2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in California
[College Student Counseling & Personnel Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/college-student-counseling-and-personnel-services/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for college student counseling & personnel services students.
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2026 Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools in California
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the college student counseling & personnel services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value College Student Counseling & Personnel Services Schools
Leading the list is California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, our #1 best value for college student counseling & personnel services in California. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. Students from in state pay about $12,161 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,230. Typical student debt for college student counseling & personnel services graduates is $19,273. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn a median of $53,058 early in their careers. Set against $19,273 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 31%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Redlands earned it the #2 place for college student counseling & personnel services. University Of Redlands is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Redlands. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,878. Typical student debt for college student counseling & personnel services graduates is $27,175. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from University Of Redlands generally make around $62,205. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Redlands admits about 83% of applicants.
California Lutheran University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value college student counseling & personnel services schools. Set in the city of Thousand Oaks, California Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,560. Typical student debt for college student counseling & personnel services graduates is $22,727. Early-career college student counseling & personnel services graduates make about $61,749. Set against $22,727 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. California Lutheran University admits about 76% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in college student counseling & personnel services will find it at University Of Southern California, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,647. College Student Counseling & Personnel Services graduates carry a median of $15,625 in student loans. Soon after graduation, college student counseling & personnel services degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $52,999. That is a strong return on a $15,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 10%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 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.
