2027 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Iowa
[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools.
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2027 Best Value Counselor Education/School Counseling & Guidance Services Schools in Iowa
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
Our analysis ranked University Of Northern Iowa the best value for a degree in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services in Iowa. University Of Northern Iowa is a large public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. Students from in state pay about $9,936 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,712. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates carry a median of $22,635 in student loans. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $46,566. Set against $22,635 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Northern Iowa admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Buena Vista University one of the best values for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services. Set in the town of Storm Lake, Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,798. Typical student debt for counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates is $29,317. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Buena Vista University earn a median of $49,397 early in their careers. Set against $29,317 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in counselor education/school counseling & guidance services will find it at University Of Iowa, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, while out-of-state students pay about $33,371. Students borrow a median of $24,463 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Early-career counselor education/school counseling & guidance services graduates make about $48,327. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Drake University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value counselor education/school counseling & guidance services schools. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $51,960. Students borrow a median of $22,273 to complete the counselor education/school counseling & guidance services program here. Counselor Education/school Counseling & Guidance Services graduates of Drake University earn a median of $54,800 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Drake University admits about 64% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 4 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.
