2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Connecticut

[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for student counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in Connecticut
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in student counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
Central Connecticut State University earned the #1 spot for value among student counseling schools in Connecticut. Central Connecticut State University is a large public school located in the suburb of New Britain. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,050, compared with $16,550 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,340 to complete the student counseling program here. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $60,151. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
Western Connecticut State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #2 spot this year. Western Connecticut State University is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Danbury. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,401, compared with $16,901 for out-of-state students. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $25,332 in student loans. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $50,635. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Western Connecticut State University admits about 87% of applicants.
University Of Bridgeport is a great value for students pursuing a degree in student counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Bridgeport is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bridgeport. Students from in state pay about $35,760 in tuition and fees. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $28,601 in student loans. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients from University Of Bridgeport generally make around $52,549. That is a strong return on a $28,601 median debt. University Of Bridgeport admits about 83% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Fairfield University, which ranked #4. Set in the suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,400. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $26,687. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $62,451. Set against $26,687 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 33% of applicants are accepted.
More Student Counseling 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.