2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Michigan
[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for student counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in student counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
Leading the list is Oakland University, our #1 best value for student counseling in Michigan. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,972 in student loans. Student Counseling graduates of Oakland University earn a median of $47,622 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Oakland University admits about 88% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Wayne State University one of the best values for student counseling. Wayne State University is a very large public school located in the city of Detroit. In-state tuition and fees average $16,159, while out-of-state students pay about $34,650. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $26,689 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $47,990. Set against $26,689 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Michigan University earned it the #3 place for student counseling. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $27,857. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $50,186. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
Eastern Michigan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. Eastern Michigan University is a large public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,990. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $28,781. Student Counseling graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of $48,103 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Michigan University admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Grand Valley State University, which ranked #5. Grand Valley State University is a very large public school located in the town of Allendale. In-state tuition and fees average $15,502, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $26,378 in student loans. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients from Grand Valley State University generally make around $50,498. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Western Michigan University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value student counseling schools. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Students borrow a median of $27,981 to complete the student counseling program here. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $47,120. That is a strong return on a $27,981 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Michigan State University landed the #7 spot for student counseling value this year. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,079 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,213 to complete the student counseling program here. Student Counseling graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $52,282 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,213 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
More Student Counseling Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
