2027 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Michigan

[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) 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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for mental health counseling/counselor students.
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2027 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Michigan
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the mental health counseling/counselor degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools
Our analysis ranked Oakland University the best value for a degree in mental health counseling/counselor in Michigan. Oakland University is a large public school located in the suburb of Rochester Hills. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, with out-of-state students paying around $24,735. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $25,972. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $46,551. Set against $25,972 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Andrews University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Located in the town of Berrien Springs, Andrews University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,056. Students borrow a median of $26,314 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Andrews University earn a median of $62,634 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,981 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $42,266. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Aquinas College Michigan earned it the #4 place for mental health counseling/counselor. Aquinas College Michigan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,218. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $25,925. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Aquinas College Michigan earn a median of $40,708 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,925 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Siena Heights University earned it the #5 place for mental health counseling/counselor. Located in the town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,778. Students borrow a median of $25,790 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Siena Heights University earn a median of $41,551 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Central Michigan University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools. Set in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $40,333 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.