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2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in South Carolina

[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 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value mental health counseling/counselor schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in South Carolina

2026 Best Value Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Schools in South Carolina

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

1

Southern Wesleyan University
Central, SC

$29,800 In-State Tuition & Fees

$31,554 Avg Student Debt

$47,756 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in mental health counseling/counselor, no school beat Southern Wesleyan University this year. Southern Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Central. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $29,800. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $31,554. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of Southern Wesleyan University earn a median of $43,539 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Wesleyan University admits about 100% of applicants.

2

South University Columbia
Columbia, SC

$17,895 In-State Tuition & Fees

$48,920 Avg Student Debt

$34,421 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South University Columbia earned it the #2 place for mental health counseling/counselor. South University Columbia is a small private for-profit school located in the suburb of Columbia. In-state tuition and fees average $17,895. Typical student debt for mental health counseling/counselor graduates is $48,920. Mental Health Counseling/counselor graduates of South University Columbia earn a median of $41,585 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

View All Mental Health Counseling/Counselor Rankings >

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 · 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.