College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

360 Ranked Colleges
13,858 Degrees Awarded
$5,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Student Counseling is the 72nd most popular major in the country with 13,858 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, student counseling graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $44,291 and had an average of $0 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 360 colleges that offered a degree in student counseling. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent student counseling programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the student counseling program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Student Counseling Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Student Counseling Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The student counseling school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Student Counseling (Income $0-$30k)

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Student Counseling at Johns Hopkins University

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Student Counseling at UF

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 127 diplomas to qualified ’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Student Counseling at California State University - Los Angeles

4
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s student counseling degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Student Counseling at Vanderbilt

5
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Out of the 360 schools in the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wake Forest University landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and it awarded 102 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Wake Forest University Student Counseling Report

6

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 49 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Student Counseling Report

7
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 64 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $396 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Student Counseling at Hunter

8
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 55 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UGA Student Counseling Report

9

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Student Counseling Report

10
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, William & Mary is in the top on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $5,972 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full William & Mary Student Counseling Report

11
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,283 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full North Carolina State University Student Counseling Report

12
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $881 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Student Counseling at Lehman

13
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s student counseling degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $12,476 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Student Counseling Report

14
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 29 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Student Counseling at Brooklyn College

15

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s student counseling degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,753 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Student Counseling Report

16
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Florida State also did well on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Student Counseling at Florida State University

17

California State University - Fresno came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 112 degrees to qualified ’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,859 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Student Counseling at Fresno State

18
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 69 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Appalachian State is also in the top of our “Best Student Counseling Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It costs about $7,354 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Appalachian State University Student Counseling Report

19

University of Central Florida came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 91 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UCF also did well on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It costs about $4,468 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Student Counseling at UCF

20

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 227 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Student Counseling at University of Missouri - Columbia

21

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 31 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,657 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Student Counseling at California State University - Dominguez Hills

22
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 175 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Student Counseling Schools” list. It costs about $17,287 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Student Counseling at University of Southern California

23
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

With a ranking of #23, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Queens, New York, and it awarded 21 ’s student counseling degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $1,344 for Student Counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Student Counseling at QC

24

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified ’s student counseling students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,590 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Student Counseling at Cal State Fullerton

25
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #25, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s student counseling degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $6,726 for student counseling students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Florida Atlantic University Student Counseling Report

Rest of the Best 51 in Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 51 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
29
30
31
32
33
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
34
35
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
McDaniel crest
McDaniel College
Westminster, Maryland
43
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
44
45
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California
46
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
47
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
48
TCNJ crest
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey
49
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
50
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Student Counseling Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
52Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
53Angelo State UniversitySan Angelo, TX
54University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
55University of Alaska FairbanksFairbanks, AK

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options