2027 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Tennessee
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services students.
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2027 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools
Middle Tennessee State University earned the #1 spot for value among counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,574 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,754 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $46,032 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,754 median debt. Middle Tennessee State University admits about 69% of applicants.
The University Of Tennessee Martin is a great value for students pursuing a degree in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Martin, The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,560, compared with $16,600 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,770 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $49,357. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Memphis is a great value for students pursuing a degree in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $26,315. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $45,618. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tennessee Technological University earned it the #4 place for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, while out-of-state students pay about $15,576. Students borrow a median of $17,580 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $42,655. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Students looking for strong value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services will find it at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $23,324. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earn a median of $47,104 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,324 median debt. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga admits about 81% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University earned the #6 position for value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services this year. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,216, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,301 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $37,904. That is a strong return on a $21,301 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #7 position for value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $22,859 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $47,236. Set against $22,859 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Lipscomb University placed #8 among the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Set in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,572. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. Soon after graduation, counselor education/school counseling & guidance services degree recipients from Lipscomb University generally make around $48,949. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
