2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Kentucky
[Mental Health Counseling/Counselor](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/mental-health-counseling-counselor/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for mental health counseling/counselor students.
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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in Kentucky
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
Northern Kentucky University earned the #1 spot for value among mental health counseling/counselor schools in Kentucky. Set in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,088, while out-of-state students pay about $21,912. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $25,572. Soon after graduation, mental health counseling/counselor degree recipients from Northern Kentucky University generally make around $52,565. That is a strong return on a $25,572 median debt. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Students looking for strong value in mental health counseling/counselor will find it at Spalding University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Louisville, Spalding University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $29,000. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates carry a median of $29,862 in student loans. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Spalding University earn a median of $51,978 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,862 median debt. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 2 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.
