2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Ohio
[Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services](/majors/education/student-counseling/counselor-education-school-counseling-and-guidance-services/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services students.
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2026 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools
Leading the list is University Of Akron Main Campus, our #1 best value for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services in Ohio. University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the city of Akron. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,815 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $25,347. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from University Of Akron Main Campus generally make around $43,943. Set against $25,347 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Cleveland State University one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Cleveland State University is a large public school located in the city of Cleveland. In-state tuition and fees average $12,982, with out-of-state students paying around $18,502. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $26,336 in student loans. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from Cleveland State University generally make around $47,850. Set against $26,336 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Kent State University At Kent one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of $44,228 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,174 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Bowling Green State University Main Campus one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the town of Bowling Green. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $25,449 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $44,373. That is a strong return on a $25,449 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
John Carroll University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of University Heights, John Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $50,500 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,131 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $44,308. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dayton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $25,033 in student loans. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $44,510 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 65%.
More Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Rankings
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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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
