2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Georgia

[Mental & Social Health Services](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for mental & social health services students.
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2026 Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mental & social health services, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mental & Social Health Services Schools
Leading the list is University Of Georgia, our #1 best value for mental & social health services in Georgia. Located in the city of Athens, University Of Georgia is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $20,187 in student loans. Soon after graduation, mental & social health services degree recipients from University Of Georgia generally make around $50,127. That is a strong return on a $20,187 median debt. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Valdosta State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mental & social health services, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Valdosta, Valdosta State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,124, with out-of-state students paying around $17,836. Students borrow a median of $28,661 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $42,694. That is a strong return on a $28,661 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Thomas University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value mental & social health services schools. Located in the town of Thomasville, Thomas University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,640. Students borrow a median of $28,454 to complete the mental & social health services program here. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Thomas University earn a median of $39,302 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Mercer University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value mental & social health services schools. Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,565. Typical student debt for mental & social health services graduates is $32,463. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $41,850. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mental & social health services will find it at South University Savannah, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Savannah, South University Savannah is a small private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,895. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $47,732 in student loans. Early-career mental & social health services graduates make about $41,585. Set against $47,732 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Agnes Scott College landed the #6 spot for mental & social health services value this year. Agnes Scott College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Decatur. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,604. Mental & Social Health Services graduates carry a median of $26,811 in student loans. Mental & Social Health Services graduates of Agnes Scott College earn a median of $28,191 early in their careers. Set against $26,811 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Agnes Scott College admits about 62% of applicants.
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. 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.