2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in North Carolina
[Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/marriage-and-family-therapy-counseling/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for marriage and family therapy/counseling students.
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2026 Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in marriage and family therapy/counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked North Carolina A And T State University the best value for a degree in marriage and family therapy/counseling in North Carolina. North Carolina A And T State University is a large public school located in the city of Greensboro. Students from in state pay about $6,813 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,673. Students borrow a median of $29,078 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Soon after graduation, marriage and family therapy/counseling degree recipients from North Carolina A And T State University generally make around $50,294. That is a strong return on a $29,078 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Appalachian State University earned it the #2 place for marriage and family therapy/counseling. Appalachian State University is a very large public school located in the town of Boone. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,579, compared with $25,212 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,992 to complete the marriage and family therapy/counseling program here. Early-career marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates make about $45,701. Set against $21,992 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
East Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in marriage and family therapy/counseling, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,361, while out-of-state students pay about $23,638. Typical student debt for marriage and family therapy/counseling graduates is $24,747. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of East Carolina University earn a median of $47,542 early in their careers. Set against $24,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Montreat College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in marriage and family therapy/counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Montreat, Montreat College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,450. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates carry a median of $24,168 in student loans. Marriage And Family Therapy/counseling graduates of Montreat College earn a median of $29,234 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Montreat College admits about 69% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 5 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.
