by our College Data Analytics Team
[Student Counseling](/majors/education/student-counseling/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their student counseling graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose student counseling graduates go on to earn the most.
Drake University earned the #1 spot for highest-paid student counseling graduates in Iowa. Located in the city of Des Moines, Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, student counseling degree recipients from Drake University typically earn about $57,898 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Buena Vista University one of the highest-paying schools for student counseling. Set in the town of Storm Lake, Buena Vista University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the student counseling program here go on to a median salary of roughly $57,279.
Students chasing top earnings in student counseling will find them at University Of Northern Iowa, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a public institution. After graduating, student counseling degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa typically earn about $53,462 annually.
University Of Iowa produces some of the highest-paid graduates in student counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Iowa is a public school located in the city of Iowa City. Student Counseling graduates of University Of Iowa earn a median of about $48,327 a year early in their careers.
Loras College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in student counseling, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Dubuque, Loras College is a private not-for-profit institution. Student Counseling graduates of Loras College earn a median of about $44,795 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries student counseling graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.