2026 Best Value Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region
[Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/clinical-pastoral-counseling-patient-counseling/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Schools in the Southeast Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary the best value for a degree in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling in the Southeast Region. Located in the suburb of Wake Forest, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,318. Clinical Pastoral Counseling/patient Counseling graduates of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary earn a median of $54,863 early in their careers. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling will find it at Regent University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,650. Clinical Pastoral Counseling/patient Counseling graduates carry a median of $29,451 in student loans. Soon after graduation, clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling degree recipients from Regent University generally make around $41,047. That is a strong return on a $29,451 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling will find it at Virginia Commonwealth University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $16,720 in tuition and fees, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,813 to complete the clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling program here. Clinical Pastoral Counseling/patient Counseling graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $77,108 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,813 median debt. Virginia Commonwealth University admits about 93% of applicants.
Faulkner University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Montgomery, Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $23,920. Clinical Pastoral Counseling/patient Counseling graduates carry a median of $29,942 in student loans. Early-career clinical pastoral counseling/patient counseling graduates make about $46,934. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Faulkner University admits about 73% of applicants.
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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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
