2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Alabama
[Mental & Social Health Services](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/) 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 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for mental & social health services students.
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2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Alabama
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the mental & social health services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools
University Of West Alabama tops our 2026 list of the best value mental & social health services schools in Alabama. Set in the rural area of Livingston, University Of West Alabama is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,990, compared with $20,090 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $31,894. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $53,270. Set against $31,894 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mental & social health services will find it at Columbia Southern University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a very large private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,224. Students borrow a median of $33,180 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Columbia Southern University earn a median of $38,439 early in their careers. Set against $33,180 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental & social health services, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, compared with $22,562 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $26,162. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of University Of Alabama At Birmingham earn a median of $46,855 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,162 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mental & social health services will find it at Faulkner University, which ranked #4. Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Montgomery. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,920. Students borrow a median of $29,942 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Faulkner University earn a median of $41,573 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,942 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
More Mental & Social Health Services Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 10 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.
