from in state pay about $10,050 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,600. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $24,304. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $49,762. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 64% of applicants are accepted.
Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. Students from in state pay about $7,500 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $25,033. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $36,918. That is a strong return on a $25,033 median debt. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies admits about 88% of applicants.
Missouri State University Springfield landed the #7 spot for clinical, counseling & applied psychology value this year. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,502, while out-of-state students pay about $18,770. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $24,408. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $46,503. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Missouri State University Springfield admits about 90% of applicants.
Avila University placed #8 among the best values for clinical, counseling & applied psychology. Avila University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,200. Students borrow a median of $29,750 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $56,895. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Missouri Columbia came in at #9 for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,837, with out-of-state students paying around $36,056. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $21,818. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $53,134 early in their careers. Set against $21,818 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Washington University In St Louis landed the #10 spot for clinical, counseling & applied psychology value this year. Located in the suburb of St. Louis, Washington University In St Louis is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,790 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,553 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Soon after graduation, clinical, counseling & applied psychology degree recipients from Washington University In St Louis generally make around $68,303. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Maryville University Of Saint Louis ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $27,166 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates is $24,499. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of Maryville University Of Saint Louis earn a median of $67,909 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,499 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Webster University earned the #12 position for value in clinical, counseling & applied psychology this year. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,750. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $25,939 in student loans. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $42,026. That is a strong return on a $25,939 median debt. Webster University admits about 86% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.