2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Arkansas
[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools.
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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mental health counseling/counselor, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools
University Of Central Arkansas tops our 2026 list of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools in Arkansas. Set in the city of Conway, University Of Central Arkansas is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,523, compared with $18,023 for out-of-state students. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $25,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas generally make around $38,566. That is a strong return on a $25,750 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Henderson State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental health counseling/counselor, landing the #2 spot this year. Henderson State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Arkadelphia. Students from in state pay about $8,244 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,620. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $23,234. Early-career mental health counseling/counselor graduates make about $40,762. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Harding University, which ranked #3. Set in the town of Searcy, Harding University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,962. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $26,715 in student loans. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Harding University earn a median of $53,629 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,715 median debt. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes John Brown University one of the best values for mental health counseling/counselor. Set in the town of Siloam Springs, John Brown University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,756. Students borrow a median of $25,216 to complete the mental health counseling/counselor program here. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from John Brown University generally make around $46,451. Set against $25,216 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
