2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in South Carolina

[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong student counseling education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for student counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Student Counseling Schools in South Carolina
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the student counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Student Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked Winthrop University the best value for a degree in student counseling in South Carolina. Set in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,678, while out-of-state students pay about $28,676. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $27,040 in student loans. Student Counseling graduates of Winthrop University earn a median of $45,644 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in student counseling will find it at Citadel Military College Of South Carolina, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Charleston, Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,570 in tuition and fees, compared with $38,508 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,305 to complete the student counseling program here. Soon after graduation, student counseling degree recipients from Citadel Military College Of South Carolina generally make around $52,909. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Citadel Military College Of South Carolina admits about 23% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Clemson University earned it the #3 place for student counseling. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,554 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for student counseling graduates is $23,783. Early-career student counseling graduates make about $48,353. Set against $23,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 38%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Carolina Columbia earned it the #4 place for student counseling. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,688, while out-of-state students pay about $36,298. Student Counseling graduates carry a median of $24,472 in student loans. Student Counseling graduates of University Of South Carolina Columbia earn a median of $42,686 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 5 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.