2027 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Pennsylvania

[Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling](/majors/health-care-professions/mental-social-health-services/substance-abuse-addiction-counseling/) 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 11 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools.
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2027 Best Value Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling Schools in Pennsylvania
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
Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania tops our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools in Pennsylvania. Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania is a large public school located in the town of Bloomsburg. In-state tuition and fees average $11,046, with out-of-state students paying around $22,870. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $27,128 in student loans. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $47,730. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Commonwealth University Of Pennsylvania admits about 93% of applicants.
Montgomery County Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Set in the suburb of Blue Bell, Montgomery County Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,690 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $17,250. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $15,824. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $39,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in substance abuse/addiction counseling will find it at East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #3. East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of East Stroudsburg. Students from in state pay about $11,236 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,202. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $30,550. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Waynesburg University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in substance abuse/addiction counseling, landing the #4 spot this year. Waynesburg University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Waynesburg. Students from in state pay about $30,480 in tuition and fees. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Waynesburg University generally make around $55,588. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Waynesburg University admits about 90% of applicants.
Pennsylvania Western University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Set in the town of California, Pennsylvania Western University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,436, while out-of-state students pay about $16,054. Students borrow a median of $28,263 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $38,362. Set against $28,263 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pennsylvania Western University admits about 94% of applicants.
Lackawanna College landed the #6 spot for substance abuse/addiction counseling value this year. Lackawanna College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton. Students from in state pay about $18,400 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $33,011. Soon after graduation, substance abuse/addiction counseling degree recipients from Lackawanna College generally make around $37,408. That is a strong return on a $33,011 median debt.
Carlow University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, Carlow University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,874. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $30,222. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $46,820. That is a strong return on a $30,222 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Saint Vincent College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Saint Vincent College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Latrobe. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,396. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $27,000. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $54,916. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
Alvernia University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value substance abuse/addiction counseling schools. Alvernia University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Reading. Students from in state pay about $45,000 in tuition and fees. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates carry a median of $54,779 in student loans. Early-career substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates make about $41,115. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Alvernia University admits about 58% of applicants.
Saint Josephs University earned the #10 position for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Saint Josephs University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,260. Students borrow a median of $26,426 to complete the substance abuse/addiction counseling program here. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Saint Josephs University earn a median of $65,421 early in their careers. Set against $26,426 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Drexel University earned the #11 position for value in substance abuse/addiction counseling this year. Located in the city of Philadelphia, Drexel University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,412. Typical student debt for substance abuse/addiction counseling graduates is $27,000. Substance Abuse/addiction Counseling graduates of Drexel University earn a median of $43,065 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 79%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.