2027 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Illinois

[Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong substance abuse/addiction counseling education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for substance abuse/addiction counseling students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in substance abuse/addiction counseling, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools
Our analysis ranked Elgin Community College the best value for a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling in Illinois. Located in the city of Elgin, Elgin Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,252 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,516. Students borrow a median of $7,727 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Elgin Community College generally make around $43,975. That is a strong return on a $7,727 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes College Of Dupage one of the best values for substance abuse/addiction counseling. College Of Dupage is a very large public school located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,560, while out-of-state students pay about $12,750. Students borrow a median of $12,492 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $43,025. Set against $12,492 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy King College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,590, compared with $15,150 for out-of-state students. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $10,250 in student loans. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $48,264. Set against $10,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Governors State University earned it the #4 place for substance abuse/addiction counseling. Located in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,004. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $24,990. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $44,369. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 48%.
More Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Rankings
View All Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.