2027 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in Illinois
[Counseling Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/counseling-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong counseling psychology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 12 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value counseling psychology schools.
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2027 Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in counseling psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Counseling Psychology Schools
Governors State University tops our 2027 list of the best value counseling psychology schools in Illinois. Set in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,004. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $24,990. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from Governors State University generally make around $52,581. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Illinois At Springfield earned it the #2 place for counseling psychology. Located in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $12,557 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,139. Students borrow a median of $24,925 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $48,357. That is a strong return on a $24,925 median debt. University Of Illinois At Springfield admits about 86% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #3 place for counseling psychology. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $69,324 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from University Of Chicago generally make around $39,808. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at National Louis University earned it the #4 place for counseling psychology. National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,245. Students borrow a median of $29,242 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Counseling Psychology graduates of National Louis University earn a median of $57,591 early in their careers. Set against $29,242 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in counseling psychology will find it at Chicago State University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Chicago, Chicago State University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,754, compared with $12,757 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $43,322. Counseling Psychology graduates of Chicago State University earn a median of $47,477 early in their careers. Set against $43,322 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Chicago State University admits about 43% of applicants.
North Park University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value counseling psychology schools. North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $36,710 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $27,360. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $55,960. Set against $27,360 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Concordia University Chicago ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value counseling psychology schools. Concordia University Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest. Students from in state pay about $37,488 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,956 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from Concordia University Chicago generally make around $51,374. Set against $26,956 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Trinity Christian College earned the #8 position for value in counseling psychology this year. Trinity Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Palos Heights. In-state tuition and fees average $20,605. Students borrow a median of $28,722 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Counseling Psychology graduates of Trinity Christian College earn a median of $41,998 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,722 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Roosevelt University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value counseling psychology schools. Roosevelt University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $21,315 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $23,879. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $59,141. That is a strong return on a $23,879 median debt. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Mckendree University landed the #10 spot for counseling psychology value this year. Located in the suburb of Lebanon, Mckendree University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,740. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $24,362. Soon after graduation, counseling psychology degree recipients from Mckendree University generally make around $51,068. That is a strong return on a $24,362 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Northwestern University came in at #11 for value in counseling psychology this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for counseling psychology graduates is $16,616. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $43,591. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value counseling psychology schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Students borrow a median of $23,521 to complete the counseling psychology program here. Early-career counseling psychology graduates make about $67,469. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
More Counseling Psychology Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
